Grapes not tainted by smoke

Photo: Flickr/Sean Ruczko

This year’s Okanagan grape harvest is looking "very strong" and not at all impacted by wildfire smoke, says the president of the B.C. Wine Institute.

Miles Prodan says the only effect of the worst wildfire season on record was that it actually slowed down the vineyard process to a good pace, “bringing us back to normal.”

This year, the harvest is not as early as it has been in the past, "allowing the grapes to mature a little longer, so it is a good thing in the end,” said Prodan.

Smoke shielded the grapes from the hot summer felt across the Okanagan, but did not taint their quality or flavour.

“In order for the fire to effect the grapes, ash needs to sit on the skins. There needs to be contact,” he said.

“All it did was really have everything catch up."