This year’s mid-January cold snap has dealt a severe blow to British Columbia’s wine industry, causing catastrophic crop losses across the Okanagan Valley.
The latest report from the Wines of British Columbia — a non-profit organization which represents the interests of wineries in the province — and a management consulting firm projects 97 to 99 per cent decrease in grape and wine production across B.C.
Temperatures plunged well below –20 C between Jan. 11 to 15, killing buds that would have eventually borne fruit, says grapevine physiologist Ben-Ming Chang with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
“The cold temperature [has] basically killed off the buds,” he told CBC News.
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