British Columbia’s 2013 wine grape harvest posts a new record
For Immediate Release:
KELOWNA, BC (May 22, 2014)
With a record wine grape harvest in British Columbia in 2013, BC VQA wines are finally able to quench consumer demand outside the province.
This week BDO released its annual British Columbia Wine Grape Crop Report which shows a 17% increase in total estimated value, now at $69 million. The total tonnage of grape wine harvested also saw year over year growth, with a 15% increase (which equates to 250,000 cases of wine[1]) to more than 31,383 short tons picked in 2013 over 2012[2]. This is a record harvest for BC and the third year in a row the report has marked a significant increase in both value and tonnage for the grape wine crop, following short crops in 2009 and 2010.
This sustained increase supports the British Columbia Wine Institute’s expanded focus on external markets like Hong Kong and the West Coast USA, as well as domestically in Alberta and Ontario.
At home, British Columbians are also responding to BC VQA marketing efforts – BC VQA wines showed an increase in total sales of 10.4% over the same period in 2013 – the eighth consecutive month BC VQA wine sales have surpassed the entire wine category. Currently, BC VQA provincial wine market share in dollars is 20.11%, among the highest in BC VQA wine history.
“Our increasing capacity to produce more wine in British Columbia simply translates into a greater ability to continue to develop and serve our export markets, leveraging the broad international acclaim BC VQA wines have been receiving at global competitions,” says Miles Prodan, President and CEO of the British Columbia Wine Institute. “But it’s also good news in Canada where wine consumption overall continues to grow. Ultimately more people across the country and around the world will now be able to enjoy a glass of BC VQA wine.”
While grapegrowers dealt with a variety of conditions in the vineyards, including extreme weather in 2013, sommelier instructor and wine critic DJ Kearney’s review of the vintage indicates it’s the end of the “reign of cool.”
So how will 2013’s crop translate in the glass?
“A bountiful vintage with fragrant richer whites, streamlined flavourful reds, tangy sparkling wines and a bumper crop of Icewine,” according to Kearney.
To read the full 2013 British Columbia Wine Grape Crop Report, click here.
[1] Assumes wine volume to grape tonnage 550 litres/ ton
[2] Participation in the survey was voluntary and unaudited; therefore the tonnages and prices reported may differ from actual industry results and are meant as a guide only.
About the BC Wine Institute (BCWI)
Since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing quality wine tourism experiences.
Representing 138 member wineries throughout the province, the BCWI supports and markets the Wines of British Columbia (BC VQA), which gives consumers assurance they are buying a wine that is from 100% BC grapes. BCWI membership represents 95% of total grape wine sales and 94% of total BC VQA wine sales in British Columbia.
The BCWI also markets the wine regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of its members.
