As climate change brings more extreme and unpredictable weather events, it's spelling trouble for winemakers.
The wine industry in Canada is worth over $11 billion, but in Ontario, vineyards saw crop losses of 50 per cent thanks to wild temperature swings last winter. At some wineries, output dropped by 75 per cent.
Grapevines need to acclimate properly in order to be able to survive the winter, a process that involves being gradually introduced to colder temperatures. However, sudden drops in temperature prevent the acclimation process from taking place.
"Last year was a winter that really challenged us because the vines did not acclimate properly. We had lots of wet weather in December. We had a cold snap in January and literally, what happened is the trunks froze in some of the vines. In the spring, they're dead, so they're not producing fruit at all," Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, told CTV's Your Morning on Thursday.
"We will have weather challenges, but not this kind of extreme weather change challenge that is currently going on."
Meanwhile in B.C., some wineries lost as much as 40 per cent of their crop yields due to the extreme heat in the summer of 2021, which saw temperatures rise up to the high 40s.
"Extreme heat isn't good for grapes either. I mean, it will mature them early. It pushes what we call the sugars up, which gives a higher alcohol content."
On top of that, Zimmerman says droughts can prevent grapevines from fully maturing, as dry conditions prevent the vines from absorbing enough nutrients.
The hot and dry weather in the province had also created ideal conditions for massive wildfires that summer, which saw entire towns like Lytton, B.C. destroyed. Even if their vines survived, some wineries were left unable to sell their wines due to the exposure to wildfire smoke, which results in an unpleasant bitter and ashy taste in wines.
In order to fight frost, some wineries have installed giant fans at their vineyards in an attempt to move and warm the air around the crops and prevent frost damage.
"(The fans) are used very sparingly because it's expensive to use. But we need to invest in other technology," said Zimmerman. "That's the challenge for us with these extreme weather swings. And we're going to have to find other ways to mitigate the damage that has been done in the vineyards."
And in B.C., researchers and winemakers are also looking into different yeasts or refining agents that could remove the smoke taint from grapes, or agricultural sprays that could prevent smoke residue from contaminating the crops.
"(It involves) working with our universities across the country to find alternative methods of trying to ensure that we have bud survival, because that's the key -- to have buds survive into spring and push out our grapes that we need for the great wine we produce in this country," Zimmerman said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver and The Canadian Press
