Carie Jones
Some are calling 2020 the vintage of the decade, and for good reason. A small but mighty vintage, 2020 produced low yields of high-quality fruit, which created wines with excellent flavour concentration, ripe tannins and great acidity and structure which will have wine lovers clamouring to get their hands on a bottle or two before this incredible vintage is gone.
On December 2, 2020, Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) held its annual Winemakers & Viticulturalists' Forum for the first time virtually to adhere to provincial COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings and events. The virtual event, led by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, saw 61 winemakers and viticulturalists from around the province gather online to discuss the 2019/2020 growing season from winter through harvest. Due to the virtual nature of this year’s event, a panel of six winemakers and viticulturalists were invited to help facilitate an engaging discussion with attendees. Prior to the forum, WGBC collected responses from an industry-wide survey and collated together with the virtual discussion to form the 2020 Vintage Report.
In the Okanagan Valley, the sentiments from winemakers and viticulturalists were very similar. Ideal summer weather which continued into the fall provided a long growing season with lots of sun and low rainfall, contributing to exceptional quality of fruit with high concentration, ripe tannins and great natural acidity, along with the balance, complexity and freshness that will provide great ageability.
The Similkameen Valley saw very similar conditions to the Okanagan Valley, with one notable difference – none of the cooler and damper weather around flowering that the Okanagan Valley experienced which contributed to lower yields. Many Similkameen winemakers reported a full and healthy crop.
The rest of the BC interior had similar weather with a cooler and damper start to the season before the warm, sunny summer kicked in to provide ideal ripening conditions, which produced wines with crisp, fresh acidity and excellent flavour. The Coastal regions, which typically experience a very different vintage due to the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Georgia, saw a cooler and rainy June before the sun returned for July and August producing fruit that created wines with the typical fresh island style, natural acidity, balance and slightly lower alcohol levels.
The 2020 Icewine vintage was just as unique as the overall 2020 vintage, producing the smallest Icewine crop in the last 20 years, with only seven of the 14 wineries registered picking 74.75 tonnes of the 300 registered tonnes.
As with every vintage, 2020 had its own exceptional personality and story, producing lower quantities of extremely high-quality fruit that have produced wines with incredible flavour and ripe tannins which make for elegant, fresh and balanced wines that beautifully express BC's distinctive terroir and climate. The 2020 vintage is perfect for savouring today or cellaring for a special occasion.
View the full 2020 Vintage Report on WineBC.com.
Carie Jones, Communications Manager, Wine Growers British Columbia