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.

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.

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.

Ensuring Consistent Quality for Our Customers

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.

Exploring New Horizons: Washington State Vineyards

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.

Adapting and Overcoming

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 Value Your Feedback

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