As we dive into the 2024 harvest season, things look a little different at Lightning Rock Winery. After a hard winter that wiped out 100% of our crop in the Okanagan, we’ve had to get creative and resourceful to make this year’s wines. With no local fruit available, Ron and the team have been sourcing grapes from across the border in Washington. This journey has been filled with early mornings, long drives, and plenty of excitement as we venture into new territory, both geographically and with grape varietals we’ve never worked with before.
The adventure kicked off two weeks ago, with the first day of harvest. Our first pick? Chardonnay from the Dry Lake Vineyard in Manson, Washington, destined to become our beloved Blanc de Blanc. Despite the challenges, the enthusiasm is high, and the promise of great wines from this year’s harvest is already evident.
Ron has taken on an unexpected role this harvest season—wine trucker! Days begin before dawn, with 5:40 a.m. starts to haul bins and bring back the fruit. The first load of Chardonnay came in just under 4 tons, with Ron making the 4-hour trek back home to start the presses for our sparkling Blanc de Blanc. “Never thought part of my retirement would be as a truck driver,” he joked.
The second haul saw another trip to Manson, with a smaller load of Chardonnay, this time for our Pet Nat. A NASCAR-like pit stop at the winery for unloading and reloading bins was followed by a 6-hour drive south to Prosser, Washington, where the next morning, more fruit was ready to load—including some Pinot Noir for a sparkling rosé.
By week two, the road trips continued, this time to Southern Washington for a new grape variety. One of the highlights was working with the team at Coyote Canyon Vineyard to pick counoise grapes. Ron got to experience his first mechanical harvest, where 3.4 tons of fruit were picked in just 25 minutes! As Ron shared, “Beautiful fruit from wonderful vineyards with fantastic people. We feel very blessed to have found Jeff and his team along with the other vineyard partners who stepped in to help us after the cold devastated our vineyards this year.”
This year’s harvest is truly a story of community, resilience, and embracing new opportunities. We’re excited to share these new wines with all of you, and we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the fruits of this extraordinary journey when they’re ready to bottle. Despite the hurdles, we’re confident that this year’s wines will be something special—proof that even in a tough year, there’s always something to look forward to at Lightning Rock.
Stay tuned for more updates from the road, and if you’re curious about what we’re up to next, make sure to follow along on Instagram!
Today was a tough day at the vineyard as we embarked on day two of topping off the Syrah at the water line. This winter brought severe damage to our plants, as it did to almost all vineyards in the Okanagan. With no fruit expected this season, my good friend and fellow vineyard owner, Matt, joined Sebastien, my winemaker and vineyard manager, and me for a vineyard walk on Friday, June 14th. We determined that to revive our Syrah, we needed to cut the tops and let new suckers push out from the bottom, retraining them as new trunks using the existing trunks as stakes.
Armed with a chainsaw, I spent two days working on this task. Initially, it was a depressing endeavor, but I soon noticed numerous suckers on many of the plants. Remarkably, it appears that over 60% of the trunks are healthy. This means that as the suckers emerge, we can use them to retrain the vines, allowing us to return to production hopefully within two years, as opposed to the four or more years it would take if we had to replant entirely.
We may still have gaps in the rows that need replanting, but we could employ a technique known as layering. This method involves bending a cane from a nearby vine into the soil to establish a new root system before severing it from the parent vine. Layering allows us to fill in the gaps without waiting for new vines to mature from scratch.
While this process is challenging and emotionally taxing, it represents a crucial step toward our vineyard’s renewal and resilience. We are committed to preserving the quality and heritage of our Syrah, and this approach gives us the best chance to achieve that goal.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate these difficult times. We remain optimistic about the future and look forward to sharing our progress with you.
Ron Kubek
Owner & CEO
Lightning Rock Winery
This year has been one of the most challenging we’ve ever faced in the BC wine industry. The cold weather has wreaked havoc on our vineyards, causing an almost 100% loss of fruit. However, amidst this devastation, there is a silver lining: we estimate that only about 25% of our vineyards will need replanting. But it will take time to recover.
We want to reassure you that we have about three years’ worth of inventory in the winery. This means we can continue to provide you with the wines you love while we navigate these challenges and plan for the future. Your experience with Lightning Rock Winery will remain consistent, and the quality of our wines will not be compromised.
Tracy and I recently visited vineyards in Washington state, just across the border. We were delighted to find many wonderful grapes that share a similar terroir and climate to what we have in Summerland. Washington also offers logistical simplicity and a number of qualified growers eager for new partnerships. While it’s not a perfect solution, it aligns closely with our standards and goals.
Our primary goal is to maintain the high standards you expect from us. If we decide to source grapes from Washington, rest assured that our winemaker, Sebastien, will craft the wine here at our winery, ensuring that the essence and quality of Lightning Rock wines are preserved. We will be completely transparent about the origins of the grapes, detailing which vineyards they come from so you always know the truth.
In recent years, we increased production by purchasing grapes from other vineyards in the Okanagan in addition to using our own. Unfortunately, this option isn’t viable this year, and it may take 3-5 years for our vineyards to recover to their pre-2023/2024 levels. By carefully selecting grapes from Washington, we believe we can continue to produce the exceptional wines you have come to love.
We understand that this is a significant change, and we want to hear from you. How do you feel about us sourcing grapes from Washington State under these circumstances? Your feedback is crucial as we make these decisions to ensure the survival and success of our operations.
Please contact me directly at 250-488-6055 or email me at ron@lightningrockwinery.com. We look forward to your thoughts and to continuing our journey together, even through these challenging times.
Ron Kubek
Owner & CEO
Lightning Rock Winery
At Lightning Rock Winery, we pride ourselves on crafting exceptional wines while navigating the intricate regulations governing our industry. Recently, we found ourselves embroiled in a regulatory maze highlighting the challenges small businesses face in the interprovincial wine trade. Let me share our journey and advocate for a more straightforward regulation approach.
Our story begins with a simple desire: to provide our customers in Alberta with access to our wines through direct-to-consumer shipments. As a small winery, I was eager to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. However, our efforts to engage with the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and seek clarity on the regulatory framework were met with silence and frustration. Despite repeated attempts, I found ourselves unable to decipher the rules that governed our operations, a struggle that echoes the sentiments of many small businesses grappling with regulatory ambiguity.
In our quest for clarity, I reached out to the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, seeking answers to our pressing questions. While the Minister defended Alberta’s regulatory stance, citing the need to protect the integrity of the province’s liquor market, his response failed to address the disparities in regulations between Alberta and other provinces, such as British Columbia.
One glaring asymmetry I encountered was the ability to order wine from Alberta liquor stores and have it shipped to us. At the same time, as a producer, I was prohibited from doing the same within Alberta. This disparity underscored the need for a more coherent and fair regulatory framework that applies equally to all stakeholders in the industry.
Our journey reflects the broader need for harmonized regulations that facilitate, rather than hinder, interprovincial trade in Canada’s burgeoning wine industry. As our sector gains recognition on the global stage, policymakers must prioritize regulatory coherence to unleash its full potential. Streamlined regulations would benefit businesses like ours and empower consumers with a greater choice and access to diverse wine offerings from across the country, painting a promising future for the Canadian wine industry.
Moving forward, we remain committed to advocating for clarity and transparency in interprovincial wine trade regulatory frameworks. By fostering collaboration between provinces and streamlining regulations, we can unlock our industry’s full potential, bolster economic growth, and promote consumer welfare.
In conclusion, our journey highlights the urgent need for regulatory reform to facilitate a vibrant and inclusive interprovincial wine trade. As policymakers grapple with the complexities of regulatory oversight, I urge them to prioritize coherence and transparency to pave the way for a more prosperous and dynamic wine industry.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Together, let’s navigate the regulatory challenges and raise a glass to the future of Canadian wine.
Ron Kubek
Owner, Lightning Rock Winery
Dear Valued Members of the Wine Club,
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for your unwavering support as members of the Lightning Rock Winery wine club. In a region blessed with numerous outstanding wine choices, we are truly honoured that you have chosen to be a part of our community.
I, along with my dedicated team, constantly strive to provide you with the best possible experience, whether it’s through your wine orders or visits to our tasting room. Your support means the world to us, and we want to express our sincere thanks for the continued connection.
The year 2023 brought its challenges, notably the severe cold in December that inflicted widespread damage across the Valley. Many wineries and vineyards faced losses ranging from 50-100%. Some even had to uproot entire vineyards due to trunk splitting caused by the cold. Subsequently, the Summerland Rock Slide and West Kelowna Fires disrupted the flow of visitors to the Okanagan.
Amid these challenges, there has been a noticeable trend of wineries closing or transitioning to grape-only operations. However, I am delighted to share some positive news. Sebastien and his team performed admirably in the vineyards and the winery. Despite the adversities, our own vineyard production was down by only 18%, a feat that many industry peers have commended as impressive given the circumstances.
To bolster our production, we incorporated fruit from several vineyards Sebastien had worked with previously, resulting in a 50% increase in overall wine production. We’ve introduced exciting new varietals, including Chenin Blanc, a Reisling, Cabernet Franc, and, of course, the familiar favourites you’ve come to associate with Lightning Rock Winery.
These times in the BC Wine industry are marked by uncertainty, with external pressures such as significant wine imports affecting prices. Your commitment to “Buying BC” is genuinely appreciated, and it fuels our determination to craft wines that you love.
As we navigate these challenges, we remain committed to offering you exceptional wines. Looking ahead, we are refining our tasting experience for the upcoming year, introducing changes we believe you will appreciate. Despite facing increased material and labour costs, we are dedicated to maintaining our current pricing structure as we understand the financial challenges in our current climate.
In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude once again. We sincerely appreciate your orders this month and perhaps even more as the holiday season approaches. Should you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. Your continued support and patronage mean the world to me as the owner, and to our Lightning Rock family.
Thank you,
Ron
P.S. If you’re in the area, consider picking up your wine shipment and joining us for Light up the Vines (insert dates here). Our team has been hard at work decorating the winery with enchanting lights, and we look forward to hosting you and your friends starting November 8.