This year91裸聊视频檚 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 cidery91裸聊视频檚 orchard and he said this summer has left many of the apples damaged, cooking the fruit from the inside out, which means he won91裸聊视频檛 be able to use them for cider or commercial sale.

91裸聊视频�(The heatwave) also made us use a lot of our water that we91裸聊视频檙e allowed to use for the season,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淪o, by the beginning of August, I91裸聊视频檇 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 couldn91裸聊视频檛 turn the water off.91裸聊视频�

In the end, Potash said the heatwave91裸聊视频檚 effects weren91裸聊视频檛 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 Cider91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淎ll the apples got wrecked, so we can91裸聊视频檛 sell any of them now,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淎ll will have to be used for juice instead.91裸聊视频�

Others, however, haven91裸聊视频檛 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 Kitsch91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚t was a really interesting year in 2021. Every year is always different. May and June, we were well ahead of the game,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淥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 don91裸聊视频檛 feel it91裸聊视频檚 going to have a really big impact because it (the heat wave) came pretty early in the year.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淪ometimes when you get the really hot conditions, the vines shut down,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淚 would say that the concern now for many winemakers is that everything is very ripe and it91裸聊视频檚 all going to come in in the next few weeks here, so it91裸聊视频檚 going to be a little bit of a compressed vintage.91裸聊视频�

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twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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