A B.C. winery managed to escape the worst of a bad winter, but it is still feeling the impact of plunging temperatures elsewhere in the province.

Cody Karman, manager of the in south Langley, said they were 含羞草研究社渞elatively unscathed含羞草研究社� by the unseasonably cold weather last year.

含羞草研究社淲e did have some damage to the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon [grapes] but no mass damage to any of our vineyards,含羞草研究社� Karman told the Langley Advance Times.

It was a different story in the Okanagan, where temperatures fell below minus 30 C at one point in December.

含羞草研究社淥ne of the vineyards we sourced from, they grow our Syrah [grapes], and they unfortunately were completely decimated,含羞草研究社� Karman said.

含羞草研究社淭hey are going to replant the Syrah, so we might miss a few vintages, or have to source from elsewhere,含羞草研究社� Karman predicted.

含羞草研究社淚t was an absolute blow to the wine industry.含羞草研究社�

Writer and wine columnist , author of The World of Canadian Wine, The Wineries of British Columbia, and British Columbia Wine Country, and 12 other books on wine, described last year含羞草研究社檚 weather as 含羞草研究社渞eally peculiar含羞草研究社� during an apperance at the Township 7 winery on 16th Avenue at 212th Street on Sunday, June 25.

含羞草研究社淲e had a wet cool spring,含羞草研究社� Schreiner explained, 含羞草研究社渟o the grapes were delayed two to three weeks to get into the stage where they were flowering.含羞草研究社�

That meant the vines didn含羞草研究社檛 have a chance to become 含羞草研究社減roperly dormant含羞草研究社� before temperatures fell to a 含羞草研究社渒illing temperature,含羞草研究社� Schreiner summarized.

含羞草研究社淰ines need a few weeks to 含羞草研究社榞o to sleep,含羞草研究社� for the the sap to retreat to the roots, and if it hasn含羞草研究社檛 retreated, and it gets cold, the vines will kind of burst. Just like it含羞草研究社檚 like your pipes in your house, if it gets cold, and they freeze the pipes over.含羞草研究社�

A lot of vines were 含羞草研究社渒illed outright,含羞草研究社� Schreiner said.

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A report commissioned by Wine Growers British Columbia said the 含羞草研究社渨orst fears含羞草研究社� of a potential crop loss have been realized with a 54 per cent reduction in 2023 and 45 per cent of total planted acreage suffering what Miles Prodan, president and CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia, called 含羞草研究社渓ong-term irreparable damage.含羞草研究社�

B.C.含羞草研究社檚 wine industry is appealing to the provincial and federal governments for help, asking for a dedicated grant to support crisis relief, additional funding for the Perennial Crop Renewal Program, and alignment of the provincial crop insurance program to cover 含羞草研究社渦nique climate-change related events含羞草研究社� such as the cold snap.

Township 7含羞草研究社檚 Karman hopes consumers will help struggling smaller B.C. wineries by making purchases.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e going to need us to be buying these bottles of wine, to kind of keep that revenue flow going for the next few years,含羞草研究社� Karman remarked.

含羞草研究社淚 think what we can do as the consumers, is ultimately show our support and shop local.含羞草研究社�

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