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2021 VINTAGE REPORTSUMMARYThe 2021 vintage can be described as another one of extreme weather conditions. Temperature records were shattered in many regions with Canada’s highest ever temperature of 49.6˚C being recorded in the BC interior. Kelowna, Kamloops, Osoyoos and Lillooet were among 60 places that broke records. The warm conditions led to a generally early harvest with ripe flavours and impressive concentration from the small berries. While yields were down as much as 30%, expect very intense, powerful wines.

2OKANAGAN VALLEYThe 2021 vintage was another one of extremes with record breaking summer temperatures due to a heat dome that settled over the Pacific north-west at the end of June and into early July. The winter, however, was mostly mild with the exception of a late cold snap during the second week of February that caused bud damage in some vineyards. A few growers reported trunk damage and some vine death. Things then warmed up quickly and a very dry and warm spring followed resulting in an early budbreak for many. The dry conditions required much earlier irrigation than is typical for the region. The warm spring led straight into an extremely hot and dry summer with record temperatures across many cities and regions, and challenges to keep the vines watered against the heat. As a result, some varieties and vineyards suffered lower than anticipated yield. Wildfires resulted in some smoke cover which provided respite from the scorching sun. Veraison was early and careful management was required to protect the vines from sunburn with some vines shutting down during the heat wave. An upside of the hot and dry conditions was low disease pressure. A few producers reported potential smoke impact in specific vineyards and varieties but for most the higher, thinner smoke cover hasn’t had a negative effect on the wines. Leafhoppers, however, seemed to thrive in these unique conditions and delayed harvest and lowered yields in certain blocks, often being very variety specific. A combination of warmth and low yields led to early ripening for many varieties resulting in a fast, condensed, early harvest to pick the grapes at optimum ripeness. Staffing shortages that have affected many industries also challenged some vineyards, particularly with a condensed harvest, but most reported there was no negative impact on production. Well published shipping delays made it touch and go for the arrival of barrels and other equipment in time for the early harvest. The combination of all these events resulted in less and smaller berries for most producers with yields estimated to be about 30% below expectation. Low yields and small berries though did mean ripe flavours with lots of concentration and plenty of tannin with wine quality expected to be high.Osoyoos recorded 1758 GDD and Summerland a record setting 1555 GDD for 2021.Severine Pinte, Winemaker/Viticulturist and Managing Partner, for Le Vieux Pin Winery and LaStella Winery is excited by the quality.“Despite the challenges mother nature threw at us with the heat dome in late June and forest fires during the summer, the 2021 wines are tasting delicious. Whites have some tension, lots of flavours and concentration. The rosé wines are really fruity and have a nice backbone of natural acidity. The reds, while maturing slower for some of the varieties, are showing nice full ripe tannins and lots of vibrant fruits.”Corrie Krehbiel, Winemaker at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery also spoke of a difficult but ultimately quality, small harvest. “The 2021 growing season was one of the most challenging ever in our 40-year history of winemaking in the Okanagan Valley. Due to the extreme heat and climate conditions, we saw smaller yields of incredibly concentrated berries and with our continued organic program, the intensity of flavour development is truly on display this vintage. Despite all the adversity, our winemaking team is confident this will be a high-quality vintage, although the resulting wines will be available in extremely limited quantities. While it’s been a season of challenges, 2021 is a vintage that will be memorable for so many reasons and one that we can all be excited about for its quality.”

3SIMILKAMEEN VALLEYThe 1713 GDD in the Similkameen Valley was nearly 300 GDD above the 2020 vintage level and 187 above the average. Temperatures were up in spring, summer and fall resulting in earlier than normal budbreak, flowering and a resultant early harvest. These warm conditions made for small berries of intensely flavoured grapes contributing to a small but quality harvest. Ripe red wines and intensely flavoured whites can be expected. Charlie Baessler, Winemaker/Owner of Corcelettes Estate Winery, echoed the small but good theme. “2021 was a hot year with 150-200 more GDD than 2020. It ended up being an early harvest of super high quality but with quantities down we just wish we had more fruit!”As usual, the weather patterns in the Similkameen Valley were similar to the neighbouring Okanagan Valley. In Cawston, a record topping 1713 GDD was recorded, mirroring the heat throughout BC. Winter was relatively mild except for a cold snap in mid-Feburary that caused some bud damage and contributed to lower yields in some varieties. slightly above the long-term average. Weather conditions were like those experienced in the Okanagan Valley with some reported winter damage from a cold snap down to as low as -19˚C in mid-February. A warm season followed with a smaller than average but intensely flavoured crop.Eckhard Ziedler, President, Cliff and Gorge Vineyards Ltd., also touched on the record temperatures and how in spite of the heat the wines are of high quality. “The highest temperature ever recorded in Las Vegas was 47.8˚c and we exceeded that here in Lillooet!” said Ziedler. “The new vines suffered a bit with the heat, but the older vines came through fine. Even with slightly higher pH levels due to the hot weather, the wines are nicely balanced. For us this was a very special vintage, so much could have gone wrong yet everything came through beautifully.”In the Shuswap temperatures were slightly above the long-term average with 1151 GDD recorded in Salmon Arm. This was warmer than the last three years but cooler than the vintages of 2013-2015 which were all above 1200 GDD. In the Kootenays region, the Creston weather station reported GDD of 1423, close to the record heat units recorded in 2015.Wes Johnson, Winemaker / Owner of Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery found the warm weather had things only slightly ahead of normal. “Oddly the vines were only slightly ahead of their normal growth stages. Overall, the wines have a bit more phenolics due to the heat and intense, ripe flavours, but they’ve kept the crisp, refreshing acidity that Creston is becoming known for.”The early summer heat dome reached all corners of the province and all interior BC regions ended up recording higher than average GDD levels ranging between 2-14% above average. The Thompson Valley recorded its warmest temperatures since 2015 with GDD of 1492 in Kamloops, 103 above the long-term average.Galen Barnhardt, Winemaker for Monte Creek Winery, found that Mother Nature helped deliver a small but high-quality crop. “The dry spring and late June heat wave where we hit 47˚C led to a very low crop, down 30-40% in most varieties. I was pleasantly surprised to see acidities remain despite the heat and with the low crop we have some very concentrated wines.”In the Lillooet region, GDD was 1628, OTHER INTERIOR BC REGIONS

4COASTAL REGIONSAccording to Bailey Williamson, Winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate Winery, “it was one of the hottest growing seasons on record for the Cowichan Valley, thanks to the heat dome, with a very condensed harvest. Being on the edge of grape growing territory a few more growing degree days makes a huge difference and as a result the young Pinot Noir in barrel is looking very high quality.”The coastal regions of Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island while moderated by the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Georgia, still experienced a warmer vintage than the past few years thanks to the heat dome. The Gulf Islands GDD was right on average at 999. The 2021 Vancouver Island GDD was 1121 in the Cowichan Valley and reported to be one of warmest and earliest on record making for a condensed harvest. The Fraser Valley vintage was the warmest since 2015 accumulating 1047 GDD at the Langley Central weather station.Six wineries had pre-registered an estimated 107 tonnes of grapes that were left on the vine hoping for the required -8˚C required for Icewine production. Riesling, Ehrenfelser and Zweigelt were the top three varieties picked. The first pick occurred on December 17th when temperatures fell to between -10 to -14˚C in parts of East Kelowna and Okanagan Falls. By the end of winter only 35 tonnes had been harvested as Icewine, the lowest yield ever. A further 101 tonnes were estimated to be picked as Late Harvest wines.Long Term AveragesLong-term Growing Degree Day (GDD) data as referred to in the report.Source Farmwest.com: https://farmwest.com/climate/calculators/growing-degree-days/ And Environment Canada.Includes GDD April 1 to October 31 with a base of 10C.ICEWINE