The Wine Knows

Last week's blast of cold weather that swept into the Pacific Northwest helped British Columbia wineries finally finish their 2007 harvest - well into 2008.

Lisa Cameron of the British Columbia Wine Institute reported that 24 wineries harvested 520 tons of ice wine grapes this season, with everything wrapped up Thursday.

Wineries and vineyards picked nearly every night last week and would have finished more quickly if more crews were available. Some vineyards saw damage from wildlife, enough that a few blocks weren't harvested at all.

Walter Gehringer, co-owner/winemaker of Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery south of Oliver, said the unusual weather patterns this season caused him more problems than usual, as he spent a lot of time checking weather conditions in the middle of the night - only to be thwarted from picking grapes. He added that he had more sleepless nights this vintage than any in recent memory.

B.C. wines must register with the B.C. Wine Institute by Nov. 15 with their intent to harvest and make ice wine. Then they must call the "B.C. Ice Line" when they intend to pick. The Wine Institute monitors vineyard temperatures to ensure they are cold enough (minus-8 Celsius) to legally make ice wine, which commands extremely high prices - often $50 or more per half-bottle.