Local wineries prep for a potentially fruitful growing season
Now that the spring season is underway, local vineyards are hard at work.
Preparation in the first few weeks of spring focuses on warding off potential frost — a vine killer.
The good news for local wineries is that the long-range weather forecast suggests a warm and humid summer awaits, which is perfect for the growing season. The humidity is likely too, which is not ideal but there are ways for vineyards to deal with humid air.
Tom O’Brien, the founder, president and co-owner of Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards in Harrow, Ont., says he’s happy about the probable future weather trend.
"Humidity — we can weather that and no pun intended on that,” said O’Brien.
“That [humidity] does encourage the growth of a lot of the molds and funguses that grow on plants and we spray almost weekly and even during regular seasons and about 95 per cent of that spray is to combat downy mildew and powdery mildew."
In addition, O’Brien notes a change in consumer spending habits with respect to wine — it has decreased across the board over the last season.
Moreover, global inflation has hit the wine industry hard, and that has an impact on consumers who are already reeling from the same economic pressures.
The bottom line is that operating costs for vineyards are up — labour, for example, is up by 18 per cent. This will eventually translate to higher prices for wines across the board over time.
However, local winery pricing increases are not likely to be as pronounced as imported wines in the short term.
In the meantime, vineyards like Cooper’s Hawk in southwestern Ontario are positive about making more award-winning vintages, in what could be one of the best harvests in recent memory.
More information about Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards is available online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Remembering legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole. Oh baby, what a life
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Born June 24, 1933, the St. John's, N.L., native provided a distinctive soundtrack to Canada's game. He was known for his signature 'Oh baby' call, an expression that was not restricted to hockey arenas.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.