A provincial program meant to help British Columbia’s struggling wine industry may now be squeezing local grape growers.
Following a devastating cold snap that wiped out much of the Okanagan’s grape crop in 2024, the province introduced an exemption allowing wineries to import fruit from outside the country. The measure was intended as a short-term fix, but it was extended earlier this year.
Now, some Okanagan producers say that move is backfiring.
“Fruit that’s being brought in from Washington has displaced fruit that was grown in B.C.,” said Jesse Gill, owner of Back Door Winery in Summerland.
Gill says the extension has made it easier, and cheaper, for wineries to source grapes from the U.S. rather than buy locally.
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“The exemption allows them to bring in grapes from, let’s say, Washington state, with preferential tax treatment. The cost of those grapes is a fraction of what they’d pay here,” he said.
But Jeff Guignard, CEO of Wine Growers BC, says the issue is more about supply than savings.
“If you look at what people have brought in, we’re really only bringing in varieties that aren’t available in B.C.,” Guignard explained. “Someone’s importing Syrah or Sauvignon Blanc because there’s none of that available locally.”
Gill, however, says there’s still plenty of fruit left to sell. He’s currently storing about 160 tons of grapes from six Okanagan wineries that would otherwise go to waste.
“There are still quite a bit of grapes left on the vines,” he said. “We’re still getting inquiries, we’re turning people away at this point.”
Guignard says the industry has already purchased a record amount of locally-grown fruit this year and is working to help find buyers for what remains.
“We’ve purchased thousands of tonnes from independent growers, a record high, and we’ll try to help find a home for these ones,” he said.
In a statement, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said wineries are expected to continue prioritizing B.C.-grown grapes and producing 100-per cent local wines.
“We have been clear that participating wineries are expected to prioritize the purchase of locally-grown grapes over sourcing out-of-province grapes for replacement wines,” Popham said.
In the meantime, Gill is doing what he can to make sure local grapes don’t go to waste. He’s launched a “Save the Grape” campaign, creating a special vintage with the fruit he’s managed to save from across the Okanagan.
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