This yearsa国际传媒檚 harvest is bringing a mixed bag of results to Okanagan orchardists.

A summer season marked by a record-breaking heatwave, drought, wildfires and smoke has made its mark, yet it appears to some the climate of the last few months might have been helpful.

Upside Cider co-owner Isaac Potash manages the ciderysa国际传媒檚 orchard and he said this summer has left many of the apples damaged, cooking the fruit from the inside out, which means he wonsa国际传媒檛 be able to use them for cider or commercial sale.

sa国际传媒�(The heatwave) also made us use a lot of our water that wesa国际传媒檙e allowed to use for the season,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淪o, by the beginning of August, Isa国际传媒檇 used actually all the water that I was supposed to be using for the season, but because everything was just so dry and so hot, we couldnsa国际传媒檛 turn the water off.sa国际传媒�

In the end, Potash said the heatwavesa国际传媒檚 effects werensa国际传媒檛 as bad as he first thought they would be. He estimated only about 20 per cent of the apples had been sun-damaged, leaving some room to at least, break even.

But, over the past weekend (Sept. 19), all of Upside Cidersa国际传媒檚 apples were ruined following a regional hail storm.

Potash said it was the first time it hailed in that area in the 14 years since he had worked there.

sa国际传媒淎ll the apples got wrecked, so we cansa国际传媒檛 sell any of them now,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎ll will have to be used for juice instead.sa国际传媒�

Others, however, havensa国际传媒檛 had the same issues that Upside Cider has been dealing with.

Over in East Kelowna, Kitsch Wines is in full fruit picking season, its grapes unscathed.

Graham Pierce is Kitschsa国际传媒檚 winemaker and general manager. He said they were lucky the heat wave hit the region earlier in the summer, well before the grapes started to ripen.

sa国际传媒淚t was a really interesting year in 2021. Every year is always different. May and June, we were well ahead of the game,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淥f course, things got maybe a little bit too hot and of course we ran into some smoke in the summer, but for us, I donsa国际传媒檛 feel itsa国际传媒檚 going to have a really big impact because it (the heat wave) came pretty early in the year.sa国际传媒�

The warm summer followed by the start of fall, have been beneficial for the grapes, he added, as it helps to develop the flavours and sugar content. However, the intense heat of the summer months did push back the grape harvest.

sa国际传媒淪ometimes when you get the really hot conditions, the vines shut down,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淚 would say that the concern now for many winemakers is that everything is very ripe and itsa国际传媒檚 all going to come in in the next few weeks here, so itsa国际传媒檚 going to be a little bit of a compressed vintage.sa国际传媒�

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twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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