By Liam Verster/Vernon Matters

Wine Industry Recovery

B.C.’s wine industry moving away from temporary supports after ‘abundant harvest’

Nov 14, 2025 | 1:50 PM

KELOWNA — Major players in BC’s wine industry are confident with the sector’s ability to bounce back.

Wine Growers British Columbia and the B.C. Grape Growers Association said this year saw an “abundant harvest,” and that winemakers across the province have started to move away from the relief and supports provided by the province in response to a pair of back-to-back freezes that killed vines and severely reduced crops in 2023 and 2024.

The relief measures provided short-term flexibility to import grapes from outside B.C. to bolster the local stock, allowing wineries to keep employees working and tasting rooms open while their vineyards recovered.

“This program was never about replacing B.C. grapes, it was about protecting the people who grow and make B.C. wine,” Jeff Guignard, the CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia, said.

“Our members asked for a bridge to get through an unprecedented crisis, and that bridge worked. We’re now back to business as usual: celebrating 100 per cent B.C.-grown wines and the farmers who make them possible.”

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In addition to moving away from the supports, both industry groups said they were focused on long-term sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change, and advocating for policies and programs to support B.C.’s vineyards in a competitive market.

“The freeze events challenged the British Columbia wine industry, but the industry has responded,” Bobby Ercego, President of the B.C. Grape Growers Association, added.

“Wineries’ doors are staying open. Growers are replanting. We’re adapting varieties and places and maybe not planting vineyards in certain areas. I see us coming out of it quite strong on both facets of the industry.”

The recovery of the sector was captured in a new short documentary, Stronger Together: B.C. Wine Rises.

The film, showcasing the industry’s craftsmanship and resilience in the face of climate change, features almost a dozen wineries from across the province including Kelowna’s Nagging Doubt Winery, West Kelowna’s Niche Wine Company, and Summerland’s Observatory Wines and Lightning Rock Winery.