Article content As promised, here is an update and a few impressions from my latest visit to the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys as the 2024 growing season slowly unfolds. A cool spring has delayed what growth there is, so it’s only been the last week or so that we have seen what the outcome might be in the vineyards since the temperatures plunged into the minus mid-20s C back in January. There is little doubt there has been a significant amount of bud damage around both valleys, with a projected 90-plus per cent kill rate.
The chances of those vines growing grapes this year remain remote. However, we have heard about and seen sporadic vineyards pushing buds across the region in the last few days, which is encouraging. The vines may still push secondary and tertiary buds, but any surviving buds will be in a race to develop and ripen before the season ends, so they are a long shot.
As we emphasized last year, the unique terroirs of the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys play a pivotal part in grape growing. This year’s deep freeze is a stark yet fascinating demonstration of how terroir can significantly impact what happens from property to property. What you will see at the moment are large patches of brown as you travel the region, save for the ground covers that are greening the vineyard floor in contrast to the brown vines above them.
Ironically, the ground covers, carefully selected to conserve water, add organic matter to the soil, and provide a habitat for predator in.
