VS Spreaders from Kubota

ing in similar crop levels to last year. In Lillooet, Alex Nel, winemaker/viticulturist at Fort Berens Estate Winery, describes experiencing “no extreme heat and a cooler season,” adding he “expects it to be a very elegant vintage.”

Over to the coastal regions of Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands, and Vancouver Island. Typically cooler than the interior regions, winegrowers here were doubly grateful for the warm and dry conditions from July through October, allowing the vines to thrive and produce ripe, flavourful fruit at higher yields than recent vintages.

Winemaker Mary McDermott, from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery, agrees with her colleagues from inland when noting that “2022 was definitely an interesting season” and in concluding “the resulting wines are well balanced with good acidity, balanced alcohol and sweetness.”

The VS220-330 is the smallest model of the unique Kubota pendulum spreader range. A variety of spouts for different applications and spreading widths makes it possible to spread fertilizer, seeds, sand, salt, pellets or any other granular product up to 14 meters. A hardwearing Poly-Ethylene hopper with a capacity of 330 litres. This is an optimal spreader for working in small areas.

After a delayed but abundant harvest, those winemakers who left fruit on the vine intending to craft the rare late harvest, and rarer still Icewine, continued to monitor weather forecasts closely. Temperatures dipped to the required -8C for Icewine, with pickings taking place in early November in Kelowna, and late November in Cawston, the last on record being late January 2023 in the Shuswap region.

The total tonnage for Icewine from the 2022 vintage reached 113, an increase over the previous two years which saw35 tonnes in 2021, and 75 tonnes in 2020.

The Wines of British Columbia Vintage Guide provides a snapshot of the growing conditions in BC vineyards for each vintage from the last ten years. While the nine geographical indications of British Columbia are all distinct in climate, terroir, and resulting wine styles, the Vintage Guide is a useful educational tool for BC wine professionals to reference when tasting or serving BC wine from multiple vintages.

The 2022 vintage has now been added to the guide, which is available on WineBC.com. 

Kelly Josephson, Communications Manager, Wine Growers British Columbia winebc.com