Despite the hot sunny days that have descended on the Okanagan now that summer is here, winemakers are fretting that this year will likely yield much less juice than an average year.
Business in Vancouver visited Road 13 winery + vineyards co-owner Pam Luckhurst on June 18 when, under cloudy skies, her vineyard crew was pruning leaves in her vineyard.
“That will enable the grape bunches to get more sun,” Luckhurst explained.
The weather has been hot in the Okanagan the past couple days but, Luckhurst said, if the region does not get a warm summer, her vineyard crews will likely have to cull grape bunches in order for the remaining grape bunches to get enough nourishment to fully ripen.
It’s similar to how she culls “dead-heads” from a flower pot on the new outdoor patio of a 10,000-square-foot building that she and husband Mike Luckhurst spent about $3 million to build.
The structure houses their new eatery and tasting lounge, used mostly for privately booked wine tours where visitors can also nibble charcuterie, cheeses and breads.
The building also has a mechanical room and storage space
The Luckhursts spent $2 million to buy the former Golden Mile Cellars and 24 acres of land in 2003. They rechristened their venture Road 13 and have since bought an additional 22 acres of land.
Production has increased from 1,000 cases in their first year to what was originally anticipated to be about 20,000 this year.
Their new storage space will soon enable them to produce 25,000 cases in a year.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom