Year End Wine Report 2014 Fruit Round Up Interview with BC Ag Minister Norm Letnick BCFGA's Fred Steele
Year End 2014 $6.95
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Regulars 6 Publisher's View – Lisa Olson 8 Calendar 9 News & Events
37 People Talk – Barbara Ashton 39 World Wine Web – Mike Cooper 41 Legal Libations – Denese Espeut-Post 43 The Wild Things – Margaret Holm 45 Word on Wine – Tracy Clark
Photo by Kim Lawton/DogLegMarketing.ca
35 Money Talks – Geoff McIntyre
Apples in a Summerland Orchard. 4
Year End 2014
Features 13 2014 Orchard & Vine Interview Agriculture Minister Hon. Norm Letnick 17 2014 Year In Review – BC Wine 20 Comings & Goings 23 2014 Year End Fruit Roundup 28 Profiting Sustainably – BC Ardcorp 31 Interview with BCFGA President, Fred Steele 46 Highlights from the BCWI Acreage Report
Photo by Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com
Cover photo of Kim Kanduth and Holly Thompson at Discover Wines in Kelowna. Photo by Kim Elsasser
Grape picking at Fort Berens Estate Winery.
Year End 2014
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PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON
A Thoughtful and Grateful Time of Year
This year, the fruit and wine industry has many things to be grateful for. Those involved with the social media phenomenon that assisted in ‘Free My Grapes’ made great strides with liquor laws and new revenue streams at Farmers Markets. It was a good year for weather and apple crops, and more young farmers are involved in farming, most notably the Young Agrarians who bring their community together for fun potlucks, information sharing and education. Healthy and local foods are primary topics and expanding everyday via social media channels. The Year-End Issue is a nostalgic and exciting time for us here at O&V, it’s a chance to look back at what went on
Vol. 55, No 6 Year End 2014 Established in 1959 Publisher Lisa Olson Graphic Design Stephanie Symons Contributors Barbara Ashton, Michael Botner, Roslyne Buchanan, Tracy Clark, Photo by Kim Elsasser
One of the things I love is coming up with new ideas! They seem to pop into my head out of nowhere. The other day, I saw an interesting idea to help remember things that happen throughout the year, things to be thankful for . . . helpful in case we forget. You may have come across this idea before, as it’s not new. It’s as simple as finding a glass jar, calendar or fancy box to hold the years’ treasured memories and writing a note from time to time describing your appreciation for someone or something that happened. At the end of the year, you empty out the jar and read your notes to help reflect back on all the wonderful things that happened in your life over the past year! This idea can also be used in the work place or at home with family and friends.
Mike Cooper, Kim Elsasser, Denese Espeut-Post, Margaret Holm, Kim Lawton, Geoff McIntyre, Darcy Nybo, Ronda Payne
in the industry and an opportunity to look forward and ask other questions about what’s trending and working. This year, we added a survey to find out what growers were thinking. Our team of dedicated writers conducted various interviews and with all the information gathered, we compiled charts, graphs and breakdowns of what you, the growers, are happy with, concerned with, struggling with and working towards. We discovered some great information. We were very happy to hear that you enjoy reading O&V and find the ads useful when choosing suppliers.
Sales & Marketing Holly Thompson Circulation info@orchardandvine.net Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd. 1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, B.C., V1Z 3H5 E-mail: info@orchardandvine.net www.orchardandvine.net Phone: 250-769-2123
Best of the season to you and your families and wishing you a happy and prosperous 2015!
Orchard & Vine Magazine is published six
Enjoy the magazine!
times a year and distributed by addressed
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direct mail to growers, suppliers and wineries in the Okanagan, Kootenays, Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Washington State and throughout Canada. Orchard & Vine is also available online. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40838008 Undeliverable copies should be sent to:
Providing Canadian Grapevine Solutions BRITISH COLUMBIA Frank Whitehead p. 250-762-9845 c. 250-878-3656 frank@vinetech.ca
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Year End 2014
QUEBEC Alexandre Jacquel p. 905-984-4324 alexandre@vinetech.ca
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NOVA SCOTIA Ian Kaye p. 902-740-2493 ian@vinetech.ca
1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, BC, V1Z 3H5
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Year End 2014
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Photo by Roslyne Buchanan
YEAR END | CALENDAR
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium January 27-29, 2015 Sacramento Convention Center Sacramento, California www.unifiedsymposium.org
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Year End 2014
13th Annual Agri-Food Industry Gala January 28, 2015 Ramada Plaza and Conference Centre Abbotsford, BC www.bcac.bc.ca 17th Annual Pacific Agriculture Show January 29-31, 2015 Tradex Exhibition Centre Abbotsford, BC www.agricultureshow.net Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers Annual Meeting & Trade Show February 5-7, 2015 Three Rivers Convention Center Kennewick, WA, USA www.wawgg.org Islands Agriculture Show February 13-14,2015 Courtenay, BC www.iashow.ca BC Association of Farmers’ Markets Conference & AGM February 20-22, 2015 Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, BC www.bcfarmersmarket.org COABC Conference - Certified Organic Association of BC February 27-March 1, 2015 Chilliwack, BC www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca
YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Garagiste - The Coolest Wine Festival Ever You’ve heard the term, but it’s hard to find a place to try their wine. The name garagiste (GAR-aH-jeest ) comes from France and describes winemakers who do things a little differently, those who take risks and make small case lots, or micro cuvées in their garage or whatever space is available. You can also call them the small guys. To celebrate these smallscale wine makers, Garagiste North was held at Meyer Family Vineyards last September.
When asked why anyone would make wine on such a small scale, Meyer Stone replied, “No one would do this unless there was passion involved. It’s people who want to see what they can create with their grapes. You can experiment with varieties and barrels and bend the rules a little bit. There’s also a real aspect of camaraderie. We exchange challenges and successes.”
Photos by Jennifer Schell
The garagistes in the Okanagan are an active bunch. “Our criteria is based on production,” said Terry Meyer Stone, who along with Jennifer Schell decided to create the event. “To be a garagiste, you can have production of up to 2,000 cases a year. The majority of us are under 1,000 and some of us only made 150 cases. Of our entire group, only two of us have actual tasting rooms.” Garagiste North was held at Meyer Family Vineyards in September.
Garagiste North had a ratio of 10 guests per winemaker, and for some winemakers, this event was the first time anyone outside of family and friends had tasted their wine. The group plans on holding another small guys festival in May in Vancouver and again in September in the Okanagan. More info garagistenorth.com.
BC Tree Fruits Coop Meets For AGM The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative met for the Annual General Meeting on October 30th in Summerland. The AGM is an opportunity for the membership to review the previous season and to elect the Board Directors for the upcoming season. The primary role of the Board of Directors is to provide direction for the Cooperative. The results of the AGM saw the re-election in the North of Director Karmjit Gill and election of Jeet Dukhia as a Director. In the South both Talwinder Bassi and Joginder Khosa were elected as Directors. Rounding out the Board of Directors is Malcolm Mitchell, Gurjinder Sandher, Jora Dhaliwal, Robert Dawson, Gordon Hahn and Nirmal Dhaliwal. The Board of Directors appointed Malcolm Mitchell as the new President replacing Robert Dawson. In addition, Gordon Hahn was appointed as the sole Vice President, replacing Colin Pritchard and Darshan Jassar. Past director Ron Vollo declined to run this year. The Cooperative and it’s growers acknowledge and thank all outgoing directors for their countless hours and contributions to the Cooperative.
Year End 2014
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
Visit the 17th Annual Pacific Agriculture Show With the Pac Ag show getting better each year, space is already at a premium for the 17th Annual Pacific Agriculture Show in January. There's a strong demand for space by previous show participants.
Matt Dixon with ARDCorp is busy these days putting together another interesting and informative program for those interested in alternative energy programs and practises. Pre-registration is required for both the Hort Short Course and BC Dairy Expo. More information on both these programs will be available shortly. The PacAg show is the place to come and get updated information whether
Photo by Gary Symons
Providing a high level of information to agriculture producers, Dr. David Hughes will be a key note speaker at the 2015 PacAg show. An Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College in London, England, he travels the world talking to businesses, trade associations, governments and conferences on global developments in the food and drink industry and is a highly sought-after speaker wherever he goes. With an unparalleled knowledge of global food issues and opportunities, Dr. Hughes is a strong proponent of building vertical alliances between key chain members in the food industry.
Tractor displays at the Pacific Ag Show are a big part of the event at Tradex in Abbotsford.
you are a a berry producer interested in any of the Hort Course presentations, or a dairy farmer, growing vegetables or greenhouse crops, or growing small farm crops for personal consumption or commercial sale. The introduction of the small farm program at the 2014 show was exceedingly well accepted with a
standing room only crowd. Fountain Tire will again provide free parking to all participants and visitors. For more information on the 2015 Pacific Agriculture Show contact JGS Events at 604 291-1553 or visit www.agricultureshow.net.
Rubber Track Tractors Help to Keep you Working
Replant Program a Go!
Tractors with rubber tracks are very popular in the field because you can take it to work out in the field when the weather doesn’t cooperate. “When you have to get out there and spray your field in any weather condition this durable tractor just keeps on going,“ says Washington Tractor Sales Rep Tom Legreid.
Good news came for BC Fruit Growers at press time; Premier Christy Clark announced a 7-year, $8.4 million Replant Program to assist growers in renewing the production base of the industry.
High flotation and low soil compaction are a couple of very useful benefits, as is its use in narrow rows.
Replanting a high-density orchard costs between $25,000 and $30,000 per acre.
“Blueberry growers love this tractor,” says Legreid. “To get in between a 10-foot row you can choose between the 53” or 65” models, a lot of growers choose the 65” and it gets in between just fine.”
High-density orchards are more productive and start producing commercial volumes of apples in as little as three years. Converting to new, high quality varieties of apples, cherries, and other soft fruits lead to greater consumer acceptance, increases returns, job creation and niche export growth.
Legreid is excited to announce that, “ We are set to deliver our 100th machine this year and customers are so happy with this hard working machine it makes our job easy.” Visit the Washington Tractor Booth at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford to take a closer look or contact a dealer near you for more information. 10 Year End 2014
YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
The Great Grape Adventure – Okanagan ties have a clue in them that will show kids where the Ogopogo lives!
Congratulations to Darcy Nybo our own Orchard & Vine writer for publishing a great new childrens' book. The Great Grape Adventure Okanagan highlights things to do and see from Enderby to Osoyoos. The book is also designed to educate kids on the Okanagan, the different types of grapes, bees and their importance in our ecosystem. As they learn they find out about fun things to do and see in the beautiful Okanagan Valley.
“I’ve even had some local adults tell me they learned new things by reading the book,” said author Darcy Nybo. Available in Kelowna at: Chapters, Mosaic, Discover Wines, Scallywags, Tourist Information Center and Summerhill Winery. In Penticton at Hooked on Books. Also available at all Tourism Info Centres across the Okanagan.
Join Merl Oh, a fun little wine grape, as he takes you on an adventure through the Okanagan. There are plenty of activities; connect the dots, seek-a-word, crossword puzzles, word scrambles, mazes and colouring pages, and most activi-
For wholesale purchase for your winery or fruit stand contact publisher@artisticwarrior.com artisticwarrior.com
Weather station helps Water Usage at Kettle Valley In the vineyard, they used 70% of the average vineyard and 20% of the average orchard, and still want to be more frugal.
The Regional District discovered in 2013 that wineries use five to eight litres of water for every litre of wine produced, so water meters were installed in wineries, as well as most of the local businesses and other agricultural and residential users.
The advantages to careful irrigation management are: • No excess growth to manage, fewer weeds, less disease and therefore less spraying, and smaller berries.
Some statistics of note: • The average residence in the valley uses 657,000 litres of water per year.
• Smaller berries gave them darker, more intense wines and are one of the best contributors they know of for wine quality.
• 675 litres per person per day (2.67 persons per residence).
Photo contributed
• Orchards average 1,140,000 litres per acre per year. • Vineyards average 329,000 litres per acre per year. • Kettle Valley’s vineyard used 230,000 litres per acre. • Kettle Valley’s winery used 657,000 litres. Kettle Valley’s Winery was very pleased with their result, as they used about the same as an average residence, 657,000 litres. Here’s what they did: Water used for washing in the winery is settled and reused for irrigation in the
The Watchdog Weather Station at Kettle Valley Winery.
vineyard, bringing the net water usage in the winery to about 20% of the average residence. • Instead of using less water for washing, they have committed to using hot water, high pressure and steam for cleaning instead of chemicals, so that the water can be reused.
• In order to get smaller berries, the vineyard managers say they water just enough to keep the vines alive during key times. The new weather station will allow Kettle Valley to measure all of the typical weather data, such as temperature, rainfall, wind and humidity. It will also track soil moisture at multiple depths, soil temperature, irrigation times and leaf wetness. For more information, contact Spectrum Technologies: www.specmeters.com 800-248-8873 info@specmeters.com
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YEAR END | NEWS & EVENTS
BC's First Annual Canadian Wine Tourism Summit a Grape Success Over two million social media impressions and 100 people attended this first annual event included media types, bloggers, tour operators and winery owners who gathered in Penticton in November for a grassroots event to inspire, discuss, collaborate and celebrate Canadian Wine Tourism. The daylong event of speakers and roundtable discussions gathered to brainstorm ideas on how wine tourism can support other sectors of tourism and develop economic growth in Canada.
“The potential for wine tourism – not just for the Okanagan, but for Canada as an international destination – is an incredible opportunity,” says Allison Markin, founder of All She Wrote.” As an industry we need to be collaborating now to create a strong Canadian wine brand and be competitive against other yet to be discovered regions.” Discussions at the event centered on what Canadian Wine Tourism is. It isn’t just about the grapes, the wine, awards,
festivals or events. It’s about the overall experience, the “Winescape” experience that includes many aspects of tourism from the minute a visitor steps out of their car or plane. It’s the hotel, tour operator, restaurants, food, servers and more. People visit Canada for what it represents; the wide-open spaces, mountains, lakes, and Canadian hospitality. Also known for sports like hockey, cycling, fishing and the Maple Leaf! Follow #cdnwinetourism on Twitter or Facebook.
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Photo courtesy Ministry of Agriculture. BC Gov Photos
Honourable Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture
The 2014 Orchard & Vine Interview By Darcy Nybo
O&V: This is your second time as Agriculture Minister and your second tour of BC. What has changed since your last tour of the province?
Letnick: The last tour was more around the meat industry, with only a few visits to those involved in other types of agriculture. This time was more of a broad-based tour. I spent three-and-a-half weeks in August on the road for a total of 6500 km. I asked people what their key thoughts were on agriculture and how we could build it together. When I returned I made a long “honey do” list and we’ve gone through it now and are looking at different areas
and making suggestions on what we can and can not do. The optimism and attitude was better this time around. Apples are doing well, grapes are doing well and there’s a passion for farming that is stronger this time around.
O&V: What were some of the things you were made aware of during this tour?
Letnick: We also heard about the reaction to the Buy Local program. People around the province appreciate the two million dollars we put up, which was partnered with money from industry to encourage consumers to buy local whenever they can. We’ve used up all the money and now we have to find more money for this program.
They also asked about the tree replant. Last time as Ag Minister I committed to bring in a sustainable, long-term tree fruit replant program and they were asking me where it was. It is in the mandate letter that says it needs to be brought in, but there needs to be money for it. My job is to advocate for funds to complete that commitment the government made to the tree fruit growers. The last time I was Ag minister we got 20% more in our budget. I’m not expecting another 20% this time around, but I am optimistic about finding resources somewhere to fulfil those mandate commitments.
O&V: Will there be money for a replant program for orchardist fruit growers in 2015? Year End 2014 13
Letnick: I would suspect we will have an answer to this in the next few months. We have to outline the number of years that would define long term and sustainable. We’ll just have to see.
O&V: The ALR is now in two zones – what do you see as the future for these zones Photo courtesy Ministry of Agriculture. BC Gov Photos
Letnick: Our overriding principal is still the same. The purpose of the commission and the reserve is to safeguard agricultural land for the future and to encourage more farming on that land. The majority of farm receipts come from Zone 1, which covers prime farmland in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island. Zone 2 covers farmland in the North, the Kootenays and the rest of the Interior. The farmland protection rules were somewhat loosened to allow for more non-farming activities on the land. To give you an idea of the size of the land involved, in Zone 1 we talk about acres, and in Zone 2 we talk about sections. Zone 2 changes were made to safeguard the agricultural land and to encourage more farming, but what we are saying to the commission is they should look at other things in Zone 2, like social, economic, and cultural needs. If someone comes to us from Zone 2 and makes
While visiting a Beijing wine shop, Minister Letnick talks to an employee about BC's quality ice wine.
claims for social, economic and cultural grounds they must take that into consideration with less priority than the primary directive.
O&V: What is happening with the backlog of applications for ALR land, and when do you see the new commissioners being fully trained and ready to tackle farmland use applications in their community?
Letnick: They should be fully trained and starting to look over applications sometime in November. There were six commissioners before and now there are 18. The six before made decisions for the entire province. Now the 18 are split into the six different regions of the province and they have to live in that area.
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O&V: The EFP (Environmental Farm Plan) continues to grow and change. What changes have you seen in the past year and what types of funding can be expected in 2015?
Letnick:
Since April 2013, the BC Agricultural Research and Development Corporation has received more than $2 million in Growing Forward 2 funding for the delivery of the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program and the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program. Through these programs, farmers and ranchers can identify agri-environmental risks and get support to implement selected beneficial management practices on their farms and ranches. The federal and provincial government have committed 13.4 million dollars to the industry between 2013 and 2018 through Canada BC AgriInnovation program.
O&V: The federal government is responsible for GMO policy, but does the province have an opinion on it from an agricultural point of view?
Letnick:
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The last time I was minister we relayed that the industry is not supportive of the GMO apple. We believe there might be some brand confusion and marketing implications. At the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) there was discussion and debate; however, it is a federal government decision and they have the scientists that make the determination as to what is and what is not healthy for us to eat.
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• General purpose pallet or custom fit for berry flats • Available in 40”X48” footprint • 2,650 lb dynamic and 8,800 lb static load capacity Photo courtesy Ministry of Agriculture. BC Gov Photos
• 9 reinforced feet uniformly distribute the load • Ventilated deck • 4-way entry accomodates fork trucks and pallet jacks • Light-weight design - 18 lb for easy lifting Berry flats, blueberry lugs, fruit/ vegetable boxes and agricultural containers made with the finest materials and available at very affordable pricing. At Thunderbird Plastics Ltd. we stand by our pledge of quality, service and on-time delivery. Minister Letnick led a BC delegation on a China trade mission with a theme of building markets for BC foods. L to R: Carrina Lin, Managing Director, Yiannis International Corporation, Minister Letnick, Christine Dendy, Owner, Dendy Orchards
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Year End 2014 15
GET MAXIMUM HORSE POWER ON YOUR FARM EQUIPMENT Photo courtesy Ministry of Agriculture. BC Gov Photos
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advocacy groups to work with organic farmers to create a BC organic brand to market. We support farmers' markets, which help people with choice. The Health Ministry gives out coupons to those who struggle financially and they are redeemable at farmers' markets in the summer time. At the end of the day the issue of GMO is federal and we respect their jurisdictional.
O&V: Golden Mile Bench could become BC’s first sub-appellation. What are your views on sub-appellations and will you approve Golden Miles application?
Letnick: We’ve received the application and will be reviewing in the upcoming weeks. I’m always looking for a way to encourage agriculture in BC and encourage people to buy our products.
Business Advice That’s Rooted In Success Whether you’re a grower, manufacturer, distributor, retailer or investor in the food and wine industry, MNP offers tailored business services that go beyond traditional accounting. From vine to table and everything in between, our strategies help you control costs, streamline operations and cultivate opportunities for growth and expansion. Contact Geoff McIntyre, CPA, CA, Business Advisor, B.C. Wine Industry at 250.979.2574 or geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca
16 Year End 2014
If after review, this area is found to be an appropriate sub-appellation, then I will give it due consideration.
O&V: Changes to BC Liquor Laws have simplified licensing requirements, made wine available at farmers' markets, made it easier to taste wine outside the tasting room and now wholesale and government outlets pay the same price. What are you thoughts on this?
Letnick: I think it is all a positive move forward. It will allow people to take their wines out to the orchard and enjoy the ambiance of the winery. It’s going to allow people to compete more fairly with our BC stores. That level playing field is a good change and it is a change that was requested by a number of groups. ■
Photo by Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com
2014
Year in Review for the BC Wine Industry Harvest at Fort Berens Estate Winery.
By Roslyne Buchanan Fuchsia-stained, the once-white plastic bins overflow with succulent clumps of purple grapes, so plump that the skins are bursting and releasing notes of blackberry and warm spices. This scene was often repeated with other grape varietal wineries across British Columbia, a testament to 2014’s successful harvest season. Mother Nature and mindful viticulture dealt an incredible hand, setting the ante for winemakers to capture the jackpot and carry it forward, so we can taste the beautiful bounty well into the future. It’s not just the growing season that creates a report card worthy of glowing smiles and nods of approval, rather a host of industry accomplishments. Orchard and Vine Magazine measured the pulse with a survey; conversations with key personalities; reports from the BC Wine Institute and other sources; and with an attentive ear on twitter and #BCWineChat. The results are in and it was truly a year of achievement, although not without its challenges: It is farming after all!
The win is great for La Frenz and actually a good day for all Canadian wine. When light shines on one, it builds profile for the quality within Canada. Jeff Martin AWARDS Awards are highly gratifying and helpful in marketing so it’s little wonder achieving them was noted frequently as the most rewarding accomplishment. At the international 19th Northwest Wine Summit, La Frenz was named the top winery of distinction for capturing the most gold medals. La Frenz enjoyed the unprecedented distinction of being named the Best Small Winery of the Year for the second year in a row at the Riverside International Wine Competition. Owner Jeff Martin said, “The win is great for La Frenz and actually a good day for all Canadian wine. When light shines on one,
it builds profile for the quality within Canada.” John Skinner, Painted Rock Estate Winery, commented similarly when it was named Winery of the Year at InterVin International Wine Awards. “It was huge for us, reinforcing the decisions we made when we selected this site, and highlights the quality possible in the BC wine industry,” said Skinner. At the Pacific Rim Wine Competition top honours were Gold/Best of Class Merlot Monster Vineyards 2011, Pinot Noir Quails’ Gate Winery Stewart Family Reserve 2011, Syrah Church & State Wines Coyote Bowl 2011, Chenin Blanc Quails’ Year End 2014 17
Photo by Brad Kasselman/coastphoto.com
The opening of Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet was a landmark event, establishing BC’s newest wine region with style and flair.
In the inaugural 2014 Canadian Wine Industry Awards of the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA), George and Trudy Heiss of Gray Monk Estates, the oldest family-owned and operated winery, received the Award of Distinction. Regarded “as the highest form of peer recognition and appreciation of outstanding leadership, commitment and passion for the advancement of the Canadian wine industry”, it was bestowed in concert with the BC Wine Institute’s Wine Industry Recognition Award to Senator Ross Fitzpatrick, founder of CedarCreek Estate Winery. The 2014 WineAlign National Awards of Canada presented Platinum Medals 18 Year End 2014
to Laughing Stock Vineyards, Mission Hill Family Estate, Nk-Mip Cellars, Orofino, Quails’ Gate, Road 13 Vineyards, St. Hubertus, Summerhill Pyramid Winery and Thornhaven Estates. For details on these and the numerous gold, silver and bronze medals received by BC wineries at various competitions, check out the BC Wine Institute (www.bcwine.com) and the wineries’ own websites.
Photo by Kim Lawton/DogLegMarketing.ca
Gate Winery 2012 and Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris Wayne Gretzky Okanagan 2013 while Gold Cabernet Franc Poplar Grove Winery 2011, Merlot Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2011, Pinot Noir Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2012, Syrah Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2011, Chardonnay Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2012 and Quails’ Gate Winery 2011 Stewart Family Reserve, Riesling Off Dry Fort Berens Estate Winery 2013, Riesling Off Dry Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2012, and Other White Blends Noble Ridge 2012.
SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability ranked high in accomplishments and was often associated with better management of the vineyards in balance with terroir. Some vineyards planted new blocks and were considering whether or not to replace older vines with new varietals. We asked which varietals were emerging as signature wines, the feedback noted ones most frequently Pinot Noir, then Riesling, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Semillon and Malbec. In the BC Wine Institute’s 2014 Acreage Report, statistics revealed a similar pattern for the top 10 most planted varieties as follows: Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Riesling and Sau-
vignon Blanc. The varieties that predominate vary regionally within BC which suggests a greater attention to balance within the terroir. BCWI President and CEO Miles Prodan commented that the focus on “continual improvement in the quality” could be “measured in the record level of BC VQA market share here in BC and the overwhelming recognition in international competitions.” He said the report indicated a maturity of the industry and BC’s “evolution as a global wine producing region.”
Sustainable practices and organic materials are viewed as emerging trends with a focus in the vineyards to let land and grapes express themselves with less manipulation in the winemaking. While such practices were sometimes viewed as an initial expense, the less intrusive approach was seen ultimately as an investment. Some responders suggested they hoped it would translate into lower price points and better wine sales. A number of new wineries and/or tasting rooms or adjunct facilities opened restaurants such as the Liquidity Bistro; Smoke and Oak at Wild Goose Vineyards; Blu Saffron at Volcanic Hills Winery and the Joy Road Vineyard Kitchen at Black Hills Estate Winery. Sandhill opened an urban winery in downtown Kelowna. Fort Berens Estate Winery broke new ground by opening in the heart of gold mining country in Lillooet. From what veteran wine expert and consultant Harry McWatters says, “Fort Berens has great potential and is the pioneer in what is BC’s newest wine region.” McWatters own highly anticipated project, a dedicated facility and tasting room to showcase Time Estate Winery, broke ground on Black Sage Road in Oliver and is scheduled to open in 2015. BCWI’s Acreage Report denoted a trend toward virtual wineries where wine is produced under another winery’s license. This was supported in the popularity of Garagiste North: The Small Guys Wine Festival that debuted this year where the small case lot artisan wines commercially produced in the Okanagan Valley were showcased. The report also showed that winery-owned acreage is increasing “with sales of independent grower land more likely to be purchased by an existing winery, the grower starting their own winery or a buyer with the intent to open a winery.” The average independent grower acreage decreased (9.46 acres 15 years ago to 5.96 acres today), and the average winery acreage decreased (40.68 acres 15 years ago to 28.02 acres today) as more smaller wineries appear. On the other hand, holdings grew for von Mandl Family Estates as it purchased CedarCreek Estate Winery. It is a holding company of Anthony von Mandl, owner of Mission Hill Family Estate winery. The survey revealed the greatest challenges as internal ones such as staff-
Orchard & Vine Survey – We Asked… What Has Been Your Greatest Challenge in 2014 Internal - hiring staff, staff issues, office operations, licensing, etc. Equipment - finding the right piece of equipment, etc. Vineyard - weather, bugs, pest management, pickers, etc. Financial - cash flow, budgets, revenue, expenses, expansions, etc. Supplies - discovering appropriate products, delivery, etc.
INTERNAL
52%
EQUIPMENT
19%
VINEYARD
29%
FINANCIAL
38%
SUPPLIES
14%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
What has been your most rewarding accomplishment this year? Numerous awards…opened winery…tasting rooms…restaurants. Planting an additional 4.5 acres of pinot noir this spring…planting 33 acres. • Planting a new vineyard block with two varieties. Riesling to increase production, and Chenin Blanc to see how it would grow on our site. • Achieving balance in the vineyard. Using pruning techniques, very precise irrigation management, and cover crop management. • Reducing input costs by nearly 30% through more exact timing of vine tending, spraying and mowing. What Do You Plan on Investing in Over the Next Year or Two? Personnel - winermaker, staff, operations, managers etc. Buildings - new buildings, tasting room or restaurant Equipment - new equipment, supplies Marketing - wine rep, wine club , etc. Operations - sustainable practices, safety Events - concerts, wine festivals, dinners PERSONNEL
14%
BUILDINGS
24%
EQUIPMENT
67%
MARKETING
38%
OPERATIONS
33%
EVENTS
24%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
For more survey details go to www.orchardandvine.net/wine
Year End 2014 19
ing, cash flow, vineyard management, equipment and supplies. As the industry grows, recruiting and retaining staff require innovative measures. Recent legislative progress to remove barriers and headway made between some provinces and internationally, opportunities at farmers’ markets, and new licensing categories were encouraging.
Many wineries were interested in attracting more out-of-province clients, and visitors in organized wine-loving groups such as the Opimian Society or the BC Wine Appreciation Society. Steps contemplated to attract those groups centred on social media and events with some traditional advertising in targeted media as well as direct mail and wine clubs. Speaking of which, Canada’s first Canadian Wine Tourism Summit held November 8, was developed by Allison Markin to mark Wine Tourism Day. Founder of All She Wrote, the consulting company that lobbied for and successfully mounted the 2013 North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton, Markin pointed out, “As an industry we need to be collaborating now to create a strong Canadian wine brand and be competitive against other yet to be discovered regions.” The one-day grassroots event is a great opportunity for dialogue on the exciting 2014 year and to celebrate the increased tourism which kept the tasting rooms hopping and many events sold out. As we take a breath and look forward, it seems the stage is set for a great vintage and a bright wine industry future. ■ See the BCWI Acreagw Report highlights on page 46.
20 Year End 2014
Photo by Kim Lawton/DogLegMarketing.ca
Of note, the Golden Mile Bench, located on the western slope of the Okanagan Valley south of Oliver was approved by the BC Wine Authority in a recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture as the first sub-appellation in the province. Sandra Oldfield, President and CEO of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards (located on the Golden Mile) says she is ecstatic about it. “It shows a maturity within the industry, allows us to draw a geographical line, tell a story about a specific region and provides proof to your consumers where your grapes were grown,” Oldfield says.
Comings & Goings By Michael Botner B.C. Wine Authority recommends approval of Golden Mile Bench as B.C.’s first sub-appelation: Having concluded that the application submitted in May, 2014 meets the requirements of a unique grape growing area, BCWI’s Board took the next step on October 17, 2014 and recommended that Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick approve the proposal. Stay tuned for further updates…and repercussions. Maverick’s new cellar door wows visitors: Not part of the Golden Mile Bench designation, Maverick’s energetic winemaker Bertus Albertyn – who resigned as winemaker of Burrowing Owl Vineyards in the middle of 2013, is focused on making bold wines at his highway-hugging estate between Castoro de Oro and the Osoyoos Larose vineyard. “The soil at the
bottom of our eight-acre vineyard is similar to the Golden Mile in terms of rock content while at the top, where we grow Sauvignon Blanc, the mix is heavier, more loamy, silty,” Albertyn says. Designed by Penticton architect Robert Mackenzie, the wine shop evokes echoes of Albertyn’s South African heritage. A clean, contemporary take on the traditional South African wine farm, the open, lightfilled area for public tastings contrasts with a warm, elegant boardroom for private tastings. Big news from Constellation Brands comes in pairs: News that Inniskillin’s winemaker Sandor Mayer returned to his native Hungary in September left a chasm for Constellation Brands to fill. Despite the small facility on the Golden Mile Bench, Mayer took advantage of Dark Horse Vineyard on the Golden
Photo by Michael Botner
Steve Ward, visitor experience manager Jackson Triggs and Inniskillan.
Photo Contributed
2014 Mile Bench, which he planted with experimental varieties, and made the acclaimed “Discovery Series.” Firstly, Constellation took the bold step of closing the Inniskillin tasting room and moving wine sales to Jackson-Triggs’ (J-T’s) large facility north of Oliver. Fortuitously, plans to add a classy, Japanese-inspired space for reserve wine tastings and food pairings, nearing completion and would certainly help accommodate the larger portfolio. On the winemaking front, Jackson-Triggs’ winemaker for white wine and Icewine Derek Kontkanen agreed to take over the winemaking for Inniskillin, transferring his duties at J-T to Brooke Blair, who also continues as red winemaker. An award winning Icewine maker, Kontkanen will bring his talents to Inniskillin, “the world’s leading producer of Icewine”, according to Sally Sharpe, regional visitor experience manager for J-T.
Andrew Windsor the new winemaker at Tinhorn Creek.
Photo by Michael Botner
Vineyard at Robin Ridge Winery.
Maverick's owner and winemaker Bertus Albertyn.
Year End 2014 21
under his belt crafting wines in Central Otago, California, Australia and Oregon. Dumayne will oversee winemaking for OCP clients such as 40 Knots Estate in Comox, Singletree in Abbotsford, Coolshanagh in Naramata and East Kelowna’s Vibrant Vines, in addition to making OCP’s house wine, Haywire.
Photo by Michael Botner
The change will allow Bartier, who continues as OCP consultant developing and managing vineyards, more flexibility and time to build his own wine portfolio, Bartier Family Vineyards.
Megan de Villiers is breaking new ground as vineyard manager of Fort Berens Estate Winery.
The fall opening of Fort Berens’ sleek, new winery in Lillooet bodes well for the suitability of grape growing on river benches along the mid-Fraser. The first and only licensed winery in Lillooet, Fort Berens Estate Winery came into being in 2009 when founding partners Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek purchased a 65 acre property on sage brush covered benchland along the Fraser River, planting 20 acres of premium vinifera vines. Leading wine industry consultants Harry McWatters and Dick Cleave touted the site as similar to the South Okanagan in climate and soil, while being more 'investor friendly'. Knowledge of the suitability of grape growing on river benches along the mid-Fraser between Lillooet and Lytton is based on the Lillooet Grape Project. A one acre experimental plot planted with 22 varieties in 2005-2006 by former Lillooet mayor Christ’l Roshard and her husband Doug Robson still flourishes.
Natives of South Africa, Megan has a earned a bachelor’s degree in viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch, and Danny has degrees in Viticulture and Oenology from the Cape Institute for Agricultural Training in Eisenburg. When I met the couple at Satuma Island Winery a few years ago for an article in Orchard & Vine, I was impressed by their efforts both in the vineyard and the excellent wines produced. TRANSITIONS At Okanagan Crush Pad (OCP) in Summerland, Michael Bartier is turning over his role as chief winemaker to Matt Dumayne, A New Zealander with a passion for Pinot Noir and 25 years of vintages
As former winemaker for Trius at Hillebrand, Thirty Bench and Peller Estates, Mary McDermott brings a fine wine pedigree to crafting small production wines to Township 7 on B.C.’s Naramata Bench. Her vision for the boutique winery entails expanding their small lot program with additional single vineyard offerings, enhancing their Bordeaux red wine program to world class level, and boosting sparkling wine production. When Sandra Oldfield, the former winemaker at Tinhorn Creek, added president and CEO to her duties, something had to give. In 2014, well-traveled winemaker Andrew Windsor arrived to take over winemaking duties, giving Sandra some breathing room. A graduate of science and oenology from Guelph and Adelaide, Windsor has previously made wine in McLaren Vale, Northern Rhône, Marlborough, Niagara and the Okanagan/Similkameen. ■
The new, 9,500 s.f. winery has the potential to process 12,000 cases onsite with extra capacity for custom processing of grapes from other growers in the area. Recently hired to take care of grape growing and winemaking are partners Danny Hattingh and Megan de Villers. 22 Year End 2014
Photo by Michael Botner
For the last 5 years, Texas Creek Ranch owner Eckhard Zeidler has been evaluating a 2.5 acre test vineyard with 29 varieties including Marechal Foch and Swiss Blattner varieties, and anticipate having 13 acres of vines within two years. At 6,000 cases a year, Fort Berens is counting on continued growth.
Danny Hattingh, winemaker Fort Berens Estate Winery.
Photo by Kim Lawton/DogLegMarketing.ca
2014 Fruit Round Up By Ronda Payne This year’s Fruit Fashion Darlings Looking at the numbers is one thing, but what really happened with fruit crops this year? It’s important to review the highs and lows of yields, pests, weather and processing, but in this overview, Orchard & Vine takes a tongue-in-cheek perspective as we consider the facts, but also make a comparison: If this year’s crops were clothing, what would they be? A tried and true Jockey brand T-shirt or a fancy ball gown by Christian Dior? The Berry Bounty While weather didn’t rain on the fashion parade this year as it has in the past, there were certainly a number of runway glitches from pests to processing in the world of berries. Always in style, berries saw acreages continue to shift, yet it was hard for anything to match the popularity of the sun’s longstanding presence. Here’s how the fashion of berries took shape: The overall 2014 B.C. blueberry crop is estimated at about 150 million pounds according to Debbie Etsell, executive director of the B.C. Blueberry Council. This
For most of them [apple growers] it was a bumper crop … good size, great colour, excellent quality. Fred Steele is a significant increase over last year’s crop of 107 million pounds with a lot of sunny weather later in the season and a lot of new plantings over the past several years. With a few ups and downs in the season, the popular berry touted for its high doses of antioxidants hit the marketplace in the same way go go boots became part of every girl and woman’s outfit in the 1960s. Just as brightly coloured boots were found everywhere back then, so too were blueberries everywhere this year. The Duke variety was the heaviest producer with Elliots also in heavy production. “Some great weather for the Duke crop and some wet weather for the beginning
of bluecrop, then better on the second half of bluecrop,” Etsell noted. “The increase [in production] is due to a combination of pretty good weather for most of the season and new plantings over the last four to six years that are coming into higher production.” Labour was a challenge with the increase in volume of Duke and faster ripening of bluecrop hitting at the same time due to the warm sunny weather. The processing and packaging facilities within the industry were put to the test with the increase in production by managed to shine like the rock band Kiss performing in platform boots. “The volume and quality of IQF Grade A berries this year is fantastic,” Etsell said. Due to the large percentage of farmers Year End 2014 23
Photo by Kim Lawton/DogLegMarketing.ca
Cherry trees in Keremeos, BC.
growing cranberries under the Ocean Spray umbrella, cranberries can be seen as private label clothing that comes out a little later than hoped, but with better results than expected given the issues. Grower, Jack DeWit of Creekside Cranberries in Langley weighed in on how the season was shaping up at the time of writing, just before final harvest. “It [harvest] seems a little later than usual,” DeWit noted. “Some varieties are slower to ripen than usual.” DeWit noted the 70 acres he and his two sons own and farm incurred a “fair bit” of winter damage and that other cranberry farmers found the same, much like a run in the weave of the perfect designer fabric. “There’s not a definite reason yet why it [the winter damage] is in some fields and some it isn’t.” The yield is not expected to be up for the province-wide harvest, but as growers waited for the berries to colour, it 24 Year End 2014
wasn’t sure if production would be the same as last year’s 85 million pounds or down. The June rain may have impacted pollination. “The unseasonably warm fall makes things later,” DeWit said. “We had a terrific summer, weather was good. In that way it was ideal, but it’s probably four or five degrees warmer at night than it usually is at this time of year.” Cranberries need a few nights of cooler temperature in order to fully ripen, but this must happen prior to frost or the berries will turn to mush. Strawberries were similar to a Chanel gown in that they were exquisite, but slightly harder to find than some of their berry counterparts based on information provided by Sharmin Gamiet, association manager of the BC Strawberry Growers Association as well as the executive director of BC Raspberry Growers “The 2014 growing season was perfect for berries,” Gamiet said.
The traditional June bearing strawberry yield was early, short and of excellent quality, however, with the shift away from June bearing in favour of everbearing, province-wide yield is expected to be the same or down from last year. While the yield of individual growers was the same or up, the overall amount of June berries sent for processing was also down due, interestingly, to the early warm weather. “A lot of the berries were sold as fresh rather than process,” noted Gamiet. Unfortunately what made for early June bearing berries hampered everbearing berries given the flower development’s distaste for too much heat, just like a suit jacket on a summer day. “But, there were enough periods during the summer and fall where the weather was perfect for everbearing strawberries, so the yields should come out as similar to last year,” Gamiet summarized. Like cranberries, raspberries also experi-
Orchard & Vine Survey – We Asked… How was 2014? 82% of respondents said their yields were up from last year What has been your greatest challenge in 2014? Internal - hiring staff, staff issues, office operations, licensing, etc. In the Field - weather, bugs, pest management, pickers, etc. Financial - cash flow, budgets, revenue, expenses, expansions, etc. Supplies - discovering appropriate products, delivery, etc.
INTERNAL
38%
IN THE FIELD
56%
What About the Weather?
38%
FINANCIAL
Rained during cherries & hailed during apples
19%
SUPPLIES
High temperatures & low temperatures It's always something and it always has an impact.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
What Do You Plan on Investing in Over the Next Year or Two? PERSONNEL
31%
NEW BUILDINGS
19%
NEW EQUIPMENT
31%
REPLANTING
75%
EDUCATION
25%
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
25%
30
40
50
60
70
80
How do your sales compare to previous years?
FARM GA Yes 35%
No 65%
20
SHOP ?
DO Y OU
EA V A
10
TE
H
0
Personnel - Managers, staff, operations managers, etc. New buildings - structures, farm store. New Equipment - supplies Replanting - or new planting Education for yourself or staff Sustainable Practices safety
Overall Sales are up this year 30% Though some respondents blamed rain, hail and construction for a decrease in sales
What About Organic? Is there a push for organic? Is that achievable for your operation and is that something you would like to implement? We got three answers - Yes we are • No never • Not Achievable For more survey details go to www.orchardandvine.net/fruit
Year End 2014 25
enced a fair amount of winter damage in fields throughout the Fraser Valley. Fortunately, “the perfect spring”, as Gamiet described it, gave raspberry canes the ability to bounce back and “pollination was fabulous, so flower development was excellent.” “With the continued dry warm and then hot weather, fruit developed excellently,” noted Gamiet. “2014 will go down as the year when raspberry quality was one of the best in history.” Somewhat like Lulu Lemon yoga pants, high-quality, desirable berries were abundant and everyone loved them. There was a glitch. One of the former packing houses closed, leading to apprehension that not all the berries would find a home. “However, in true farming spirit, all packers and processors pulled together and took all raspberries that were harvested,” Gamiet said. Despite raspberry acreage being down, with the switch of some growers to blueberries in previous years, the yield for 2014 is expected to be similar to that of 2013 at about 16 million pounds. Apples Abound In an effort to better understand the successes and challenges of fruit growers, Orchard & Vine launched its very first fruit growers’ survey. Among the respondents, 50 per cent were apple growers giving excellent insight into the year’s results. From the responses, it was obvious that yield was up from last year, though the weather did its best to put a damper on things. For some growers, that meant the fruit was too damaged to salvage and pushed some growers’ individual yields down below previous years’ results much like buying the perfect outfit only to have it ruined the first time it’s worn. “I had color I had size and nice fruit unfortunately it was also seriously hit with hail,” noted a grower from near Kelowna who responded to the survey. Another grower from the Oliver area also commented on the challenges of hail during apple ripening. Fortunately for those who experienced losses as a result of hail crop insurance will kick in and help supplement the lost income – it’s a shame there isn’t similar 26 Year End 2014
insurance when someone spills red wine on summer linen pants. Overwhelmingly, apple growers reported “field issues”, which includes weather and pests, as their biggest challenge this year but it couldn’t change the fact that it was a banner year for apples, causing Orchard & Vine to dub them as similar to Gap brand clothing – high quality and in abundant supply. According to Fred Steele, president with the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, it was a sizable crop on both sides of the border, leading to questions of how to better control importation. “For most of them [apple growers] it was a bumper crop,” Steele noted. “Good size, great colour, excellent quality. The United States also had drastically more [apples], with some saying it could be about 165 million boxes [out of Washington] which is going to cause a problem.” While great yield years are what everyone hopes for, when growers south of the border also have a great year, it chal-
lenges the market for B.C. grown apples. Steele noted it’s time to do something different and look at strategic markets to combat the reduction in apple markets. Think of it as similar to knock-off clothing entering the fashion marketplace. While there is the ability to define B.C.grown by controlled varieties, this type of system takes years to develop as seen with the Ambrosia. While the Ambrosia variety is grown in the United States, the acreage is limited and importation is not permitted. Steele noted that new varieties are definitely “coming online.” “If they [Washington and other US growers] sell it [their apples] here at less than the cost of production… then we can take action,” Steele said. “It’s called antidumping.” Steele has already started the process by taking the preliminary steps through the Canadian Horticulture Council. Monitoring of US imports will begin. Cherries are also considered part of the plan with preliminary steps being considered for next summer.
had been picked at the time of writing. Picking is still underway with some Fujis and Pink Ladies still being harvested, but estimates of province-wide apple yield continue to grow. Original estimates for the season were 165,000 bins (each bin holds approximately 25 boxes, making for 4,125,000 boxes), which Steele said grew to 175,000 to 185,000, but now sits in the neighbourhood of 220,000 bins (5,500,000 boxes). It is indeed a banner year for apples. Soft fruits in fashion Similar to apples, cherries and other soft tree fruits were overwhelmingly high in yield. In the Orchard & Vine survey, one grower noted, “Everything was great. Picking was hectic but only because the crop was so big.” Steele confirmed this by saying, “It was a most unusual year in that we had more cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines than usual. More of everything and we had size.” Again, the Washington growers had a similar year as did Ontario, leading to further conversations about new varieties.
This action may lead to a national tribunal and five years of protection, but this doesn’t come without its own cost. Taking the case to tribunal is expensive, but Steele feels that spreading the cost across the country will benefit everyone. “We can’t sit idly by,” he said. “At least something is happening.” While some apple farmers experienced hail, Steele noted this was the case of a number of isolated incidents and weather, which is always of concern, is unpredictable. Just as some growers had hail to contend with, others had sun scorch impact their crops. There were no new pests of note and no mass infestations province-wide. “Not that we know of yet,” Steele said of new pests, pointing to the fact that pests which take hold one year aren’t seen as pests until further down the road when they become an infestation. Although growers recognize each variety has its own unique problems and concerns to manage, overall, apples had a very positive year given the varieties that
Steele pointed to the work of Summerland Varieties for their research and development. “We really need to talk more about emerging varieties. It’s incredible the job those people [at Summerland Varieties] do,” Steele said. While crops were abundant, there were times when it may have felt like it was too much of a good thing. “There was too much good fruit,” noted Steele. “Too much great fruit.” It was a good problem for growers for the most part. A shortage of storage, bins, workers and basic harvesting tools left many growers scrambling, but happily so. In the end, almost everyone was able to come together to ensure harvests were completed and fruit found markets. As noted, cherry growers had a positive year as well, with a strong market, good quality fruit despite what one respondent to the survey called “far from perfect weather”.
rain storms affected the crop in some regions.” Green described the season as average, with it not being a “record breaker”, but certainly not down from expectations. Part of the production positives may be related to the possible drop in the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Green noted. “SWD seemed less prevalent than it was in 2013,” he said. “A slightly colder winter in 2013/2014 may have knocked levels back.” Steele has also heard that the SWD levels were lower and this begged the question of what those lower levels were caused by. “Does it mean they are cyclical?” Steele mused. “Or did it mean they [growers] did something different? Is it weather related? We don’t know.” All in all tree fruit growers had an excellent, albeit definitely unusual year, with all fruit varieties up in yield, with great colour, excellent flavor, positive firmness and all around high quality. It’s so much more than most of us can say about our wardrobes. And more about the survey… As mentioned in the Apples Recap, Orchard & Vine sent out its first fruit growers’ survey this year to growers of apples, cherries, berries and soft tree fruits. Over 80 per cent of respondents noted their yields were up this year – a great sign for the industry. The biggest challenges faced by respondents were “in the field: weather, bugs, pest management pickers, etc.” by more than 50 per cent of respondents while a close 40 per cent noted “internal: hiring staff, staff issues, office operations, licensing, etc.” as the largest concern this year. Replanting was the major planned investment over the next year or two for nearly three-quarters of respondents and 38 per cent of those who answered the survey have a farm gate shop. If you’d like to be a part of next year’s fruit grower survey, please drop an email to lisa@orchardandvine.net and let us know so we can add you to the list. ■ For more survey details go to www.orchardandvine.net/fruit
Grower David Green noted fruit was, “generally good quality, though hail and
Year End 2014 27
Willem Semmelink, Vineyard Manager for Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
W
illem Semmelink is the vineyard manager for Summerhill Pyramid Winery in the Okanagan. Having participated in the CanadaBritish Columbia Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Program in the past, when he made the transition to Summerhill he called his EFP Planning Advisor to find out how an organic farm could benefit from participating in the EFP Program. “I went through the Environmental Farm Plan workbook with my EFP Planning Advisor, Peter Spencer,” said Semmelink. “The workbook is easy to use and is basically a guideline for systematized sustainability. It fits in perfectly with organic farming, which is also about sustainability. Water and soil health and the protection of sensitive areas and the handling of inputs and manures and spray materials are things we looked at when going through the workbook.” A Nutrient Management Plan The EFP workbook recommended a nutrient management plan (NMP) because Semmelink was going to try to increase
28 Year End 2014
Willem Semmelink and EFP Plan Advisor Pete Spencer beside the windrow turner.
his crop yields by increasing the amount of nutrients applied to his crops. The voluntary NMP assessed Semmelink’s use of nutrients (largely nitrogen, phosphorus, ADVERTISEMENT
and potassium) to help optimize crop production and the protection of soil, water, and air. The results from the NMP suggested that Summerhill could benefit
from a windrow turner, a piece of equipment that would help Semmelink create higher quality compost more efficiently and sustainably. Making a Case for Funding Unfortunately, there wasn’t any funding available specifically for windrow turners, but it did fit into a sustainability model. Semmelink and Spencer worked together to quantify the on-farm environmental risk to be mitigated by the machine and then went through the process of requesting funding through the Beneficial Management Practice (BMP) Program, a cost-share funding program that is linked to the Environmental Farm Plan Program. “The EFP program is always looking for innovative ways to make farming more environmentally sustainable,” said Planning Advisor, Peter Spencer. “Just because a practice or a piece of equipment isn’t on the list that outlines which BMP projects are eligible for cost-share funding, doesn’t mean you can’t get funding for it. The BMP list is reviewed annually and changes can be made mid-year. We made a case for funding and it was approved with 30% of the cost funded to Summerhill.” A Good Investment “Being a low input facility, being more soft on the earth, definitely has its rewards,” said Semmelink. “In this particular case, we went through all the steps, identified a new opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint, applied for cost-shared funding, and got approved. The windrow turner was a good investment. It’s creating high qualify, sustainable compost and it’s a major time and money saver too. It has reduced our labour costs for creating compost by 80%.” Make the EFP Workbook One of Your Tools Semmelink highly recommends going through the workbook with a Planning Advisor, no matter what size or type of
Willem Semmelink and EFP Plan Advisor Pete Spencer celebrating a successful EFP Plan implementation.
" The (EFP) workbook is easy to use and is basically a guideline for systematized sustainability. It fits in perfectly with organic farming, which is also about sustainability." Willem Semmelink Vineyard Manager for Summerhill Pyramid Winery farm you have. “The EFP workbook is a well thought out tool and it’s made for all types of farms. You only need to complete the sections that apply to your farm”. The Environmental Farm Plan is helping BC farmers and ranchers reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. Start your Environmental Farm Plan today. Call 1-866-522-3447 or visit www.bcefp.ca
Want to know more about the Environmental Farm Plan program? Call 1-866-522-3447, or visit www.bcefp.ca
Funding for the above program is provided by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Year End 2014 29
Commisioned Art Work
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Interview with Fred Steele – President of BCFGA Fred Steele became president of the BCFGA on February 15, 2014. We caught up with him to find out what's been happening since then.
O&V: Can you give us a recap on your first year as BCFGA President?
Steele:
Photo by Kim Elsasser
Since I was elected people are telling me I now have the power to do things. My response is, yes I do, but I have the wisdom not to do it on my own. The farming community is like a large dysfunctional family, but at the end of the day we are still family. We operate by consensus and we don’t always agree on everything. At the end of the day we have to agree on something and that moves us forward. Since the elections we’ve started to build some new bridges and explore some new avenues to expand the industry. In the past we’ve gone to talk to the Provincial and Federal Agriculture Minister. Now we are reaching out to the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Western Diversification. We are exploring how we fit in to the economics of that picture.
O&V: Have you developed a strategy for competing with the American markets?
Steele:
The provincial and federal governments are always talking about jobs, innovation, and export. We want to find out where we fit in to all of that. The BCFGA is the catalyst that brings people together. Once the members decide the direction they want to go, we go and find a way to do it. There isn't just one pot of money in a provincial or federal budget. There are so many different avenues that we can relate back to agriculture. It has expanded our base dramatically.
We know we can’t compete with the Americans, that is lunacy. There is a huge concern because there are too many apples. The Americans have a glut and we are preparing a case to even the playing field. We've talked to a trade lawyer and informed the Canadian horticulture council what we are doing. Our case says as soon as the Americans dump apples at a cost less than production, we will be filing with a government tribu-
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Year End 2014 31
nal. Then the government at the border would add the difference between cost of production and the sales price and bring it up to equal pricing. The second part of that is we would apply for an additional five years of protection. We have entered into discussions with all the partners, which include the BC, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia governments. This is a national problem and we are doing this together.
O&V: Photo by Kim Elsasser
What, if anything, has been done to improve access to crop insurance?
Steele: There are areas around crop insurance that we've already worked on. Now you can buy your 50% insurance over the phone with your credit card instead of having to wait for an appointment. That has been a huge benefit for our members.
BCFGA President Fred Steele and Vice President Bhupinder Dhaliwal.
O&V:
O&V:
What other plans are in motion to help farmers?
The Okanagan Tree Fruit Coop is now making cider with culls. How does that affect your members?
Steele: We've changed the way we deal with government and their agencies. Instead of getting into feuds with them, we are now asking what the specific government policy is and where they are going. If we can set our agenda to match their agenda, we become a natural partner. We sat around complaining for decades, but now the solutions are there and we are pushing down that road. We’ve also gone back to the drawing board. We have new relationships with the people in the packinghouse and the independents and the Canadian horticulture council. We are also exploring how we fit into complementary industries like the wine industry.
Steele: We are currently working with the Okanagan Tree Fruit Coop and other independent groups on a variety of things. For example, we are discussing not being charged for culls through Okanagan Tree Fruits as they can now use our culls for cider. That alone will save the grower about 8.5 cents per pound of culls. What you’ve got now is a value added product where something is actually going back to farmer. Not being charged for culls is huge, who knows, maybe in the future farmers will actually get paid for culls.
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O&V: What other markets are you looking at for BCFGA growers?
Steele: We are looking at South Korea and other parts of Asia right now. For example in seven years there will be no tariffs with South Korea. It also takes five to seven years to get a tree into the ground and have it bear fruit. We are working on a replant program with the Ministry of Agriculture. We’ve been having conversations with the assistant deputy minster, Grant Parnell, and we brought him to the interior so he would have a better understanding of why we need a long-term replant program. I have a considerable respect for Norm Letnick and I believe he will follow through on a long-term replant program. Another strategy is to see how we can extend the life of our apples here with storage and how we can have apples year round for consumers. We are working on a North/South deal that I call it Kiwi Canuck. The best way for us to compete against the Americans is to look around for a partner; somewhere where our fall is their spring. We send fruit to them, sorted for size and quality. They take that fruit, and have their graders and wholesalers deal with it. What we then do is we bring their fruit up here in our off-season, have it go through our graders and provide volume to the packinghouses. A plant that runs throughout the entire year is more profitable. We can also get fresh fruit year round that makes it easy to compete against
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millions of boxes of stored fruit from our neighbour to the south. We can also share technologies with New Zealand. For example: they have large vessels for exporting and importing fruit. We are looking for niche markets around the world and we can piggyback on each other to ensure we can meet the consumption needs.
O&V: What are some of the immediate concerns for the tree fruit industry?
Steele: Our members are concerned about a number of things, but I need to know how it fits in with the pattern of where we are going. If it doesn’t fit it just doesn’t fit. One thing they are concerned about is methyl bromide. Here in BC we don’t have the oriental fruit moth because methyl bromide is sprayed on the rootstock that comes to us from the States. We’ve argued to get rid of this as it kills some trees, and it may take two or three years for those trees to die and by then the farmer has already put that many years worth of time and effort into growing producing trees. We are currently working with the federal government to find a substitute for methyl bromide.
O&V: What do you see for the future for the BCFGA?
Steele: We are changing direction and we are looking for some new solutions to fit the time we are in. We continue to reinvent ourselves in order to be relevant. This industry had a near-death experience a few years ago. It produced an awakening of all the new things we can do. Instead of ranting and screaming at the top of our lungs, we want to make sure that the things we are doing differently are actually mitigated to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. ■
34 Year End 2014
MONEY TALKS | GEOFF MCINTYRE
Your Business through the Bank’s Eyes Prepare Effective Financial Statements to Safeguard your Business
Your bank will likely want an independent accounting firm to issue the financial statements. If you have borrowed significant funds, they may also require the accountant to issue a report on those financial statements – either a review or an audit. Even if your accountant assists you in the preparation of the financial statements, It is important to remember that the responsibility for accurate reporting remains with the management of your farm business.
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As your business grows, your lender will become a larger business partner. To think of it another way, the more you borrow, the more attention your lender will pay to your enterprise’s performance. Just because you have lots of equity or your loan payments
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A properly prepared set of financial statements provides your business partners, such as your banks and suppliers, with a more accurate report card of your businesses’ performance than your tax return or bank balance. A balance sheet documents the financial position of your farm business at a point in time by listing the businesses’ assets and liabili-
as possible, relative to the risk and time needed to manage the account.
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As a farm business owner, you probably haven’t worried about updating your resume recently. After all, it’s unlikely you’ll be applying for jobs or lining up interviews any time soon – you’ve got a business to manage and grow. But when your financial institution is considering the financial health and stability of your business, they actually rely on what many banks see as the equivalent to a business resume: your financial statements.
business and therefore can have considerable influence over your success. Fortunately, your lender has a vested interest in helping your business succeed. Your success means you will have the funds necessary to meet your debt obligations, including interest, on the money you have borrowed. Your lender’s ultimate job is to keep your account as profitable for the institution
ties and the owners’ equity in the business. An income statement details the businesses’ revenues, expenses and net income for a period of time, usually one year. A statement of cash flows may also be included. This statement highlights the cash inflows and outflows of the business for the same period of time as the income statement. Notes to the financial statements are often included to provide additional information to readers. Financial statements will typically include comparative numbers for at least the preceding year.
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are always on time doesn’t mean the bank will consider your account ideal. The more capital you require, the more risk there is for your bank, and the more lending requirements – called covenants – your bank will tend to put in place. A covenant is a condition on your loan. Certain bank covenants take the form of specific financial ratios that are calculated directly from your financial statements. Typically they relate to things like debt service capacity and capital expenditures. The purpose of a covenant is to protect lenders by flagging any potentially risky financial behavior by borrowers. If you consistently break your covenants, your loan may be considered in default and the bank can potentially increase your interest rate, or even ask for the loan to be repaid in full. In fact, most lending agreements these days allow for the bank to unilaterally demand repayment in full at any time, regardless of whether your farm business is in default of any covenants. It is important to develop and maintain a strong relationship with your lender. However, even if you have a good personal relationship with your account managers, they may be unable to help if someone at the corporate level decides your business is a financial risk. Risk adverse corporate leaders evaluate your management capabilities strictly through formulas and projections based on your financial statements, and not who you are as an individual. If you’re not sure what your ‘business resume’ says about your enterprise it’s time to talk to your trusted business advisor. He or she can help you understand what message your current financial statements are sending and help you plan to ensure that your future financial statements send a strong message about the financial health of your farm business.■ Geoff McIntyre, CPA, CA Okanagan Region Agri-Food Leader MNP LLP Kelowna office. Contact him at 250-979-2574 or Geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca and Marsha Stanley, CPA, CA,CBV, CGA Vancouver Island Regional Agriculture Leader for MNP LLP. Contact Marsha at 250.748.3761 or marsha.stanley@mnp.ca.
PEOPLE TALK | BARBARA ASHTON
The Key to Hiring Great People. Scary First Impressions
break a potentially great hire in any organization.
Recently I met a client who told me he could tell if a candidate was a cultural fit within minutes of meeting them, based on whether they were articulate, intelligent, well turned out, and assertive. Have you ever hired someone directly from your competitor, feeling righteously proud about your new trophy hire, only to discover after it was too late that they were a seriously wrong fit? You’re not alone. We’ve all been there, wooed by hearing all the right things, only to learn that age old lesson - actions speak louder than words.
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People don’t leave companies. They leave managers. The number one reason a talented person does not perform to meet expectations is because they don’t like their manager. Period. Full stop. The full extent of their reason for leaving is because they do not get along, which generally means they have wildly differing values than the people they report to. Except in cases where there is outright abuse and disrespectful behaviour, this doesn’t make one good and the other bad. It just means not a right fit.
While creating a strong first impression is certainly a great start for any candidate, I warn you, these are not characteristics to hire by. Assessing right soft skills – team collaboration (genuine concern for others vs co-blab-oration), emotional maturity (how they respond or react under pressure), personal accountability (right or wrong), and alignment of work and personal values – are what ultimately make or
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ample, high work ethic is a cultural value that you may look for in all your hires, whereas creativity and the desire for freedom are personal values that are only suited to certain roles, typically sales, marketing or business start-ups. Another example of culture might be continuous innovation, a value that fit roles in product design, but be a less desirable value for an assembly or production worker. Different Companies Run at Different Paces Start-ups typically run at atomic speeds. More established companies are likely to have a slower pace. Remember too your company’s pace will change as it evolves and grows. What’s important to keep in mind is there aren’t many people who are comfortable in both speeds of operation. Some like the slow and steady. Others like a faster pace with constant change. Job Fit Values As I said earlier, if someone does not like their job or they are unmotivated, again it is probably because their values are not in alignment with the needs of the company, their manager, or both. Values are an integral part of assessing overall cultural fit. The only way to determine whether someone will fit a company’s culture is to start by defining the values and culture of the company. This is what determines your company’s management style of inclusion vs exclusion, reward vs punishment, or demanding vs engagement of employees. How to Assess Values Attributes around personality, appearance and presentation should never be used exclusively to define a candidate’s fit. Despite this, business executives, HR professionals and owner-operators commonly and continuously make decisions to hire — although they may appear to be entirely unconscious — based on likeability, the emotional triggers that have everything to do with someone’s personal attributes, and nothing to do with whether or not they’re the right fit for the job. There are a number of tools available for you to assess values and motivators. At Ashton & Associates we use The Values Blueprint and, for more in-depth psychometric assessments, Trimetrix. There are a limited number of values, yet any number of combinations of motivators and values. The key is to know where your company’s dominant values lie, and then you will know what you are looking for in your next key hire.
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There you have it. I hope this leaves you with a broader set of perspectives and tools to use when making a decision on right fit in place of “someone you really like”. The ultimate result will be a greatly improved right fit hire ratio. ■ Barbara Ashton is the CEO and Executive Search Specialist at Ashton & Associates Recruiting. Barbara and her team can be reached at www.ashtonassociates.com Phone: 1-800-432-6893 or Email talent@ashtonassociates.com
Denese Espeut-Post, Lawyer 107, 13615 Victoria Road North • P.O.Box 576 Summerland BC, V0H 1Z0 • 1.778.516.2675 www.AveryLawOffice.ca twitter.com/orchard_vine 38 Year End 2014
WORLD WINE WEB | MIKE COOPER
An Apple is an Apple is an Apple, Right?
Have you ever heard someone say, “let’s compare apples to apples”?
Let’s take a bigger bite into this. If we are comparing apples to apples here, how many options does one have to compare? On quick research (I could be wrong here, I am a marketer not an orchardist) there are over 7,500 different varieties of apples grown around the world. But I only have access to a few 100, so that should be easy to pick, right?
In case you haven’t, what they are trying to do is compare two different items that are very similar and seek to establish the small differences between them. Consumers do this exact same thing when deciding whether to purchase a product or service from your business or the competition.
Do you see my problem here? What seemed like a simple decision is far more complicated than it looked. To me the next logical step would be to figure out what the apple will be used for. Am I going to eat it right away? Bake something, juice it or place it on someone’s head and shoot it
with an arrow? I am sure one specific type of apple is going to have the best “explosion” factor when the arrow hits it, right? As much as I need the target practice, I don’t see you jumping to volunteer your head to place it on, so I am going to pick an apple that is great to eat right away. The Honey Crisp Apple has become my favourite! Let’s rewind a quick minute though. With the research I have done, I have narrowed down my decision from 7,500 to just 1. However, after all of this hopefully entertaining dialog, I still have one last decision to make. Where am I going to buy it? Let’s look at some options:
• Convenience: closest store in this case grocery store • Community: support local business or in this case a farmers market or local label identification • Quality: Your orchard sells organic • Neighbourhood: There is an orchard on my drive home; I will swing into their fruit stand • Price: If I am on a tight budget I may go for the cheapest place Getting into the core of my message here, chances are your business fits into one of those options. I am sure you can come up with some other examples of why people
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Ready For Harvest?
Ok, before I am finished with chewing on this apple, I want to plant this one seed that will help your business. Stop selling yourself short!
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would buy your products or services. This is important because there are many options available of where and who to buy from. What you need to establish is what makes buying your product or service different than any other business. Stop focusing on the fact that you have items to sell, and instead focus on why someone should buy from you. These cannot be superficial things like “good customer service”, or “we are the best at what we do” because anyone will get those answers.
You know who you are, if you are reading this right now. Stop walking up to the customer and saying “Hey look at me, I have the cheapest price!” I see businesses doing this all the time. “We are the cheapest in town!” The problem is that if price is the first conversation you have, what else do you have to bargain with? The biggest problem with starting the conversation with price is that you tend to only attract people that are cheap. They will always want a better deal. They will be angry if you raise your price by 2% to make a living. The second they see a better deal they will leave as loyalty is not an issue. There are so many other ways to bring a customer in the door and your specific qualities, features and story are the greatest tool you have. Instead of focusing on what the bottom line is you can sell your products or services for, take some time and figure out what they are willing to pay for the service or product! ■ Mike Cooper is the owner of Black Mountain Media. See what Black Mountain does at: www.blackmountainmedia.ca or send Mike a note at: mike@blackmountainmedia.ca You can also call: 778-214-0519
Follow us on: twitter.com/orchard_vine
LEGAL LIBATIONS | DENESE ESPEUT-POST
Unfair Contracts May Be Unenforceable responsibly made or reckless agreements. But protection from unfair contracts or contractual terms may occur in exceptional circumstances because of the significant harm that may arise from such unfairness. This harm may take the form of a large economic loss to one party, an increase in litigation, result in moral disapproval or result from an abuse of power.
or the purpose of a contractual term, ask your lawyer for help.
As the end of the year approaches, some of those contracts that are an important part of your business operations may be coming up for renewal. Rather than simply agree to the same terms or sign a document placed before you, read the agreement;. If you don’t understand some of it, read it again; and if you still don’t understand the agreement
Generally, a contract that is freely made should be enforced, including those terms that result in one side having a legal advantage over another. However, contract terms that are grossly one-sided or very harsh are the exception to this rule; contracts that are unfair or contain unfair terms will not be enforced.
Let’s discuss two examples which we can take from prior cases heard before courts. The first deals with inequality in bargaining power. In an older English Court of Appeal case (which impacts our legal principles), an elderly farmer (and loving father) agreed to
The basic principle which governs contracts is that a person’s word is their bond and, as such, parties to a contract should be free to choose how to structure their contract. Generally, courts will not protect a person from ir-
guarantee the debts of his son’s business, and as such, mortgaged his property so his son could obtain a loan. The farmer’s son defaulted on the loan and the bank took action to foreclose on the farmer’s only asset, his farm. The farmer challenged the bank and raised many defences. The Court of Appeal set aside the mortgage. One judge based his decision on the inequality of bargaining power between the parties. It was noted that where a party, without independent advice, enters into a very unfair contract or gives property for grossly inadequate consideration, possesses little bargaining power due to his or her
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own needs, ignorance or infirmity and experiences undue influence or pressures for the benefit of another person, judicial relief may be required.
Is Your Marketing Message Being Delivered?
The second example deals with burdensome terms found in standard form contracts. These terms must be drawn to the attention of the contracting party who did not prepare the contract. The party who presents the contract cannot simply rely on the other party’s signature, but must draw this term to signing party’s attention before he or she signs the contract. This requirement can be met by typing these terms in capital letters, a larger font or different color. One great example of this concept has to do with car rentals and insurance exclusions for alcohol consumption. In an Ontario Court of Appeal case, a driver rented a car and purchased collision insurance. The driver signed a standard form agreement which included a term which denied insurance coverage to any driver who consumed liquor in whatever quantity. The driver was in a car accident and had consumed alcohol (albeit not to the point of intoxication) before the accident. The rental car agency denied insurance coverage. After trial on this issue, the court did not allow the rental car agency to enforce this contractual term as the clause had not been specifically drawn to the driver’s attention before the contract was signed. Along the same lines, a contract may be found to be unenforceable if a party does not have the entire contract when it is signed. Now is a great time to review your existing contracts. If you will be negotiating a contract, take the time to review all its terms. Seek legal assistance to help you through this process. Your lawyer will be able to assist you in identifying any potentially problematic agreements or terms. If you would to learn more about unfair contract terms, see your lawyer or review the reports of the British Columbia Law Institute on this topic available on its website. ■
PRINT • ONLINE To Advertise or Feature your Business or Products Contact: 250-769-2123 or info@orchardandvine.net www.orchardandvine.net 42 Year End 2014
Denese Espeut-Post is an Okanaganbased lawyer and owns Avery Law Office. Her primary areas of practice include wine and business law. She also teaches the wine law courses at Okanagan College.
THE WILD THINGS | MARGARET HOLM
Stewardship Organizations Are Here To Help
This column has frequently featured farmers who work with stewardship organizations. Environmental stewardship refers to protection of the environment through conservation and sustainable practices. Many orchards, vineyards and farms have natural areas within their properties such as gullies or small wetland ponds and seepage area. Lakes or rivers can form part of the property boundaries which contain stretches of natural vegetation. If you are wondering how to manage these non-crop area areas many regions of the province have non-profit stewardship organizations that provide free advice on managing natural spaces. Stewardship organizations can provide information on native plants, wildlife conflicts, and management of invasive weeds, as well as how to do native plant restoration,
ronment Canada and the BC Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. In many cases they can provide planning assistance, labour and help with the costs of habitat restoration. In return for your stewardship effort, if you wish, you will receive media recognition and a stewardship sign to post on your property. Information that is shared with the stewardship organization about property features, your management, and any wildlife that may occur is strictly confidential. The Kambo family and friends stand in front of their newly restored pond.
protect sensitive areas, and put up boxes to attract owls or bats. The first step in the process is a site visit to walk your land, assess the natural areas, and discuss your goals. If interested, land owners can enter into a voluntary stewardship agreement--a written document describing natural areas on the property and your intent to steward them for local wildlife. These are short-term agreements that do not affect the land title and are not enforceable against future landowners. Stewardship organizations receive funding for their work from agencies such as Envi-
Left to right: Natasha Lukey of Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship with Mellhina and Ken Thibault at Casa del Mell Orchard.
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ROOT STOCK Place your order by Fall 2014 for Spring 2015 delivery • Siberian C • Bailey Root Stocks
Please contact Billy 250-490-6158 bsboom@shaw.ca Year End 2014 43
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Stand Out From the Crowd Try our New 750ml. Wine Bottle. Unique, Reusable, Eyecatching, Flip-top Bottle Stopper. Wine drinkers can pop it back on and save their wine for another day. Wineries & Wholesale Customers: Email roxanne@ezcap for your free samples
E.Z.Cap 403-282-5972 www.ezcap.net 44 Year End 2014
Kenn and Sandra Oldfield of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards in Oliver, regularly improve their vineyard practices with the latest in conservation research and sustainable methods. In addition to fencing to protect snake habitat and habitat restoration, Kenn and Sandra worked closely with Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship and a local biologist to have a minimal impact on native Antelopebrush slopes when building their restaurant. “As farmers we are stewards of the land, “ states Kenn, “This means the natural areas around our farms, as well as the vineyards that give us the wine.” Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS) works with forty landowners and the majority of them own farm businesses. Ken and Mellhina Thibault operate Casa del Mell Orchard and own one of Osoyoos’s oldest roadside fruit stands. Ken and Mellhina worked with OSS staff to restore a local wetland and riparian habitat on their property. The improved habitat is a much needed refuge for amphibians such as tiger salamanders and spadefoot. Visitors to the fruit stand can check out a bat condo and walk along a short nature trail. The Kambo family, of Kambo Farms and Ciliegia Villa also restored a wetland on their property that had accumulated all kinds of industrial waste. Each spring, the family and villa guests are treated to a full chorus of frogs enjoying the pond. The pond also provides critical habitat for many other plants and animals, including insects which pollinate surrounding farms and provide food for wildlife. ■ If you would like to find out more about local stewardship organizations contact: Alyson Skinner, Executive Director, Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship at 250-809-1980 or okanaganstewardship@ gmail.com. Tamsin Baker is Coordinator at South Coast Landowner Stewardship Program and can be reached at tamsin@ sccp.ca. Margaret Holm works for the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance. Contact her at outreach@osca.org.
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THE WORD ON WINE | TRACY CLARK
2014 A Win-Win Situation for Wines of BC to taste and purchase 100 per cent BC wine, along with 100 per cent BC beer and spirits, at farmers’ market. Throughout the province, 43 markets featured liquor sampling and sales. BC wineries said it provided both a great sales opportunity, and a marketing opportunity. That success was echoed by the market organizers as well, who reported an increase in traffic at markets throughout BC in 2014.
agan,” said winemaker Andrew Windsor from Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, whose optimism was echoed by many.
Consistency and quality are two words that have echoed throughout the 2014 vintage - and the year’s not over yet. Relatively stable temperatures, ample sunlight and little precipitation meant viticulturists and winemakers were breathing fairly easy as they brought in fruit during crush this fall. While 2013 had a similarly good start, heavy rains in September resulted in both rot and pest concerns. This year, September and October brought much dryer and hotter conditions, allowing the fruit to develop phenolic ripeness. "All in all I would say 2014 is lining up to be one of the best ever in the South Okan-
Winemakers had another reason to “sing”, according to Ezra Cipes, CEO of Summerhill Pyramid Winery, when the Icewine harvest began November 12, directly on the heels of the table wine grape harvest in the Okanagan Valley. The early timing of the freeze meant that fruit had suffered little damage. With a fantastic growing season preceding the Icewine harvest, the term “liquid gold” will be a perfect description for 2014’s Icewine.
The enthusiasm for BC VQA wine also spilled over the border as Wines of British Columbia were picked up in Whole Foods Markets in Washington and Oregon. The new program saw eight BC VQA wines featured in 15 stores throughout the two states.
“This is a blessed vintage," said Cipes. The buzz of a great season spilled into all aspects of the BC wine industry. Many wineries reported record sales and visitors in their tasting rooms as tourists flocked to wine country to sip and sample their way through BC VQA wine.
Even with the dip in temperatures and the onslaught of winter, the momentum of the season is not showing signs of slowing. Winter wine touring season is getting underway with numerous events and activities for travelers to take in. It’s the perfect time of year to visit wine country without
New this year was the ability
fighting crowds for space at tasting room bars. Seasonal events, taking place before and after the holidays, invite travelers to experience winter in BC wine country, enjoying perfect BC VQA wine and food pairings, shopping for Christmas holiday gifts and tasting some of BC’s most recently released winter wines. ■ Visit winebc.com for winery tasting room hours and exciting events throughout the cooler months. Also be sure to follow Wines of British Columbia on Facebook. Tracy Clark is the Communications Manager for the BC Wine Institute. The BCWI represents 119 winery members and 17 grape growing partners that represent 95% of the province’s total wine production and produce 88% of wine production made from 100% B.C. grapes. www.winebc.com
• Propane Conversions • Auto Start Installs Constellation Laboratories is one of Canada’s leading independent testing laboratories. We offer a wide range of Quality Control services to cover the full range of winery activities:
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DROP OFF LOCATIONS Constellation Laboratories 7857 Tuc-El-Nuit Drive, Oliver, BC • 250.498.4981 Cronie Winery Supplies 200 Ellis Street, Penticton, BC • 250.493.1324
LOOK FOR THE CHECKERED FLAGS 2 KM North of the Osoyoos Shell 15210 97 St. Osoyoos BC
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Year End 2014 45
BCWI 2014 Acreage Report Wine Industry Maturing - Growing Quality Rather than Acreage is the Focus in BC's Vineyards The 2014 Wine Grape Acreage Report has been released and it shows signs of maturity for British Columbia's burgeoning wine industry.
B.C. WINERIES BY REGION
After years of major growth in vineyard acreage throughout the province, this survey's statistics have relatively stabilized, indicating that wineries and vineyard owners have made the decision to devote their resources to increasing the quality of wine they are producing, rather than simply expanding their vineyard acreage to cover more land.
Penticton / Naramata 45 Oliver 37 Kelowna/West Kelowna 29 Vancouver Island 28 Lower Mainland/Fraser 19 Summerland / Peachland 18 Similkameen 17 Okanagan Falls 13 Gulf Islands 11
"The 2014 acreage report is a testament to the British Columbia wine industry's commitment to producing quality wines rather than to increasing volume of wine," says Miles Prodan, President & CEO, BC Wine Institute. "This focus on the continual improvement in the quality of the Wines of British Columbia can be measured in the record level of BC VQA market share here in BC and the overwhelming recognition in international competitions. Overall, this evidence demonstrates a definite maturity of our local industry and its evolution as a global wine producing region."â–
Osoyoos 10 Shuswap/Spallumcheen 7 Lake Country / Vernon 6 Kamloops 4 Kaleden 3 Creston 3 West Kootenays 2 Lillooet 1 Grand Forks 1
Top Wine Grapes Planted In 2014 Merlot (1,563 acres) Pinot Gris (1,114.25 acres) Pinot Noir (1,073.11 acres) Chardonnay (993.8 acres) Cabernet Sauvignon (755.82 acres) GewĂźrztraminer (734.96 acres) Cabernet Franc (546.13 acres) Syrah (530.04 acres)
LICENSED GRAPE WINERIES
Riesling (510.99 acres) Sauvignon Blanc (393.87 acres)
6.4 % in the Similkameen Valley 6.6 % in the Coastal Areas VIRTUAL WINERIES
2.9 % in Other Interior areas of B.C.
929 VINEYARDS
84 % Okanagan Valley
49 %
51 %
White Grapes
Red Grapes
46 Year End 2014
10,260
ACRES THROUGHOUT B.C.
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