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       #Post#: 11555--------------------------------------------------
       Cold snap causes catastrophic losses to B.C. wine industry
   DIR By: jsmth321
       Date: February 15, 2024, 3:09 pm
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       New report projects nearly 100 per cent decrease in grape and
       wine production across B.C.
  HTML https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/wine-crop-loss-due-to-cold-snap-1.7115219
       "The latest report from the Wines of British Columbia — a
       non-profit organization which represents the interests of
       wineries in the province — and a management consulting firm
       projects 97 to 99 per cent decrease in grape and wine production
       across B.C."
       #Post#: 11558--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cold snap causes catastrophic losses to B.C. wine industry
   DIR By: caretaker
       Date: February 16, 2024, 7:24 am
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       I can't get my head around the near total destruction!  They
       grow wine grapes all the way from the US border to north of
       Vernon, as well as west up the Similkameen, and that's a lot of
       territory to freeze all at the same time, and only 2 days were
       enough to do all that damage.  Some small wineries have food
       service and tasting rooms for tourists, but most don't, so the
       wineries that can't produce until next year are just a tax
       burden like the vineyards.  The big combines like Vincor just
       north of Oliver can still make wine because they own vineyards
       in Ontario and Chile and if they can get the VQA requirements
       relaxed they can even save some of their top shelf business, but
       the little guys will bear the brunt of it.  There has to be some
       knock-on effect on tourism and the general economy, but people
       do go there for things other than wine.
       If this keeps happening as a result of climate change, the grape
       growers and orchardists might have to introduce new strains of
       cold resistant plants, which doesn't happen overnight.  The
       reason there is good wine in the Okanogan is because of NAFTA,
       according to this article, but I always thought the decision to
       replant with European varietal grapes was because of a major
       blight which destroyed much of what was being grown... maybe I
       was misinformed.  In the picture, Cap Capozzi and WAC Bennet
       look like total gangsters.
  HTML https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/examining-the-okanagans-wine-history-3147935
       #Post#: 11559--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cold snap causes catastrophic losses to B.C. wine industry
   DIR By: Siouxie
       Date: February 16, 2024, 11:33 am
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       Ontario often has temperatures well below -20c but still grow
       grapes without issue - I have a grape vine in my side yard that
       is unprotected yet gives grapes every year without fail.
       I'm not sure why they didn't take precautions, knowing the cold
       snap was coming - there are ways and means of increasing the
       ambient temperature or protecting plants.
       The grape vines will recover, given time, even if this years'
       crop isn't good.
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