Canadian
GRAPES
to
WINE
Spring 2017
The
most read
business to business wine industry publication in Canada
❚ John Schreiner on Wine ❚ Marketing Your Wine ❚ Vancouver International Wine Festival Celebrates Canada ❚ Canadian Wine Tourism PM # 41262017
Canadian
GRAPES most read
The business to business wine industry publication in Canada
to
WINE
Published Quarterly March, June, September and December by 2495 Enterprise Way, Kelowna, BC V1X 6X2 Tel. 250-763-3212 Fax 250-862-5275 email: editor@cdngrapes2wine.com | www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Subscribe today!
Name__________________________________ Address________________________________ Ph.____________________________________
For the four quarterly issues; $20 in Canada. (United States $25 U.S., International $30 Can.)
✁
Send your cheque with this cutout to: Canadian Grapes to Wine, 2495 Enterprise Way, Kelowna, BC V1X 6X2 OR EMAIL your subscription order to: ads@cdngrapes2wine.com attn. Subscriptions
Publisher: Black Press Managing Editor: Jennifer Schell Advertising Sales: Sommer O’Shaughnessy Ad & Publication Design: Kiana Haner-Wilk, Janelle Baldwin, Laura Millsip, Kelly Ulmer Circulation Manager: Glenn Beaudry Canadian Grapes to Wine articles, columns, pictures and illustrations are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any other publication without the expressed written consent of the Publisher. Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of information received and printed in Canadian Grapes to Wine, we cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions, E&OE. ISSN 1188 - 1348 Publications Mail Registration No. 41262017
INSIDE History of Grapes to Wine The Rise of Wild Ferment Wineries and Intellectual Property The Drake Vine Wine Festival All She Wrote A Leap in the Light: Science & Wine Winemaking from Coast to Coast
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
4 6 7 8 9 9 10 11
Grow Your Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales 12 Wine Opulence 13 Canada’s Female Master Of Wine 14 Spotlight: Nik Durisek 15 Smart Marketing for BC Wines 17 Impact of Preharvest Frost on Red Wines 18 Raise A Glass: Adolf Kruger 19
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
3
history
GRAPES TO WINE
a bit about us
CANADIAN GRAPES TO WINE CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT FORUM FOR WINE-RELATED STORIES
By Luke Whittall
The wine industry in BC, and maybe even the rest of Canada, needed a trade publication of its own.
4
The story of Canadian Grapes to Wine began with an aspiring vineyard owner. David Gamble had made his career in media wanting to learn more about the industry that surrounded him. In 1991, he retired from his job as an editor of community newspapers in Summerland, BC and sought to make grape growing and winemaking his main occupation. It would be a journey of discovery that would lead the establishment of Canadian Grapes to Wine and its forerunner, British Columbia Wine Trails Magazine (now known as Food & Wine Trails Magazine), the longest continuing wine publication in BC. From his acreage in Summerland, David Gamble personally witnessed this change. In his previous jobs at CKOK radio and editing two community newspapers, Gamble had had his ear firmly to the ground in the Okanagan for over 20 years and was fully aware of what was going on with the agricultural life of the valley. After selling two Summerland community newspapers in 1990, he planted grape vines on his Summerland property with the intention of becoming a
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
DAVE GAMBLE
grape grower himself. In seeking vineyard advice from his many contacts in the grape and wine industry, he soon discovered that they all had a unique story to tell as well as a lot of interesting information. If he found their information interesting and useful, surely there must be others who could benefit from it as well. He left the plan for grape growing and winemaking and returned to the newspaper world in 1991 with the first edition of British Columbia Wine Trails. As Gamble recalls in 2016, he designed it “to tell the stories of the industry”. People at that time only heard about wine through the mainstream media confined to special interest lifestyle columns in newspapers and magazines buried somewhere in the final pages. Now they wanted to know more about it and, perhaps more importantly, the growing wine industry wanted to tell their story. The timing couldn’t have been
better for a new publication. British Columbia Wine Trails was ready to document an inside look into the re-birth of the BC wine industry starting in the late summer of 1991. Wineries offered their news and information to Gamble, who then wrote up interesting stories about them. As the issues grew longer, Gamble started to add columns written by others in the industry that became an important forum for wine related stories, innovations, and new technologies. Winemakers Ron Taylor and Ann Sperling and scientist Dr. Gary Strachan contributed columns and Dr. Larry Anderson wrote about wine and health. These articles started to grow in a different direction from the consumer focus of British Columbia Wine Trails Magazine. In 2000 Gamble recognized that wine consumers may not necessarily be interested in technical wine articles and created a dedicated industry section within each issue called “B.C. Wine and Grapes”. A year later, it was obvious that the wine industry in BC, and maybe even the rest of Canada, could use a trade publication of its own. Stay tuned for Part II of this History of Grapes to Wine Magazine in the next issue.
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
Nighthawk Vineyards
VOTEX MOWERS The FLV mower is designed for pulverizing orchard prunings up to 4” thick. This rugged machine has a large diameter rotor, heavy “claw” flails, low enclosed doubleskinned hood and rear tines. It operates on a height adjustable, full width rear roller with sealed bearings. It can be centrally mounted or offset easily, though hydraulics are optional. Available in widths of 125 cm up to 225 cm. IDEAL ALSAZIA PERFECT
A new concept sprayer with dual counter rotation propellers providing inverted suction. The large amount of airflow produced allows easy penetration between the thick leaves of the plants. The inverted suction on the top improves the flow-penetration inside the foliage and assures a constant air-flow at the same time. The narrow dimensions make working between the rows easy.
www.cellartek.com Supplier to the Commercial Beverage Industry
WINEMAKING
BREWING
CIDER MAKING
Satisfied!
“CellarTek once again comes through with great equipment and uncompromising service on all levels. The Barida counter pressure filler is a breeze to use with simple setup and cleaning. Our Charmat wines love it! Cheers!” Matt Dumayne, Chief Winemaker Okanagan CrushPad
Supplying Specialized machinery to growers, nurseries and vineyards since 1973
5592 Hwy 97 South, Oliver, BC 250-498-2524 or 250-498-6231 www.gerardsequipment.com Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
For quotes and more information: Justin Skladan
E: jskladan@cellartek.com Ph: (778) 215.8324
cellartek•com
West: 1•250•868•3186 East: 1•905•246•8316 Toll Free: 1•877•460•9463
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
5
THE RISE OF THE WILD FERMENT
The goal is to create wines that express the individual terroir in that region.
6
In Canada, we are seeing a rise in wineries labeling their products as ‘wild ferment’. For this article, we will define wild ferment wines as the use of indigenous, or natural existing yeast found clinging to the surfaces in the vineyard to start primary fermentation. Wineries labeling their wine as ‘wild ferment’ means that they are making wines that are truly unique and represent their region and vineyards. Often this starts with a minimalist approach in viticulture practices. The goal is to create wines that express the individual vineyard terroir in that region. Wild ferments can end up using several ambient yeasts to complete the ferment, which results in greater complexity than those designed into a specific style. Making wine with indigenous yeast can be difficult due to its unpredictable nature, requiring strict adherence to quality practices both in the vineyard and cellar. Inevitably, this increases the time spent carefully controlling spoilage organisms and bacteria that may negatively impact the flavour of the final product. In the Okanagan, we are seeing a rise of consumers responding positively to socially responsible marketing. So while many wineries in the Okanagan have been practicing or experimenting with indigenous yeast fermentations for many years, using the term ‘wild ferment’ has just recently been included in marketing programs. While the term ‘wild’ is debatable among industry professionals, it
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Deanna Dunham To research this story, wine writer and marketing professional Deanna Dunham created a questionnaire and sent it out to 100 industry professionals, mostly winemakers. 60 completed questionnaires were returned containing 60 completely different answers as to what wild ferment meant to each of them. The combined answers resulted in this unique marketing perspective.
conveys to the consumer that the taste profile of the wine may differ from traditional expectations. The challenge with labeling wine as ‘wild ferment’ is that there is no regulation, or Canada-wide standard as to what wild ferment means. This leaves each winery responsible for defining their own standards of ‘wild ferment’ directly to their consumers. If the term ‘wild ferment’ can increase our individual direct consumer relationships by producing wines that are unique to our vineyards, how does it increase our
Canadian wine as inconsistent and experimental. The movement towards sub-regions in the Okanagan presents just as many controversial conversations as the term ‘wild ferment’, but from a marketing perspective sub-regions offer an opportunity to define consumer’s expectations of each region’s terroir. The key here is to define traits and taste profiles that can be harmonious in a wine region. The difficulty, like with indigenous yeast, is that neighbouring vineyards in the same sub-region could have
global identity as a wine region? Wild ferment wines mean more hands-on selling strategies to reach target demographics, which requires more time educating, staff and consumers, to purchase products. Locally, it can be a competitive advantage if a winery succeeds in creating a well-perceived wine, but in the international market, it could represent
an entirely different terroir that affects the wine in completely different ways. Perhaps, these are the factors that make the Okanagan wine region so unique and rather than focusing our marketing efforts on trying to define what a consumer should expect, we need to capitalize on the unexpected and take a ride on the ‘wild’ side.
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
WINERIES AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY There are many categories of “intellectual property”, but the main categories are: Patents, Trademarks, Copyright, Industrial Designs, Trade-Secrets and Plant Breeder’s Rights. Most intellectual property rights have some legal protection as soon as they arise, however, these rights can be significantly enhanced by registration with the intellectual property offices in many countries. Likely, the most important intellectual property for Wineries is their brand, their name/logo, so essentially their “trademarks”. A trademark is a symbol/word/ slogan or logo used to distinguish
a brand or product from others. For Wineries, trademarks can be the name of their Winery and/or the name(s) of their specific varieties of wine. Branding is hugely important within the industry to build up reputation, goodwill and recognition across the country. Many people confuse trade names and trademarks and think they acquire trademark rights by virtue of having a trade name. A trade name is basically just a business name under which a company carries on business. It may be the corporate name of a company or a name registered with provincial authorities. Generally, such
Vanessa DeDominicis Registered Canadian and US Trademark Agent pushormitchell.com
registrations do not confer any proprietary rights to the name, and simply enable the public to ascertain who is using a particular trade name. The name the business uses to market its products and services is called a trademark. A trademark is the device which identifies the particular goods made back to their source. The trade name and the trademark of a business may be one and the same thing, but unless a trademark is actually registered, the protection afforded to trade names only is far less than the protection afforded to a registered trademark. If a business does not apply for a trademark, they may
leave their trade name exposed to infringement claims of other trademark owners who may claim prior rights to the same or a similar trade name. Protecting trademarks by way of registration is extremely important to any business. The value of your brand can be significant and often much more valuable than any inventory you may have. This information applies as a general rule ONLY. You should consult a lawyer before acting on any of this information. You can contact Vanessa on 250-869-1140 or dedominicis@pushormitchell. com
Scott Labs is proud to add Erbsloh to our portfolio of globally respected brands.
800.797.2688 • info@scottlabsltd.com
www.scottlabsltd.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
7
Chris Drake
THE DRAKE VINE
Canada’s varietal diversity
The Okanagan Valley is a microcosm of the wider experimentation with vinifera and hybrids that’s transforming Canada’s wine industry.
8
Given its youth and relatively small size, one of the most striking things about Canada’s wine industry is its extensive varietal diversity. Canada’s present day wine industry has really only emerged since the 1980s and, although growth has been rapid, Canada’s 11,000 hectares under vine is still a fraction of New Zealand’s 34,000 hectares. However, whereas Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir account for 73% of New Zealand’s total production, the varietal range in Canada is much more diverse. For example, BC’s Okanagan alone has some 60-70 different varieties. Although North AmericanVitis Labrusca such as Concord and Catawba are still grown and, in some places used for wine production, it’s the European vinifera and hybrid varieties that have powered the recent ascendency of Canada’s wine industry. The sheer range of vinifera that winemakers are successfully experimenting with has become one the defining features of Canada’s wine industry. However, Canadian winemakers are not simply reproducing European wines in a North American locale, but are taking international varieties and making them their own, subjecting them to local terroirs and different production techniques. The Okanagan Valley is a microcosm of the wider experimentation with vinifera and hybrids that’s transforming Canada’s wine industry. In the Okanagan the varietal map changes as you travel along the 250km from Osoyoos in the south to Shuswap in the north. In the south, where the temperatures are warmest, red Bordeaux and Rhone grape
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah do well, with smaller plantings of Malbec and Petit Verdot used as blending partners. Other varieties grown widely throughout the Okanagan include Burgundian grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir, Loire Valley varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and those that originate in France’s Alsace region: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. In the northern and central parts of the Okanagan there are considerable plantings of hybrids such as Vidal Blanc, Baco Noir and Maréchal Foch, as well as varieties that originate from Austria and Germany. These include reds such as Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch and whites such as Grüner Veltliner, Kerner, Ortega and Bacchus. In BC, an increasingly diverse group of winemakers are also experimenting with Italian varieties, such as Sangiovese and Trebbianoand Spanish varieties, such as Tempranillo and Albariño, while several winemakers are even working with South Africa’s Pinotage. Experimentation with new grape varieties has prompted debates about the extent to which Canadian winemakers should specialize by focusing on regional signature grapes. While some argue that the industry lacks focus, others assert that Canadian winemakers don’t need to specialize, but can emphasize their distinctiveness by producing wines that showcase the impact of different
regional terroirs on existing grape varieties. For example, Prince Edward County in Ontario has established a reputation for its Chardonnay while L’Acadie Blanc is widely identified as being the flagship varietal of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. In BC, the southern Okanagan region is increasingly recognized for its complex red wines made from Syrah and the Bordeaux grape varieties. Elsewhere in the Okanagan, winemakers are producing Gewürztraminer with intensely spicy flavors – especially ginger and cardamom. Although the floral and fruit character of Gewürztraminer is just as present in these wines as it is in wines from warmer climates, they don’t overwhelm the delicate balance of spices. Canada has already established an international reputation for its icewine made from Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay and other varieties. The success of icewine reflects both a focus on regional signature varieties and an attempt to showcase the impact of regional terroir on those varieties. Chris Drake is a wine blogger based in the UK. Follow him: thedrakevine.weebly.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
Allison Markin
OKANAGAN’S TANTALUS VINEYARDS WINEMAKER DAVID PATERSON & STEPHANIE MOSELY
NOVA SCOTIA WINERY L’ACADIE VINEYARDS
ONTARIO’S HIDDEN BENCH VINEYARDS POURING WINE FOR HARRY HERTSCHEG
JAK MEYER FROM MEYER FAMILY VINEYARDS WITH CHEF STEWART AT HAWKSWORTH RESTAURANT
HARRY MCWATTERS, ENCORE VINEYARDS WINNER OF THE 2017 SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
For the first time, the Vancouver International Wine Festival’s theme country was Canada. Fitting for 2017 as we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, and Canadian wine and wine regions receive more international exposure through awards, major media coverage, and a general sense that the industry has reached a tipping point to discovery. Much of the media coverage, from major magazines to travel media, to well-trafficked blogs, heralds our key wine areas in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia, as must-visit wine regions “you’ve never heard of”. Soon, we will move from “undiscovered” to “get here before everyone else.” At VIWF, wines from Nova Scotia’s Tidal Bay were a hit. Ontario’s reputation as a leader in cool climate wines and events showcasing them was a large presence. And the diversity of BC, from the Wine Islands to the Okanagan, was apparent in the grand tastings. And now, we are having a yearlong party, and inevitably there will be discussion of the Canadian “identity”, including our wine and culinary persona. Canada itself may not be a “wine country”; it is too vast, and the industry young by global standards. But our wine regions, coupled with beer producers, distillers, chefs, and our culinary culture, are set to take centre stage this year. The Canadian wine industry’s economic impact is almost $7 bil-
lion, and for every bottle of wine produced in our country, $31 of domestic economic impact is generated. It’s going to be a great year to support a local winery. How? Join a wine club, or make it easy for patrons to sign up for one; better yet if it’s a regional club that sends wines from several wineries. Most wineries have a club that sends a few cases a year, and might include hard-to-find wines, special events, and more. Try find one in another province that will ship to yours, or have a few bottles shipped to a friend somewhere else in Canada so they can learn about your area’s terroir. Visit another Canadian wine region. Trends show this year may be one of staycations for Canadians as Canada 150 deals develop. Choose Canadian wines, or spirits or craft beer, for the cellar and dinner parties. Heck, have a Canadian Rosé party on July 1st, the perfect way to incorporate red and white. Create a Canadian sangria or cocktail. Try pairing Canadian wine with whatever dish says “Canada” to you. Perusing a restaurant wine list? Encourage restaurants to add Canadian bottles to it. Finally, plan to attend the Canadian Wine Tourism Summit this November in the Okanagan. Details are in the works. See www. winefest.com Allison Markin is a passionate advocate for Canadian wine tourism and founder of All She Wrote Marketing and Communications
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
9
At Gusmer, we know the wine you create is just as as you are.
unique
For over 90 years, Gusmer has offered a full range of innovative enological tools that enable your creative expression
through
unique
and
interesting
wines.
Equipment, analytical instruments and processing aids brought to you from leading suppliers in the wine industry, all backed by strong Gusmer technical support. The options for expression have never been greater and the tools have never been better – so go ahead, be unique, express yourself. For more information, contact Gusmer today.
Fermentation Nutrients
Filter Sheets, Lenticular Cartridges, Cellulose Pre-Coat Fibers
Malolactic Bacteria, Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts
Oak-Mor®/Oak Avantage® Chips and Granular Oak
Liquid and Granular Enological Enzymes
H2S Preventing Saccharomyces Yeasts
Membrane Cartridge Filters, Laboratory Consumables
OenoFoss FTIR Analytical Instrumentation
Cross Flow Filters, RO Systems
French Oak
Divergan F – PVPP
Lysozyme
www.gusmerwine.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com
West Coast : 81 M Street Fresno, CA 93721 Tel: 559.485.2692
The Wine LabTM : 640-D Airpark Road Napa, CA 94558 Tel: 707.224.7903
NOW OPEN YEAR-ROUND
Gusmer Sonoma Store : 9025 Old Redwood Hwy, Ste E Windor, CA 95492 Tel: 707.836.1056
East Coast : 1165 Globe Avenue Mountainside, NJ 07092 Tel: 908.301.1811
Midwest : 1401 Ware Street Waupaca, WI 54981 Tel: 715.258.5525
The Revolutionaries Behind Wine’s Visionaries
10
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
A LEAP IN THE LIGHT: SCIENCE & WINE Sometimes in life, the ground shifts from under one’s feet. This happened to Dominique Fink in 2012 when not only the company she worked for decided to shut down but the whole of the industry she worked in collapsed. Add to this, dwindling university research funds and the demise of the biotech industry caused by the 2008 crisis. It was the perfect storm. With basically no prospect for work for someone with her experience and background, she decided to go back to basics. What did she like? What was she good at? Turns out, she really likes wine and she is very good at science. She decided with her partner Marco Larivière, an experienced chemist, to take a look at the wine industry and realised there was a need for strong quality control testing. Having few options of her own, she decided to take a leap of faith and use her severance package to acquire several quality scientific instruments through auctions from big pharma which were closing down sites “en masse”. The thought of having her own business was quite unnerving and exhilarating at the same time but with her background in high level research and her partner’s background in quality assurance and quality control, she felt confident she could pull it off. The day after the company closed down, she incorporated her business and OEnoscience was born. Both Dominique and Marco needed however to surround themselves with experts and so they contacted Richard Bastien and Jérémie d’Hauteville, both oenologists at OEnoQuebec who confirmed the
need for a professional analytical wine testing laboratory. “OEnoQuebec has been the cornerstone of oenological counselling in the province of Quebec for the last ten years and are highly regarded in the industry” Dominique says. “They were the logical choice also because not only they share our passion for quality but they are extremely professional”. Jérémie d’Hauteville quickly got them in touch with Jean Natoli, president of Natoli & Coe, a French oenological laboratory lo-
cated in Montpellier France. Jean invited Dominique and Marco to meet him in Montpellier and upon their arrival, he made arrangements for them to meet with Matthieu and Marc Dubernet from Laboratoire Dubernet based in Narbonne. Dominique and Marco shared their vision about quality and the need to implement a solid quality control laboratory for the rapidly growing wine, beer and spirits industries. Much to their surprise, Jean, Matthieu and Marc listened to the presentation quite intently and in the end, offered to not only to help setup the lab in Montreal but more importantly, consented to share their knowledge and experience with them. Upon their return, Dominique and Marco rented a shared space with OEnoQuebec and set up a lab designed to offer high quality Continued on page 14
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
John Schreiner
WINEMAKING FROM COAST TO COAST
“Eighty percent of our production is sparkling wine. That’s what we set out to do.”
Bruce Ewert and Bruce Nicholson, former leading Okanagan winemakers who moved away, returned to the Vancouver International Wine Festival to show off the wines they now make in Nova Scotia. Ewert now operates L’Acadie Vineyards with his wife, Pauline Scott. They established the vineyard in the Gaspereau Valley in 2004. The winery opened in 2008, releasing the first traditionally produced sparkling wine in Nova Scotia. L’Acadie now produces 2,000 cases a year, with a target of 5,000 cases. At the festival, Ewert poured three of his sparkling wines. All of them were premium quality. Nicholson is the chief winemaker at Inniskillin Wines in Niagara, the winery that established Canada’s international reputation with its Icewines. Two of these were on display at the festival, along with three table wines, a Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay and a Riesling. Excellent Riesling wines are made in Ontario and this is one of the best. In recent years, the Okanagan’s rising reputation as a wine region has attracted numerous winemakers from elsewhere in Canada – winemakers who usually stay. Nicholson and Ewert left for family reasons, not for lack of opportunity to make great wines here. In fact, when Nicholson was chief winemaker at Jackson-Triggs Okanagan, the winery won many awards internationally. Ewert was born in 1963 in
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
Prince George, the son of a pipeline technical executive. He grew up in California and Vancouver where he took an engineering degree with a food technology bent at the University of British Columbia. Soon after he graduated in 1986, he joined Andrés Wines as a quality control supervisor at the Port Moody winery (which closed in 2005). In 1988, he was transferred to Andrés’ Winona winery in Ontario as an assistant winemaker. Within eighteen months Ewert had become the winemaker at the company’s Truro winery in Nova Scotia. After two years there, he moved back to Port Moody. This trip around Andrés gave him experience with large vintages -- the Winona plant was processing 5,000 tonnes of grapes a year -- and with making wine in Truro with raw materials mostly from California, Spain and Argentina. He left Andrés in 1994 for a winemaking sabbatical to Australia, returning to British Columbia in mid-1995. He became a consulting winemaker for sister wineries Sumac Ridge and Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards (now See Ya Later Ranch). In 2002, he moved to Summerhill Pyramid Winery where he got to hone his skills with sparking wine. In 2004, he returned
to Nova Scotia – his wife is from Nova Scotia – to launch L’Acadie Vineyards. “Eighty percent of our production is sparkling wine,” Ewert says. “That is what we set out to do.”
BRUCE EWERT
He has also consulted with several other Nova Scotia wineries, helping them produce traditional method sparkling wine. “I don’t want Nova Scotia to be known for carbonated wine,” he says.
John Schreiner is Canada’s most prolific writer of books on wine. Since his first book in 1984, The World of Canadian Wine, he has written 15, including multiple editions of The Wineries of British Columba, British Columbia Wine Country and John Schreiner’s Okanagan Wine Tour Guide. His newest book, Icon will be available this spring.
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
11
GROW YOUR DIRECT-TOCONSUMER WINE SALES Choosing the right software
WHY BUY SOFTWARE? With more opportunity for wineries looking to grow their direct-to-consumer wine sales, choosing the right software has never been more critical but it can also be intimidating; vendors offering a dizzying array of features, functionality, integrations and price points. For these reasons, choosing software for wineries can be expensive and risky. However, a successfully implemented solution can make your business more efficient, improve your bottom line, and promote top-line growth with new functionality for sales and marketing. By properly planning and structuring throughout the process, you can increase your chances of a successful implementation.
UPFRONT PLANNING PAYS OF LATER
When approaching a potential software acquisition or upgrade, it is important to first step back and treat the endeavour with the same seriousness and rigour that you would with any other large capital expenditure. Although software is ephemeral by nature, it is as much a part of your business infrastructure as any other piece of property, plant or equipment. Structuring the project as such, setting realistic timelines and comprehensive budgets will put the team into the right frame of mind and ensure that unforeseen obstacles do not sidetrack the project down the line. For example, the implementation team will need to interact with key staff members which could cause major headaches if mistakenly scheduled during a busy season for the business.
ARE YOU READY? 12
The first step in any successful software implementation is an honest and thorough readiness assessment. Going into the software implementation with eyes open and recognition that it could entail significant change for many aspects of the business can help prevent overburdening your organization during a time of significant change. All organizations have a limited capacity for change during any one time, and a major software implementation can take up a substantial amount of that bandwidth. If your organization has undergone a large amount of change recently, such as major staff turnover, acquisition or divestiture of a business segment or property, it may be better to delay the implementation to allow the organization to stabilize. Rather than disappointment, look at this as an opportunity for greater planning and forethought in your software selection.
DON’T REPLICATE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE Organizations often start down the path of software implementations without understanding what they will use the system for or what is possible, and their decisions are filtered through the capabilities or restrictions of existing systems and processes. By carefully documenting the requirements of what the system needs to do, you will be in a much better position to define the scope of what the software must cover. During this exercise, it is important to identify mandatory and optional functionality. This will allow you to prioritize which modules are mandatory from the outset, which can be implemented in subsequent
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Simon Daley & Cameron Sieleski MNP LLP
Simon Daley is a Manager in MNP’s Consulting Services group in Victoria. Specializing in Information Technology (IT) and Project Management, Simon solves business challenges through the creative use of readily available technology. His clients include provincial and local government and not-for profit organizations, light industrial businesses, regulatory agencies and licensing boards looking to leverage technology to support and enhance business.
phases, and how you can align this functionality with your organizational priorities.
COUNTERING SALES PITCHES WITH STRUCTURE
All too often, wineries choose software systems based on some combination of an emotional preference, gut feeling or even a good sales pitch. With an established understanding of requirements an organization can run a formal selection process. Structuring a Request for Proposal that focuses on your priorities will compel vendors to answer the questions that matter most, rather than highlighting their competitive advantages. Ensuring that vendors must respond in a prescribed manner will provide metrics around the software’s capability as proposals will address requirements rather than just high level selling points. It will also provide like-for-like comparatives for price, scope and functional fit. Add to these scripted demos and you will be able to see a direct comparison between system functionality and user experience.
CHOOSING A PARTNER, NOT A VENDOR
Wineries usually lack expertise in implementing large software systems. Implementation partners who specialize in the selected software system bring experience and deep knowledge of how to implement functionality based on business requirements. They also bring added experience around project management, organizational change management, support and system security. Increasingly, they offer cloud-hosted
solutions that reduce the overhead and risk of hosting your solution on your own servers. When selecting an implementation partner, go in with the understanding that you are selecting a long term business partner and trusted advisor that will not only guide you down the path of implementation, but will also be there to provide support, training and enhance your systems as new business needs arise.
DIP IN, DON’T DIVE. MODULARIZE!
While it can be tempting to implement all the desired functionality all at once and be free from software implementations until your next acquisition or upgrade, sometimes a measured and phased approach will provide greater value for money and minimize risk. By starting with the most essential functionality, you minimize the impact on the organization overall and are able to understand how your organization adapts to software changes. The experience of implementing your first few modules may also inform your approach or prioritization of further modules. By creating a phased roadmap and revising as necessary, you can remain agile while focusing on the highest value functionality and avoid potential roadblocks like staff availability during busy seasons and financial year ends. To learn more about how MNP can help you optimize your technology, contact Simon Daley at 778.432.3052 or simon.daley@mnp.ca or Geoff McIntyre at 1-877-766-9735 or Geoff. mcintyre@mnp.ca
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
WINE OPULENCE
Protection for your liquid assets Each year, millions of travelers visit wineries around the world. There’s no better way to discover new wines, but there’s never been a simple, cost-effective way to get the wine home-- until now. The Wine Check arrived in Canada January 29th 2016 and is distributed throughout Canada by Wine Opulence. It has been available in the US for 7 years and Europe for 3 years. The Wine Check -Wine Luggage is designed to provide a safe, economical, and sensible solution to bringing your wine with you, and making sure it arrives safely at home. The Wine Check features two carry handles and wheels with a removable pull strap, making the transportation of your wine from winery to car and back, as well as throughout the airport, a breeze. The Wine Check is available in black, red and red with the Wine Check logo. It is available branded at select wineries and boutiques across Canada. You can now bring bottles of delicious, local goodness (wine, champagne, cider, beer, spirits,
and olive oil) back home. The Wine Check fits a variety of bottle diameters and heights allowing you to travel with different types (from standard sizes to larger bottles). Wine Opulence grew out of a passion for wine and values deeply rooted in service excellence. Louise Osmond retired from her career in the Human Services field June 2015. Osmond and her husband, Scott Slater, have a love for wine. While touring in Napa and Sonoma counties in July 2015, they came across the Wine Check. Osmond and Slater decided to move forward and take on distribution of the Wine Check throughout Canada because they believed in the quality of the product. Wine Opulence strives to provide the highest quality wine luggage and care accessories to businesses and individual clients alike. Contact Louise at 250-8649464 for more information or email info@wineopulencecanada. com.
MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMER’S WINE ARRIVES SAFELY AT HOME The Wine Check is not just another wine shop gift item. It is a profit model in getting your customers’ wine home safely.
250.864.9464
P.O. Box42, 42, GrandForks, Forks, BCV0H V0H 1H0 P.O. P.O.Box Box 42,Grand Grand Forks,BC BC V0H1H0 1H0 P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 TollFax: Free: 1-877-762-4652 Fax: 250-767-0094 Fax:250-767-0094 250-767-0094 Fax: 250-767-0094 bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca
P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, BC V0H1H0 1H0 P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H 1H0 TheBC BCGrapegrowers’ Grapegrowers’ Association isBC anon-profit non-profit P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H 1H0 P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H The Association isis aBC P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H 1H0 P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H 1H0 The BC Grapegrowers’ Association a non-profit Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 organization that supports the continuing P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H 1H0 1H0 P.O. Box 42, Grand Forks, V0H Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 The BC Grapegrowers’ Association isBC a non-profit Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 organization that supports the continuing Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 organization that supports the continuing Fax: 250-767-0094 Toll Free: 1-877-762-4652 Fax: 250-767-0094 Fax: 250-767-0094 Free: 1-877-762-4652 development ofToll the British Columbia grape growing organization that supports the continuing Fax: 250-767-0094 Fax: 250-767-0094 development of British Columbia Fax: 250-767-0094 bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca development ofthe the British Columbiagrape grapegrowing growing Fax: 250-767-0094 bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca Fax: 250-767-0094 industry by: development of bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca the British Columbia grape growing bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca industry by: louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca industry by: bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca bcga@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca industry by: a louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca Building strong andinvolved involvedorganization organizationto to louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca Building a strong and louise@grapegrowers.bc.ca TheBC BCGrapegrowers’ Grapegrowers’ Association isaanon-profit non-profitto Building a strong andAssociation involved organization The is support grapegrowers in BC. support Building a strong and involved organization to The BC Grapegrowers’ Association is non-profit The BC Grapegrowers’ Association isaaaanon-profit non-profit grapegrowers in BC. organization thatsupports supports thecontinuing continuing The BC Grapegrowers’ Association is organization that support grapegrowers inthe BC. The BC Grapegrowers’ Association is non-profit The BC Grapegrowers’ Association is a non-profit organization that supports the continuing support grapegrowers in BC. development of the British Columbia grape growing organization that supports the continuing BC Grapegrowers’ Association is agrape non-profit development of informing the British Columbia growing organization that supports the continuing organization that supports the continuing The Educating and grapegrowers about development of the British Columbia grapeabout growing Educating and informing grapegrowers organization that supports the continuing industryby: by: organization Educating and informing grapegrowers about development of the British Columbia grape growing industry development of the British Columbia grape growing that supports the continuing development of the British Columbia grape growing viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage industry by: development Educating and informing grapegrowers about of the British Columbia grape growing viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage industry by: industry by: Building a strong and involved organization viticulture and IPM practices, price andgrowing acreage development of the British Columbia grape industry by: Building a strong and involved organization toto statistics, marketing of grapes. viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage industry by: Building a strong and involved organization to statistics, and marketing of grapes. support grapegrowers in BC. statistics, marketing of grapes. support in BC. industry by: and Building agrapegrowers strong and involved organization toto Building Building agrapegrowers strong and involved organization support in grapes. BC. organization statistics, and marketing of a strong and involved to support in grapegrowers BC. Building Building strong relationships Building agrapegrowers strong and involved organization to with internal and Educating and informing grapegrowers about strong relationships with internal and Educating and informing about support inBC. BC. Building agrapegrowers strong and involved organization to support grapegrowers in Building strong relationships with internal and Educating and informing grapegrowers about viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage support grapegrowers in grapegrowers BC. external industry stakeholders and cooperating external Building strong relationships with internal and viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage support Educating and informing industry stakeholders and cooperating grapegrowers in BC. viticulture and IPM practices, price andabout acreage external industry stakeholders and cooperating statistics, and marketing ofgrapes. grapes. Educating Educating and informing grapegrowers about statistics, and marketing of and informing grapegrowers about viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage with governments atall alllevels; levels; wineries; wine&& external industry and cooperating statistics, andstakeholders marketing of grapes. Educating and informing grapegrowers about with governments at wineries; wine viticulture and IPM practices, price andabout acreage governments at all levels; wineries; wine statistics, and marketing of grapes. with Educating and informing grapegrowers Building strong relationships with internal and & viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage grape growing related industries, and other Building strong relationships with internal and with governments at all levels; wineries; wine & viticulture and IPM practices, price and acreage grape growing related industries, and other Building strong relationships with internal and statistics, and marketing of grapes. external industry stakeholders and cooperating grape growing related industries, and and IPM practices, price andother acreage statistics, and marketing of grapes. external industry stakeholders and cooperating viticulture Building strong relationships with internal and horticulture organizations. statistics, and marketing of grapes. grape growing related industries, and other external industry stakeholders and cooperating horticulture organizations. withgovernments governments allof levels; wineries; wine&& statistics, and marketing grapes. with atatall levels; wineries; wine horticulture organizations. external industry stakeholders and cooperating Building Building strong relationships with internal and& with governments at allindustries, levels; wineries; wine strong relationships with internal and horticulture organizations. grape growing related and other Building strong relationships with internal and grapegovernments growing related industries, and other with at all levels; wineries; wine & for Working towards stable & profitable markets external industry stakeholders and cooperating grape growing related industries, and other Working towards stable & profitable markets Building strong relationships with internal and for horticulture organizations. external industry stakeholders and cooperating Working towards stable & profitable markets for horticulture organizations. grape growing related industries, and other external industry stakeholders and cooperating British Columbia grapes wine. horticulture organizations. British Working towards stable && profitable markets for with governments atall all levels; wineries; wine& & Columbia grapes & wine. external industry stakeholders and cooperating with governments at levels; wineries; wine horticulture organizations. Working towards stable & profitable markets for British Columbia grapes & wine. governments at all levels; wineries; wine & with Working towards stable & profitable markets grape growing related and other Columbia grapes &industries, wine. Working towards stable & profitable markets for with governments at allindustries, levels; wineries; winefor & grape growing related and other British Columbia grapes &wine. wine. British Developing & implementing generic marketing growing related industries, and other British Columbia grapes & grape Working towards stable profitable markets for Developing & implementing generic marketing horticulture organizations. British Columbia grapes & wine. Developing & implementing generic marketing grape growing related and other horticulture organizations. programs to ensure theindustries, full utilization ofthe the British Columbia grapes & utilization wine. Developing implementing genericmarketing marketing Developing &ensure implementing generic horticulture organizations. programs to the full of Developing &&implementing generic marketing horticulture organizations. programs to ensure the full utilization of the Developing & implementing generic marketing Working towards stable & profitable markets for programs to ensure the full utilization of the fresh market grape crop. stable & profitable markets programs totowards ensure the full utilization of the for programs to the full utilization of the Working Developing &ensure implementing generic marketing fresh market grape crop. Working towards stable profitable markets programs to ensure the& full utilization of the for fresh market grape crop. fresh market grape crop. British Columbia grapes & wine. Working towards stable profitable fresh market grape crop. programs to ensure the utilizationmarkets of the for British grapes &full fresh market grape crop. freshColumbia market grape crop. British Columbia grapes &wine. wine.
SPRING ISSUE on stands early March 2011 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
wineopulencecanada.com
freshColumbia market grape crop. British grapes & wine. Developing &implementing implementing genericmarketing marketing Become aamember member Developing && generic Become a member Become a Developing implementing generic marketing Become member Become a member programs to ensure the full utilization ofthe the Become a member Developing &ensure implementing generic marketing programs to the full utilization of Become a amember Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca Become member Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca programs to ensure the full utilization of the Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca fresh market grapethe crop. Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca programs to ensure full utilization of the Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca fresh market grape fresh market grapecrop. crop. Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca fresh market grape crop.
Becomeaamember member Become Becomewww.cdngrapes2wine.com a member Become a member Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca Visit Visitwww.grapegrowers.bc.ca www.grapegrowers.bc.ca Visit www.grapegrowers.bc.ca
13
CANADA’S ONLY FEMALE MASTER OF WINE The ratio for women to men in our Canadian wine industry has been steadily growing. With more and more women becoming winemakers, sommeliers, winery owners and educators, Barbara Philip MW is a trailblazer in our world of wine. 1. Can you share your progress report on the Canadian wine industry since you began your career. It has been such a pleasure to ‘grow up’ in the industry along with the wines of British Columbia. As sommeliers, we could find good wines 25 years ago, but they didn’t appear with anything like the consistency that they do now. We’ve also seen more exchange between our producers and the international scene (winemakers travelling back and forth, tasting widely etc.) Because of the range of climates from Vancouver Island to the Similkameen, to the north and south of the Okanagan, we are capable of many different styles. Within each general sub area, we have started to see wines emerging that are expressive of their terroir. I’m thinking of Pinot Noir from the Island along with (very different) Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay from the north of the Okanagan, Riesling and Pinot Blanc from the mid valley and Syrah from the south. Cooler regions are making Traditional Method sparkling wines that are excellent; I would love to see more!
Where are we now on an international scale? Our wines, particularly those that carry a unique regional expression, are very interesting on an international scale. 2. Do you have any feedback from the world wine scene on what we have created here? Because of the limited production, they are still difficult to find abroad. When I travel, people are always asking me about the BC wines and are really curious to try them. 3. Women in our industry have also made exponential growth why do you feel this world was male dominated for so long? I’m not sure why the wine industry was male dominated for so long but it certainly wasn’t uniquely so! It has definitely changed in the years I have worked in wine and this includes
Process & Product Development \ Equipment Sales Alcoholic & Non Alcoholic Beverage Industry
Ivan D. Lessner
NEW! EMD Lab Tests F.MERKEL: FLOTTWEG: ERBSLÖH:
1164 Lee Street, White Rock, B.C. V4B 4P4 Canada Phone: 604-538-2713 Fax: 604.538.4517 Warehouse Direct: 604-214-6437
14
EMD: TRUST INT.: E-CAVIS:
- Rapid S02 & T/A, Bentotest - Belt Presses - Enzymes, Acidex, Exacid, Fining, - Oenoferm Yeasts, Treatment Agents - CelluFluxx: Biodegradable Filtermedia - Pro Vino Malolactic Cultures - Analytical Kits & Equipment - Quality Hungarian Oak Barriques, Hungarian Oak Chips - Cremanti Multiencapsulated Champagne Yeasts - Bottling & Packaging Equipment
www.idlconsulting.com
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
We celebrate International Women’s Day March 8th and toast the women in our Canadian Wine Industry
BARBARA PHILIP
all aspects and all tiers in the supply chain.
4. Any other exciting innovations to share after the International Wine Fest? I was so excited to taste OENOSCIENCE continued from 10 testing at a reasonable price using cutting edge technology. “Our advantage, says Dominique, is that we work closely with oenologists. We can therefore quickly identify a problem in an analytical result and react accordingly”. “Also, through our partners in Narbonne, we can offer sophisticated analytical testing like wood aroma profiling or pesticide analysis which a small lab would not normally do because of the prohibitive cost of sophisticated analytical instruments”. OEnoscience started by offering routine analytical monitoring of sugars, organic acids, % of alcohol and sulfites in wines, ciders and mead during harvest, fermentations and maturation. The lab is now offering analysis of beer and spirits and has setup a microbiology program. “We worked hard on method validation to provide quality results and its paying off” Dominique says. “We were the first laboratory to be recognised by the “Société des Alcools du Québec” (SAQ) to be allowed to emit laboratory certificates for the commercialisation of fortified and non-fortified alcoholic beverages in grocery stores in Quebec”.
‘coast to coast’ this wine festival and, also, to see my international colleagues getting a chance to try them. I would love to see more events where we get a chance to try wines from across the country in the same venue.
“The learning curve has been steep” says Dominique, “and the hours long but all the more worth it”. In the last 4 years, OEnoscience increased its client base 10-fold. The lab now receives samples from all over the province, from Ontario and Nova Scotia as well. With the increase in volume, OEnoscience hired its first full time employee, Paul Enache, an experienced chemist with extensive knowledge of gas-chromatography (GC). “The craft distilleries are booming and so, we are adapting to this environment by offering more fine scale analyses such as determination of methanol, higher alcohols and volatiles. And this is just the beginning.” With her background in molecular biology, Dominique hopes to implement genetic yeast strain identification in house and detection of microorganisms by PCR in a near future. This journey has been full of ups and downs but in the end, Dominique feels this is the best move she ever made. Everything happens for a reason… www.oenoscience.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
Abbey Westbury
SPOTLIGHT: NIK DURISEK
Winemaking is an industry like any other, borne of hard, dirty work, patience and collaboration
Winemaking! It inspires such romantic images of ancient villas, flowing hills and leisurely al fresco meals at long, shared tables. Alas, any vintner can confirm that the reality is far less glamourous. Winemaking is an industry like any other, where the final product is borne of hard, dirty work, patience and collaboration from many arenas. The collaborators, often on the periphery of the grape-to-glass highway, are essential to the process. In this issue, we shine the spotlight on one adjunct member of the Canadian winemaking community. Nik Durisek, owner of Okanagan Wine Labs in Penticton, BC, took a circuitous route to the Okanagan Valley. Born and raised on the US East Coast, Nik found his way from Pennsylvania to the Arizona desert for university. After graduating from Arizona State with a degree in Biology,
Will Your Wine Rise To The Top? Enter Now at:
NIK DURISEK
Nik worked in sales for 12 years, a career which brought him up to the rain coast of Vancouver, BC, where he ultimately met his wife, Kate. As adventurous newlyweds, they visited the Okanagan, toured the valley’s winery hotspots, and were inspired. Nik and Kate pursued advanced-level WSET certifications, spent weekends in the Valley helping with the harvest on local vineyards, tried their hands at making cider from Okanagan apples, and made a fateful decision. In 2012, the Durisek family upped-sticks and headed back to the desert, landing in Penticton.
Photo: Susan McIver
Like many in the industry, they were driven by a passion to be a part of the wine world, although they weren’t quite sure how they would make that happen. Nik’s expertise in sales naturally led to a job as a wine agent, but it was his simultaneous study in Okanagan College’s Winery Assistant program that provided his aha! moment. A rotation in winery lab work reminded Nik of his love of science (lo, those many years ago), and the goal of developing a lab specifically tailored to the needs of winemakers came into focus. In 2013, Kate found a VQA Continued on page 16
When & Where You Need Us
Because SAFE workers make for HEALTHY business
www.allcanadianwinechampionships.com TRAINING SAFETY TOOLS PROFESSIONAL ADVICE COR CERTIFICATION ON-SITE & ONLINE SUPPORT
Contact us today! 1.877.533.1789 Contact@AgSafeBC.ca
All Canadian Wine Championships @allcanadianwine
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
www.AgSafeBC.ca
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
15
DURISEK continued from page 15 certified Kelowna lab for sale, and the pair jumped in with both feet. The Duriseks moved the lab down to Penticton, converted an existing home workshop into a state of the art lab, and are constantly investing in new equipment and innovative technology to make their company a key player on the Canadian wine scene. Serving the varied needs of the industry, Nik runs tests for popular queries
such as export anaylisis, VQA certification, YAN levels and malic acid levels, among more obscure-yet-necessary measurements. The lab’s client list has doubled under Durisek’s direction, and business is thriving. While his “real” job keeps Nik hopping, he and Kate have also carved out time to follow their passion: making craft cider. In 2014, the couple purchased a property in Oliver and (to the shock of the wine community) ripped out three
PREMIER QUALITY FROM NORTH AMERICA’S LEADING VINE NURSERY Leaders raise the bar in everything they do and that’s why Wonderful Nurseries continues to set the industry standards for vine cleanliness, improved irrigation methods and product selection. In the last year alone, Wonderful Nurseries has completed a new, state-of the-art greenhouse facility to house 8 million-vines annually, changed from wood to eco-friendly recycled plastic storage bins and callous boxes, and introduced new sanitization techniques.
acres of unhappy vines. Those have been replaced by 30 varieties of cider-specific apples much better suited to the site, which form the foundation of Howling Moon Craft Cider, the Durisek’s labour of love. 2016 saw the production of 24,000 litres, comprised of the cidery’s three main brews and a limited-release Maker’s Series, which are sold through the on-site tasting room, restaurants, private liquor stores, festivals, farmer’s markets and craft breweries. Nik and Kate are strong believers in creating and supporting local, well-made products. Their ciders are infused with fruits and botanicals grown as close to home as possible –mostly in the Durisek’s own garden (although, Nik points out that even the greenest thumb would have trouble growing vanilla in Canada). What they don’t grow on their own
From our 2010 Protocol mother blocks, our advanced testing lab enabling 100% scion testing for internal mother blocks, the innovative Root Sock and more, Wonderful Nurseries strives to provide the cleanest, healthiest vines in the industry. It’s how we lead. It’s how we grow.
ECO-FRIENDLY PLASTIC STORAGE BINS
comes from neighbours and family. The Duriseks are devoted to their local professional community, as well. As an integral industry collaborator, Nik knows just how many small details are involved in putting out a product; as such, he mentors small new startups, helping them navigate the often overwhelming aspects of the liquor business. At home, while Nik and Kate are busy working, the Durisek’s young children help with the harvest and play in the fields and small stream that surround their Okanagan idyll. Cutting edge science may be going on behind closed doors there, but as Nik describes his home and his lab, he’s found his paradise, proving that, with passion and focus, the romantic ideal of life in the wine world can indeed become a reality.
LUX
PLASTIC CALLOUS BOXES FOR VINE CLEANLINESS
“
Our biggest concern when we switched all our wines to STELVIN® closures in 2007 was the public perception of screwcap versus cork, but we have been thrilled since. STELVIN®LUX closure is a perfect fit for us to enhance the design of our bottle/closure. We are eventually planning to switch all our wines to STELVIN®LUX.
“
David Johnson FEATHERSTONE ESTATE WINERY
ELEGANT AND CUSTOMIZABLE DESIGN
CONTROLLED OXYGEN TRANSMISSION RATE
GUARANTEED TCA-FREE
Wonderful Nurseries’ ADVANCED TESTING LAB SERVING THE WINE, TABLE GRAPE, RAISIN AND PISTACHIO INDUSTRIES
661.758.4777
WonderfulNurseries.com 16
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Contact your STELVIN® expert at +1-450-469-0777
The original taste keeper since 1964 www.stelvin.com
STELVIN® is a trademark of the AMCOR Group
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
SMART MARKETING FOR BC WINES
How behind the scenes activities bring wine to our glasses By Mireille Sauvé British Columbia’s wineries are making world-class wines, but how can they compete for sales against a global enterprise of wineries with centuries more experience than they have in our competitive marketplace? Smart Marketing, that’s how. Vancouver-based consulting company The Wine Umbrella helps local wineries to get ahead through unique marketing and promotional activities including strategic planning, media relations, retail and restaurant promotions and ever-engaging wine events. Wineries and consumers alike benefit for these types of initiatives: take media relations, for example. If you’re an average consumer who simply likes to explore delicious wine and is always looking to discover a new favourite, you might think that a press release has nothing to do with you, but consider this: A winery issues a press release about a promotional tasting event that they are going to host at their winery in the near future. The release gets distributed to local members of the media, who then integrate this information to their programming. Before you know
it, you’re hearing about the event on the radio, reading about it in the paper, maybe even seeing it on TV. It sounds like a great event! A winery that you’ve been wanting to check out is holding a wine tasting party next weekend and it costs next-to nothing to attend. They’ll have all their wines available for sampling alongside some tasty food bites and they’ve even arranged musical entertainment for the evening. You text a few friends and before you know it, you’re in great company, overlooking a beautiful vineyard, discovering new wines and having a blast. All because of a press release. And that’s just one example of how marketing matters to the wines in our glasses. There are plenty of great plans that go on behind the scenes to bring awareness to good folks who like wine. Social media is a big one – who doesn’t love entering a contest that could win them free
tasting passes through their favourite wine region, all with the click of a ‘like’ or ‘share’ button? There are in-store promotions too, where consumers will walk into a wine store and see a big display of bottles, all adorned with special little treats, such as chocolate, or jam, or cookies – free gifts with purchase is another effective marketing tool which encourages people to try new wines. There are countless ways that local wineries can blend use their own unique ideas with the guidance of seasoned industry experts to make their wines stand out in a crowd. The Wine Umbrella is here to help – to listen, to advise, to plan and to carry out, all custom-tailored to each winery’s unique needs and objectives. From marketing to mouthful, it’s the behind-the scenes work that gets wine into glasses. Cheers! www.thewineumbrella.com
MORI VINES INC. - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Chardonnay - Gamay - Gewürztraminer - Malbec - Merlot
- Muscat Ottonel - Orange Muscat - Pinot Blanc - Pinot Noir - Riesling - Sauvignon Blanc - Sovereign Coronation
- Seyval Blanc - Shiraz- Syrah - Vidal - Viognier - Zinfandel - Zweigelt
NOTE: Many different clones are available. Rootstocks available are Riparia, 101-14, SO4 and 3309 Contact: MORI VINES INC. R.R. #3, 1912 Concession 4, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario LOS 1JO Phone: (905) 468-0822 Fax: (905) 468-0344 e-mail: morivines@sympatico.ca www.morivines.com
Grow Your Direct-To-Consumer Wine Sales Helping Today’s Wineries Get the Most from Their Technology Strategies
Contact, Geoff McIntyre, Regional Leader Okanagan, Food and Beverage Processing, 1.877.766.9735 or geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
17
EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF PREHARVEST FROST ON RED WINES When Niagara vineyards were hit by an early frost during the 2015 harvest, winemaker Emily Aubie and her colleagues were puzzled by the impact the frost was having on their wines. What Aubie and other Ontario winemakers were noticing was that when Cabernet sauvignon and Cabernet franc were machine-harvested after a frost, the wines had an unfavourable floral/green aroma and taste, decreased colour intensity
and a bitter taste that lingered on the palate. Frosted leaves and petioles— referred to as MOG (materials other than grapes) —that weren’t present when the grapes were hand-picked were thought to be impacting the wine fermentations. With no concrete answer, the problem was brought to scientist Andrew Reynolds at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. Reynolds invit-
Voted #1 Eaton filtration distributor in Canada
The BECOPAD® Principle Safe removal of: Bacteria Brettanomyces
Safe retention of: Flavor colloids Mouth feel Color Aroma Added Benefits: 100% biodegradable | Mineral free 20% greater efficiency 50% lower flushing volume 99% less mold | 99% less drip
A.O. WILSON LTD
9597 Sideroad 17, Erin ON NOB 1TO customerservice@aowilson.ca 18
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Kaitlynn Little B.Comm. Honours, B.Ed.
ed Aubie to return to Brock, where she completed a Certificate in Grape and Wine Technology, to get to the bottom of what was happening based her winemaking knowledge and PhD in chemistry. “The goal is to help improve the quality of wines in Niagara,” Aubie said. “However, this work could have a global impact in the face of climate change when regions who don’t typically have frost exposure during the growing season encounter an early frost.” They started by gathering samples of impacted wines from two commercial wineries for analysis, while planning a research trial during the 2016 harvest. Preliminary chemical analysis on the commercial wines has showed elevated levels of the unfavourable floral compounds. Next, Aubie will look to a sensory panel to see if these compounds are present at a level that can be detected by consumers. To understand what compounds are impacting the fermentation, a trial examining the impact of frosted leaves and petioles—the stalk that joins the leaf to a stem— is also underway. “Traditionally people have been more concerned about the addition of petioles,” Aubie said. “But no one has ever looked at the impact of increased leaves after frost.” The control wine in the trial has no MOG added, and then the trials either add four increasing amounts of frosted petioles into the wine, or four increasing amounts of frosted leaves. This will allow the researchers to see how each MOG is independently impacting the wine. Reynolds noted that during the past few vintages, growers are letting grapes hang longer on the vine to mature longer, which could increasingly bring them head-to-
head with frost. “As a researcher it’s always exciting to be looking at something that hasn’t been examined before,” Reynolds said.
EMILY AUBIE COLLECTING MOG FOR HER RESEARCH INTO THE IMPACT OF PREHARVEST FROST
Understanding the impact of the frost will allow the researchers to provide the industry with best practice guidelines and details on managing the unfavourable characteristics. Aubie and Reynolds are looking to secure funding to continue this work. Next they’ll examine how the unfavourable characteristics are impacted by alcohol and heat extraction; the amount of time grapes and MOG are soaked prior to ferment; and the impact different yeast strains have. This project is funded by Ontario Grape and Wine Research Inc. and through in-kind support from Andrew Peller Ltd. and Diam. Kaitlyn Little, B.Comm. Honours, BEd. Marketing and Communications Officer University Marketing and Communications/Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute Brock University Niagara Region
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
RAISE A GLASS TO WINE COUNTRY PIONEER We are sad to announce the passing of the much loved Adolf Friedrich “Fritz” Kruger on November 20th, 2016 at the age of 85 years. Patriarch of Wild Goose Vineyards in Okanagan Falls, Adolf was a pioneer of the local wine industry and was instrumental in creating farmgate status for wineries – a crucial moment in wine country history. Born in Kehrberg, Germany on October 5, 1931, Adolf spent much of his childhood growing up during the war years. After the war and having fled East Germany, he and his brother immigrated to Canada in 1951 settling in Winnipeg, where he met his wife Susanna and had two sons, Hagen and Roland. After studying English and yacht design, Adolf moved his entire family to Vancouver in 1964. At age 52 Adolf, who was semi retired, visited long time friend Nick Broderson who owned a vineyard in Kaleden and after that visit, a dream was born! Adolf and his sons purchased a 10 acre parcel of land
in Okanagan Falls and in 1984 Wild Goose Vineyards was established. In the mid to late 80’s as free trade began to cast a dark cloud over the BC wine industry, Adolf did not sit idle, but began to lobby government for a number of years to change winery licensing and in 1990 Wild Goose Winery was licensed as BC’s first Farmgate winery to grow, produce and bottle on site! Adolf played a large roll in the formation of the BC Wine Institute, wine standards, and the VQA program that declared 100% BC content in wine. Adolf was inducted into the BC Wine Museum and won the BC Wine Industry Founders Award in 2006. Adolf grew Wild Goose and helped the BC wine industry grow from 17 wineries in BC in 1990 to over 300 across the province today, and a remarkable 10,000+ acres of vineyard planted province wide. In his later years he was always active around the winery as “Mr. Fix It”, welcoming customers in
Adolf Friedrich Kruger October 5, 1931 – November 20, 2016
ADOLF FRIEDRICH KRUGER
the tasting room or entertaining guests on the deck of the Smoke and Oak bistro. Adolf not only helped grow the BC wine industry, but his family grew as well. Adolf cherished social gatherings with the entire family, always enjoying food,
a laugh, and a glass of Wild Goose wine! Please raise a beer and a schnapps to a pioneer, builder, intellect, father, loving and caring family man. -The Kruger Family
Quality Testing Laboratory Chemical and Microbiological Analysis Fine Scale Analysis Accurate Results Competitive Pricing
Wine, Cider, Beer, Spirits, Kombucha Testing
2050 Dandurand suite 308 Montreal, Quebec, H2G 1Y9 514.564.2050 oenoscience.com
FarmSolutions.net
Unbeatable Bird Protection!
Providing Canadian Grapevine Solutions
250-488-2374
Neal Carter & Assoc.
info@farmsolutions.net Agricultural Netting & Fabrics • Strong HDPE knit, open-mesh nets • 10 year UV warranty, easy to apply and remove
• Hail, shade, rain & other fabrics • Nets for grapes, cherries & berry crops • Custom nets and structures
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2017
BRITISH COLUMBIA Nathan Phillips p. 250-809-6040 bcsales@vinetech.ca
ONTARIO Wes Wiens/Tina Tourigny p. 905.984.4324 sales@vinetech.ca
QUEBEC Alexandre Jacquel p. 905.984.4324 qcsales@vinetech.ca
NOVA SCOTIA Ian Kaye p. 902.740.2493 nssales@vinetech.ca
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
19
Superior Quality. Start to Finish. Attention to detail, hard work and dedication is what true quality requires. The same effort you put in to making your renowned wines, is matched by us in pursuit of providing the best possible solutions at every step of the packaging process. TricorBraun WinePak: - Supplies all bottle sizes - Sources the highest quality domestic and imported glass - Has a dedicated in-house Quality Assurance Staff - Offers custom design, decorating, and repacking - Is a worldwide supplier with unmatched relationships
What can we do for you?
Heidi Cook | Business Development Manager | 604-649-5623 Michelle Thornburn | Account Coordinator | 877-495-7924
© 2017 TricorBraun WinePak
1-800-DRINKWINE | tricorbraunwinepak.com | � �
Your industry experts for: Domestic & Imported Glass, Decorating, Custom Design and Repacking
TBWP-4153_Canada-Grapes2Wine-Ftm.indd 1
2/28/17 10:47 AM