Helping Wine Producers Hit by Extreme Weather
The potential for climate change to seriously harm B.C.’s wine sector was starkly demonstrated in January 2024 when temperatures in the all-important Okanagan grape-growing region suddenly plummeted as low as minus 29 degrees Celsius. According to Professor Dr. Simone Castellarin—Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Viticulture and Associate Director of the Wine Research Centre—the impact of the sweeping cold snap was both “striking and unprecedented.”
B.C.’s main cultivars and varietals can typically tolerate seasonal temperature drops of up to minus 18-23 degrees Celsius, says Dr. Castellarin. But the unique severity of January’s weather meant the majority of grape buds throughout the region were quickly destroyed. Wineries lost almost their entire production capacity for the year, while the next two or three years for many will be limited to only partial production. “As far as we know, there has never been an event like this in any wine region before,” he says.
The impact of changing temperatures on viticulture and plant physiology has been a foundation of wine industry research for several years. But while the climate change trend of rising temperatures—and the attendant effects of drought and heat stress on plants—has featured heavily in many investigations, it was the radical severity of the Okanagan cold snap that took many by surprise.
“When we talk about resiliency in the wine industry, we are usually discussing ways to adjust to and thrive in conditions
that are not optimum. Extremes like this, though, are so dramatic, they are almost beyond resiliency,” says Dr. Castellarin. But while January’s devastating event has clearly diminished morale among the region’s producers, he adds, there is a growing feeling that they need to find a way through the crisis and move towards recovery.
And that’s where Dr. Castellarin’s multidisciplinary research approach comes in, uncovering new ways for the industry to understand and adapt to environmental changes. Via lab work and in-the-vineyard study, his projects have investigated everything from the benefits of canopy management techniques on fruit and wine quality to the characterization of molecular and physiological mechanisms in fruit ripening processes.
The key to this kind of work is the strong partnerships his team has built with local producers. “The industry supports us in many practical ways, from funding studies to providing vineyard space and managing our projects in the field,” says Dr. Castellarin, adding that working closely together remains the most effective way to develop new resiliency strategies and help safeguard the future of B.C.’s $3 billion wine sector. “Extreme temperatures are predicted to become more frequent and this will continue to be a
huge challenge for the industry. Over the next few years, we need to focus our efforts on being better prepared for these extremes.”
Tagged with: 2024, Applied Biology, Wine Research Centre