A lack of rain means wineries expect smaller berries and lighter clusters in vineyards.Nataschia Weilink/Supplied
Winemakers in Niagara will begin harvest next week, starting with early ripening red hybrid varieties and for sparkling wines. It’s a later start than recent years due to the shifting temperatures experienced in August, from hot and dry to unseasonably cool conditions that delayed ripening.
“You’re never quite ready for it, so that extra week is welcome,” says Emma Garner, director of winemaking in Ontario for Andrew Peller Ltd., who also serves as head winemaker for Trius and Thirty Bench.
Emma Garner has been working in the Niagara industry for more than 20 years.Nataschia Weilink/Supplied
A cooler-than-usual spring meant a slow start to the growing season, but warm temperatures in June and July got vineyards back on track. The lack of rain has wineries looking at lighter clusters and smaller berries in vineyards, which might reduce the juice yield at harvest. The season’s ultimate success depends on clear skies ahead.
Garner hopes for sunny and warm weather conditions to promote ripeness but expects Mother Nature will keep her team guessing. “I’m a great believer that you get the harvest you need, the year you need it,” she says.
A graduate from Brock University’s grape and wine science program in 2004, Garner has been working in the Niagara industry for more than 20 years. She started at Trius back when it was operating as Hillebrand Estates, working with then-head winemaker Jean-Laurent (JL) Groux.
There’s a lot of collective knowledge at work in the wine business, she explains. That extends to the grape growers in the region, such as the second generations of the Buis, Lepp and McNabb families that are farming for Trius.
“It’s the whole team that makes these quality wines because of their energy and effort,” she says.
Extreme weather creates challenges for France’s winemakers
Consumer support for local products continues to benefit Ontario winemakers with increased sales of more than 60 per cent since the LCBO removed American wines earlier this year.
After two years of grape surpluses, the 2025 vintage will double the percentage of Ontario grapes in wines produced as international blends. The portion of local wines jumps from the mandated minimum 25 per cent to 50 per cent, based on the Ontario Grape Support program announced by the Ford government in May.
