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!