B.C. wineries scramble to deal with crop lost due to extreme weather over past year

Extreme heat, wildfires, and deep freezes have hit the province’s wineries hard, with much of this year’s crop expected to be lost due to January’s bitter cold snap.

The industry is now looking at how it will get through some hard years ahead, as the 2024 Vintage is expected to be quite limited.

Lindsey Kelm with Wine Growers BC says the province’s wineries are already looking to offer more experiences to tourists.

“The wine tourism part has become critical and wineries… look to do more of those events and paired dinners and offer even accommodation and other agritourism experiences,” Kelm said.

“That’s really what we’re going to be relying upon over the next few years to keep the wineries going and to keep the industry viable.”

She says on top of devastating crop freezes, previous seasons have been cut short by wildfires, so attracting visitors is crucial.

The province is offering millions in aid to vineyards as many urgently replant, but those funds typically don’t yield much for at least three years.