Grape harvest is well underway in Kelowna. It’s a labour of love filled with early morning starts and long hours and soon they will be able to taste the fruits of their labour once it makes its way from the vine to the bottle.
“We are about two-thirds of the way through so it’s been a pretty short harvest this year so far,” said Michael Alexander Summerhill Pyramid Winery winemaker.
“Hopefully in the next three weeks all the fruit will be in and we can catch up on some sleep.”
As this year’s harvest comes to an end, wineries are still reaping the rewards of last year’s harvest, after Summerhill Pyramid Winery was recognized for their Muscat.
“We sent our Muscat off to the Muscats du Monde and we won a gold as well as it was listed as one of the top 10 in the world,” said Alexander.
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Their neighbours, St Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery, also have a new feather in their cap for their Riesling.
“Getting the recognition of the [Lieutenant Governor’s Awards] gold for the Riesling, it just makes you happy,” said Andy Gebert of St Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery.
This year’s harvest is one of the earliest for the 80-acre winery in Kelowna
“Everything came in together at the same time,” said Gebert.
“It’s a little bit smaller crop but beautiful flavours and early for us. This is nearly impossible, to have everything in before Thanksgiving so there’s only a handful of grapes that still have to come in.”
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Both wineries were able to avoid smoke taint from the heavy smoke that lingered in the valley from the wildfires this summer because of the grapes’ veraison, meaning the transition from berry growth to berry ripening.
“I think the smoke came in early enough. We always talk about pre-veraison and post-veraison, where the grapes change colour. Most of the smoke was pre-veraison where it doesn’t affect the fruit,” said Alexander.
“So, touch wood, everything looks super clean this year and haven’t noticed any smoked taint.”
Their hard work carries on the centuries-old tradition of winemaking for another fruitful year ahead in the Okanagan.
