Spencer Wynn/Toronto Star file photo
Winemakers across Ontario are toasting one of the best seasons on record after Mother Nature blessed them with almost perfect conditions this summer.
The buzz is so loud you can hear the clinkling of glasses from Pelee Island to Niagara-on-the-Lake to Prince Edward County.
“I’ve never seen this in 25 years,” enthused Bruce Nicholson, winemaker at Inniskillin in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “We’re going to have world-class wines coming out of this year.”
The growing conditions were near perfect, with lots of sunshine and ample rainfall.
Last year was wet and 2007 was extremely hot.
“I’ve been in Canada for 10 years and I’ve seen nothing like it,” echoed Philip Dowell, winemaker at Angels Gate Winery in the Niagara region.
“And I’ve heard from other growers who’ve been here longer, and they’ve seen nothing like it.”
Debbie Zimmeran, chief executive officer of the Grape Growers of Ontario, said 2002 was very good too, but what characterized this season is the “quality of the grape.”
Although growers like to say that it’s never perfect, nobody is complaining.
Bruce Nicholson, winemaker at Inniskillin, said people and machinery are out at work right now taking in the rich harvest, starting with the Pinot Gris grape variety.
With new techniques and advanced machinery, the winemakers are hoping this season will set them apart from other international harvests, where the growing season wasn’t quite so spectacular as it’s been here.
“What’s great about this season is that the weather has given us the ability to pick on our own terms this year, not when we have to,” Nicholson said.
The season got off on the right foot with an early start to the season when the buds burst in mid-April.
Sometimes, growers are nervous to see an early spring because a frost by Victoria Day can destroy crops.
But it didn’t happen this year.
As a result, growers are starting to harvest their grapes with ideal conditions of warm days and cool nights.
Normally, the bulk of the harvest is carried out in October and November.
The current crop will yield wines that hit the shelves months from now.
What’s this bountiful harvest mean for the consumer? “The wines will be a higher quality and more consistent,” Gowell said.
It’s won’t be the biggest season for tonnage. In fact, last season produced a larger crop, according to Zimmerman. “This year is distinctive for the exceptional quality,” she said.
And the weather could still spoil the party. A September frost is what growers fear now.
But Gowell said it’s unusual to have a September frost in the Niagara region.
Although the “mood is good,” among growers, Gowell said winemakers would still like to see more consumers choosing their wines over the foreign wines.
“We’re still competing in an international market,” Gowell said, “and many Canadians are still choosing foreign wines. Hopefully we can get more local consumers choosing the domestic product.”
-Curtis Rush
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