Orchard & Vine Magazine Innovation Issue 2015

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Innovation 2015

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INNOVATION ISSUE 2015

CONTENTS 6 Publisher's View Lisa Olson 8 New Ideas & Innovations 22 O&V Innovation Survey 26 Innovation & Sustainability Culmina Family Estate Winery

10

31 Environmental Re-Vision Blue Grouse Winery 35 The Latest Dirt on Soil

Using compost in research against pests.

37 Ripening Research For BC Wine 38 Money Talks Geoff McIntyre 41 Word on Wine Laura Kittmer 43 Green Step

16

Lindsay Eason 45 Naramata Bench Wineries Book

Everything from blueberries to buffalo on a Vancouver Island farm.

Innovation 2015

5

 PUBLISHER’S VIEW | LISA OLSON

5th Annual Innovation Issue

Vol. 56, No 4 Innovation 2015

I

nnovation can take the form of improving or enhancing something that already exists; like providing soft mats for staff to stand on, better signage to direct customers to your site, unique new tastes and flavours, and interesting eye-catching labels that reflect your brand or designing a totally brand new product or service!

Established in 1959 Publisher Lisa Olson Graphic Design Stephanie Symons Contributors

It’s been around for a while . . .

Michael Botner, Rosalyne Buchanan,

“Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it, after it is found."

Lindsay Eason, Laura Kittmer, Jennifer Lewis, Geoff McIntyre,

James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) Sometimes the light bulb just goes off or should I say lights up? Crazy how that works, we can go merrily along, possibly struggling or making the same trip over and over again, think travelling with too many odd bags and boxes. Then someone can come along with a suggestion or new gadget to make our life easier.

That’s how innovation is born.

A time I remember, was when I had numerous kitchen appliances all vying for the same two outlets, I would unplug one and unplug another, as I needed.

My son was watching me when his brain clicked, and said, ‘hold on mom’. Then he went away and brought me back a six-plug receptacle. Life just got easier and I think of him every time I see that plug-in’ device.

This is such an exciting time of year for us here at O&V! There are so many fascinat-

Darcy Nybo, Ronda Payne Sales & Marketing Holly Thompson

ing and innovative people and products in this industry, your stories inspire us so much creating frenzy in the office!

Circulation info@orchardandvine.net

Inside you’ll read about sustainable ideas that are trending and good for the environment, advanced growing techniques, unique gadgets, healthy and tasty products along with marketing ideas that encourage visitors, customers and the stimulate our industry.

Orchard & Vine Magazine Ltd. 1576 West Kelowna Road West Kelowna, B.C., V1Z 3H5 E-mail: info@orchardandvine.net

Here’s a simple quote written by a great one!

www.orchardandvine.net

"To have a great idea, have a lot of them."

Fax: 1-866-433-3349

Phone: 250-769-2123

Orchard & Vine Magazine is published six

Thomas Edison Enjoy the magazine and become more inspired!

times a year and distributed by addressed direct mail to growers, suppliers and wineries in the Okanagan, Kootenays, Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island,

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Innovation 2015

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Innovation 2015

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New Ideas & Innovations Block the Rot at the Ground-line Replacing fence posts can be a neverending task. Now there’s a new product that will increase the life span of pressure-treated wood by fending off soil microorganisms at the critical rot zone where decay happens the fastest.

Ken Carhart, owner of ROTBLOC™, developed a solution to extend the life span of fencing systems without adding chemicals into the earth. “The weakest link in any fencing system is at the ground-line and through the critical rot zone, which is up to seven inches deep in the soil. It is within this critical rot zone that life (microorganisms in the soil) is at its highest concentration,” explained Carhart.

Microorganisms are responsible for breaking down matter and causing decay. To thrive they need food (matter), moisture, oxygen, and sunlight, which warms the soil. There can be as many as 100,000,000 microorganisms in a single handful of topsoil. Fungi are the leading cause of decay.

“We do our best to slow down the natural process of decay through the treating process, but these organisms will forever consider your post a food source and will eventually find a flaw that they can exploit. Some posts succumb sooner than others,” explained Carhart. “ROTBLOC™ is engineered to shield your posts most vulnerable area from this constant abuse. Studies indicate ROTBLOC™ will eliminate premature failures and increase the service life of the entire fencing system by a minimum of 150 per cent!”

ROTBLOC™ is designed with ease of use, cost effectiveness, and sustainability in mind. The adaptive seal technology moulds to square or round fence posts, and is designed to adapt to the natural flex in wood. This reduces possible gaps where rot can arise. The interlocking feature affords flexibility to the installer so ROTBLOC™ can be customized to your project.

Made from 100% recycled waste materials, ROTBLOC™ is certified organic through PRO-CERT and comes with a 20year service warranty. Even Sting (The Police) uses it! It’s a simple solution to a costly problem.

For installation and product videos go to rotbloc.com

Left Field Cider Co. use Bourbon Barrels to Ferment their Cider Until stainless steel tanks came along, fermenting cider in oak barrels was the norm. Borrowing a page from inventive craft breweries which use spirits barrels to age beer, Left Field Cider Co. of Mamette Lake, B.C., makes use of a bourbon barrel to ferment its premium, Winemaker’s Select, small batch, English-style cider.

Left Field cider maker/co-owner Kate Garthwaite explains the story of bourbon barrel fermented cider: “When I was working in England, for Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry, they produce a number of ciders that are fermented in both Whisky and Rum barrels. I always quite enjoyed them and when we started Left Field Cider I thought it might be interesting to try some small batches of cider fermented in spirit barrels. Once I started look8

Innovation 2015

ing around I discovered that in BC whiskey and rum barrels were rather hard to come by, but there was an abundance of bourbon barrels available as they can only be used once in bourbon production. I thought that the smokiness of the bourbon would pair nicely with cider so we produced a small batch of bourbon barrel fermented in 2013. It was so well received that we decided to produce another batch in 2014.” The barrel influence adds a bittersweet spice character to the clean, slightly yeasty, effervescent brew with freshly-picked, crisp, juicy apple flavours. Packaging consists of a 750 ml. bottle in the style of a large format, Belgian beer, capped rather than corked, and an iconic, partly hand-written label. www.leftfieldcider.com

Innovative Automation Tech to Change Production and Protection of Our Food

By Ronda Payne A new device out of Vancouver, B.C. will give growers all the information they need to manage the health of their crop without laying a finger on a single plant. It’s handheld and currently unnamed, but the technology is definitely making positive progress as it is tested in greenhouses in B.C. and in cowpea crops in West Africa, according to Saber Miresmailli, cofounder and CEO of Ecoation Innovative Solutions (EIS).

“Farmers are a really good bunch. They don’t want to use pesticides; they have to use pesticides,” Miresmailli said. “The device is all based on talking to the plant. It enables growers to find the problem fast enough to enable effective solutions.”

The device scans a plant for its own unique signals of distress and is based on the research into the study of plant and insect interactions. Miresmailli found that greenhouse tomatoes, like all plants, have signals to communicate with beneficial insects. By studying these, he created what he calls a dictionary of tomato plant language.

That language and additional data allows the scanning device to observe the plant’s “body language” and determine what course of action is necessary, if any.

The grower receives the information and takes steps to help the plants before serious damage has occurred.

ilies. Almost everyone in the region has a cell phone, but limited access to other forms of technology or the Internet.

consider that in the past decade the iPhone has gone from being a phone to a multi-functional device.

The Benin testing is an ideal model because the region’s most prolific pest eats portions of the cowpea flower leaving a healthy looking plant, but no fruit. It can all happen in just three to four days. With the hand-held scanning device, the larvae are detected early enough to stop the damage.

Commercial trials will begin in 2016 with expected sales in 2017. Miresmailli thanks organizations like IAF for funding, support and mentorship during the process.

For those thinking this all sounds too good to be true,

www.crop-sense.com

Farmers interested in being part of the commercial trials in 2016 can contact Miresmailli at saber@cropsense.com.

Winner of the IAF 2015 Award of Excellence for Innovation to Dr. Saber Miresmailli.

Early detection in one plant prevents it from spreading to others. Crop-loss is stopped in its tracks.

“Plants send SOS signals to attract good bugs,” he noted.

“It’s a well-established biological phenomenon.”

Currently, the device, which won The Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. (IAF) 2015 Award of Excellence for Innovation, is being deployed in greenhouses, with the help of testing at Houweling’s Tomatoes will soon expand to outdoor crops.

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“The technology is so versatile… we can take a version to poor farmers around the world,” Miresmailli said.

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Innovation 2015

9

New Ideas & Innovations UFV COMPOSTER

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Soil

By Ronda Payne Out at the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) Chilliwack campus, at Canada Education Park, just north of the Vedder River, is an Agriculture Centre of Excellence. Not only is this a hands-on agricultural training facility, but it’s also a source of what is new, happening and beneficial in the industry.

The site’s technician, Brent Bailey, was primarily responsible for the set-up and implementation of the facility’s new composter. Although getting the unit in place and running optimally took longer than anticipated, it was up and working in January, turning waste from the greenhouses, barn and cafeteria into usable, beneficial compost.

Tom Baumann, professor and department coordinator with the university noted the full setup, including the concrete pad it sits on and concrete bins to the side, came to about $300,000.

“It’s a great addition to what we have here,” Baumann said of the composter.

Because of the system, there is no longer any waste leaving the

facility, it all goes into the machine’s drum to transform from waste to a beneficial additive.

“Now, we don’t have the [waste management] services coming in anymore,” noted Baumann.

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The composter is a DT 6-20 Envirodrum from DT-Environmental. Supply, installation, calibration and ongoing support for the unit is through Pacific Dairy Centre in Abbotsford.

“Our drum is the middle size available, 6’ by 20’, which can handle 141 cubic feet per day, or 24 wheelbarrows, based on the three day recommended retention time in the drum,” Bailey noted.

As explained by Baumann, the unit is fed by a tractor which deposits waste products into the hopper at the front of the system. The hopper area chops the material into smaller pieces and when enough material is prepped and processed an auger feeds the waste up and into the bin.

Check out Gerard’s Equipment for any orchard or vineyard supply, located just south of Oliver on Highway 97.

Unlike home and small operation composters, temperatures inside the unit get up to 60° or 70° C. when decomposting, estimated Baumann. This is how the machine is able to take used livestock bedding and cafeteria waste in addition to plant materials. Bailey does note there is a limit on the cafeteria waste and sometimes he will add a scoop of finished compost to the waste to ensure the mix going through the system is right.

5592 Hwy 97 Oliver BC 250-498-2524 250-498-6231

It’s a balancing act as Baumann noted. There has to be enough nitrogen to feed the bacteria and enough carbon to decompost everything into a finished product which comes out the back of the machine, runs through a trommel screen to eliminate plastics and other non-compostable items that may slip through, and is deposited into one of the concrete bins for Baumann’s group to use in the greenhouses.

“It gets up to pasteurization temperatures so it gets the compost clean,” Baumann noted. “There is no bad bacteria anymore. It destroys everything that lives at human and animal temperatures.”

Certainly the facility doesn’t have enough waste to keep the unit running constantly like it could, but there is a danger in inviting waste products from other sources. The school is very careful about how they sort their waste materials – others may not be as diligent. This is an important aspect of the system as Baumann and Bailey both anticipate in a number of years the gravel-heavy earth at the site will have the ability to grow plants when enough compost matter is added.

• Cabernet Franc • Cabernet Sauvignon • Chardonnay • Gamay • Gewürztraminer • Malbec • Merlot • Muscat Ottonel

“We are definitely requiring soil amendments, and it’s a great soil amendment.” Bailey said. “Students can see the whole process from start to finish.”

Baumann says the process includes the three concrete bins next to the finished compost bin. There are bins for waste from the facility, bulk greenhouse soil and bulk animal bedding. As an example, students can see fresh animal bedding go from a bin into an animal stall, be used to capacity, deposited into the waste bin, fed into the composter and output into the finished compost bin.

• Shiraz • Syrah • Vidal • Viognier • Zinfandel • Zweigelt

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Currently, Baumann is using finished compost with strawberry plants in a test with Douglas College to combat thrips.

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email: morivines@sympatico.ca • www.morivines.com

Innovation 2015 11

New Ideas & Innovations The Big Daddy of Staplers is Here!

There’s a new breed of pneumatic wire fence staplers.

Installing fencing can be an incredibly time consuming task.

AB Custom Fencing in Vanderhoof now carries and endorses STOCK-ade’s fencing stapler systems. They are the world’s only fencing guns activated by compressed air. No more driving fencing nails by hand, as any one of STOCK-ade’s guns will save you time and money.

The ST-400 is the biggest and baddest pneumatic fence stapler with 2” staples. The ST-400 packs a real punch and fires staples that meet all highway code requirements. The ST-400 has adjustable power for high-density timber and has a rugged driver blade. It is lightweight and corrosion resistant for extreme durability. It was engineered specifically for driving heavy-duty fencing staples. It’s manufactured from high impact resistant steel for long life. The gun was designed for nine-gauge diameter fencing staples that you can get in barbed and nonbarbed. It even has a custom nose to locate the wire. This stapler ensures precision placement to prevent damage to fence wire and it deflects discharged air away from the operator.

Other smaller - but still mighty - fence staplers include the ST315 pneumatic fence stapler, and the ST-250 impulse gas fence stapler.

AB Custom Fencing invites people to take the Hammer versus the Big Gun challenge. They have seminars and demo days to educate customers on the products they carry. Check them out online at www.abcustomfencing.com

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Improve Your Crop Yield with Trace Minerals Mined, crushed and sold – 100% natural in the most basic sense.

An increasing demand to yield large amounts of produce can cause your soil to be quickly depleted of vital vitamins and minerals, which results in smaller crops with less nutritional value. That’s where AZOMITE® can help.

It’s used internationally in over 30 countries and is now available in Canada through ML Agri-Products Ltd. in South Slocan, BC. Geological prospector and organic innovator, Rollin J. Anderson, discovered AZOMITE® in Utah in 1942. It came about when a volcanic eruption met with a seabed. Seawater, mineral-rich riverbeds, plus earth minerals in the volcanic ash mingled together to create a rare mineral deposit composition. It is now mined for use as a natural soil additive that contains over 70 minerals and trace elements.

Back in 2002 the Globe and Mail and CTV News conducted a study and found vital vitamins and minerals had dramatically declined in some of our most popular foods, including apples. The results were almost identical to similar research conducted in the United States and Britain. According to the Canadian data, almost 80 per cent of foods tested showed drops in calcium and iron; three-quarters saw drops in vitamin A, and half lost vitamin C and riboflavin; one-third lost thiamine and 12 per cent lost niacin.

AZOMITE® trace minerals have been reported to improve root systems, crop yields and general plant vigour in a variety of field crops. AZOMITE® can be used to remineralize nutrient-depleted soils and is OMRI Listed for certified organic production.

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Innovation 2015 13

New Ideas & Innovations AEB REACTIVATEUR

Photo Contributed

Help with Healthy Vigorous Fermentation Automatic Yeast Re-hydration, Acclimatization & Pitching. Replace dreaded “Stuck Fermentations” with healthy, vigorous fermentations!

• In multi-tank scenarios it allows faster pitching times with capacities to rehydrate and pitch up to 12 tanks from one batch

• A touch-screen PLC automatically controls precise temperatures with an aeration mixer, an on-board feed pump and digital timing to rehydrate, propagate, acclimatize and pitch your yeast perfectly and consistently

• Optimum fermentations finish 1-5 days earlier allowing more tank turnover for higher production. Most wineries experience at least one full extra “turn” on their fermentation tanks

• Eliminates the “human error” factor in yeast re-hydration to facilitate the optimum pitching rates and temperatures for trouble-free fermentations.

• By propagating the yeast in precise, ideal conditions, initial yeast requirements are cut in half, affording up to a 50% savings in yeast costs www.cellartek.com

LAFFORT ZYMAFLORE XPURE

Achieving Aroma Purity This year LAFFORT® celebrates 120 years of leadership in the conception, production and distribution of oenological products. Zymaflore® XPURE, a new yeast was developed with the goal of obtaining wines fully expressive of the grapes, by, among others, decreasing the production of negative sulphur compounds by the yeast.

LAFFORT now puts at the disposal of winemakers a tool for making wines of a great aromatic purity. Zymaflore® XPURE has specifically been developed for low production of negative sulphur compounds (including SO2 and H2S) and those compounds binding SO2.

Zymaflore® XPURE is a result of several steps of directed breeding using the backcross technique, which allows for selection based on precise criteria. Zymaflore® XPURE enhances the expression of black fruit notes, and contributes to masking the perception of green characters. Wines fermented with this yeast provide great smoothness of mouthfeel and its fermentation capacities are excellent. www.cellartek.com

Kootenay Covers

Prevents worm, wasp, bird and hail damage without poison For cherries, grapes and other crops Cost Effective, re-useable year after year Proven fruit protection since 2006 www.kootenaycovers.com • mroberts@kootenaycovers.com

250-353-2264 14 Innovation 2015

Quality and Service … it’s Our Pledge.

BC Berries Meets ChocolaTas For over four decades, Thunderbird Plastics Ltd. has provided the highest quality injection-molded handling solutions to the agricultural industry.

Berry flats, blueberry lugs, fruit/ vegetable boxes and agricultural containers made with the finest materials and available at very affordable pricing.

A true sign summer is just around the corner is the arrival of BC berries to our farmers markets and produce stores. What better way to celebrate BC's diverse flavours than a matching of berries with Belgian chocolate? This sweet goodness inspired ChocolaTas Master Chocolatier Wim Tas to harvest local berries and create a new chocolate line of BC Berry Bonbons. These delicious treats will include strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and tomato flavours, each made with local berries from Fraser Valley farms to close to the ChocolaTas production facility in Abbotsford.

At Thunderbird Plastics Ltd. we stand by our pledge of quality, service and on-time delivery.

The line of BC Berry Bonbon includes;

Canada: Toll free: 888-77T-BIRD • United States: 503-744-9112 www.thunderbirdplastics.com

Raspberry: Local, organic raspberries infused into a lucious dark chocolate ganache.

Strawberry Caramel: Fresh BC strawberries infused into a soft and creamy caramel, covered in a decadent dark chocolate shell.

Blueberry: Fresh blueberry marmalade with candied lemon peel and a touch of cinnamon ganache, covered in white chocolate.

Raspberry / Tomato / Basil: A fresh raspberry and tomato pâte de fruits gives a sweet twist to a ganache with organic basil, enrobed in 71% dark chocolate

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Innovation 2015 15

New Ideas & Innovations From Blueberries to Buffalo Milk Yogurt

McClintock’s Farm in Comox Valley is known for its raspberries, blueberries and sweet corn. Now they are know for their water buffalo yogurt. Yes, you read that right, the McClintocks have a 50-head herd of water buffalo, which they milk to create quality, natural yogurt.

McClintock’s Farm water buffalo yogurt is rich in calcium, has a worthy amount of magnesium, and contains more potassium than cow’s milk. The buffalo milk makes a mild-tasting yogurt that is high in milk fat and protein, but has lower cholesterol levels than cow’s milk.

“We currently only supply Vancouver Island retailers,” said Sandra McClintock, “but would love to expand into other areas of BC.” Mass produced yogurts may contain gelatin, pectin, cornstarch, added sugars, synthetic flavours, and food dyes. The McClintock’s can openly boast their yogurt has the same health properties of old-fashioned, plain yogurt from days gone by.

Physicians have used yogurt for centuries to alleviate intestinal inflammation. Because it contains friendly active bacteria cultures, or probiotics, it’s a favourite with anyone who has trouble digesting the lactose in cow’s milk.

With no off-Island distribution system in place, McClintock’s

16 Innovation 2015

Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, Sandra McClintock, Gerry McClintock (L to R).

Farm is limited to where they can sell their yogurt. Until a new distribution system is in place, the McClintock family continues to spread word through product education.

See their website for a full list of product suppliers: www.mcclintocksfarm.cp-sms.biz

Food is Medicine – Fuel up on Organic Okanagan Fruit Juice

By Jennifer Lewis Kelowna’s new Glow Juicery has expanded from Edmonton to the Okanagan with a line of fresh juices, smoothies, and raw food options. With partner Kathleen Treadgold they've made their second home in the trendy Landmark VI building on Dayton St. Their motto: Food is medicine, food is fuel.

“Glow Juicery uses an on-site commercial cold-press machine that can press 28,000 lbs. of produce,” said Treadgold.

“The cold-pressing method keeps intact all minerals, nutrients, and phytonutrients adhering to the raw food dietary practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed foods. Removing the by-product of heat allows these gems of health to work full-force when absorbed by your body. Glow Juicery partners with organic Okanagan farms to supply ingredients for our daily made wares.”

The byproduct of the juicing process is of course, pulp; however, Glow Juicery doesn’t throw it away. “Pulp from the juicing process is used for in-house made crackers and any excess pulp is offered for free to members of the community who want a little extra punch in their gardens and composts,” explained Treagold.

In addition to their healthy to-go fare, Glow Juicery offers raw food cleanse programs. Customized for beginner, in-

termediate, and advanced cleanses, staff consultants provide information on how to prepare your body for cleansing and what to expect during the cleanse process. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are all prepared for easy consumption and consultants diligently follow-up with each client to ensure that the cleanse process went well.

Now staying healthier is a little easier as Glow Juicery offers a simple and quality approach to help your body get on track to a healthier lifestyle. glowjuicery.ca

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Innovation 2015 17

New Ideas & Innovations Ambrosia Apple Slushie - A Natural Alternative

By Roslyne Buchanan

gulp them down, it dawned on me to check the ingredients. I was appalled by the high manufactured sugar content, artificial flavour components and red dye.”

Tucked into an orchard along the Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) trail, The Trail Store Fruit & More is the perfect place to take a break from your activities. Owned and operated by local orchardist Rod Hollett and his wife Darlene, you can treat yourself to the world’s first slush made with Ambrosia apples.

The Ambrosia apple is a BC original itself, first discovered in the Similkameen Valley. Given its wonderful taste and great qualities, orchardist Wilfrid Mennell and his wife Sally who found and cultivated the unique variety named it Ambrosia, which means “food of the gods” based on ancient Greek mythology.

From its seven-acre farm-gate location, The Trail Store sells fresh fruit and vegetables as they come into season along with cold drinks including slushes, vari-

ous snacks, ice cream, and coffee. Says Rod, “Initially, the slushes were made from a packaged peach mix for our convenience. As I watched children happily

It was then that he decided to develop a healthier version and looked to the Ambrosia apples grown on site. Like other apples, the Ambrosia is loaded with health-giving properties such as pectin, a cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre, and anti-oxidants, which are good for preventing heart disease. In addition, it is a “low-acid apple, which makes it easier for kids and older people to digest,” according to www.ambrosiaapples.com.

The Ambrosia offered an ideal solution.

It provides a flavourful alternative with its sweet tasting profile, and by picking his Ambrosia crop at peak and making it into juice, Rod has a convenient concentrate from which to prepare the slushes.

Gourmet Wine Candy

By Roslyne Buchanan Trust a culinary company founded in Okanagan wine country to create a premium candy for adults with a discerning wine palate – Nummers! Gourmet Wine Gems™. Made from real 100-per-cent organic wine are truly fruit forward and “juicy gems of gummie confection heaven”.

Founded by sisters Carolynn and Leanne Pawluk, Wine Gems™ was a collaborative project between Jayne and Paul Graydon of Saxon Estate Winery. Initially, Nummers! Gourmet worked with them to pair treats with Saxon wines in the tasting room, for example, salted chocolate caramels with Merlot and sponge toffee with Port. It evolved into the wine gums being developed from bottles of tasting room leftovers. Now Wine Gems™ are carried in the tasting room and part of Saxon’s corporate gift program.

The Pawluks credit Kim Stansfield and her husband, John Gordon, as being instrumental in helping with the production and quality control in early gem days and promoting Nummers!

Gourmet treats.

in the tasting room along with 8th Generation Wine jelly made

by Nummers! Gourmet. Already other wineries have inquired about custom-made Wine Gems™ and other artisan products that Nummers! Gourmet produces.

Thanks to Kim approaching Stefanie Schales, proprietor of 8th Generation Winery, Wine Gems™ made from its wines will be a value-added wine club component and available for purchase

For more about Wine Gems™ and Nummers! Gourmet’s other artisan selections see facebook.com/nummersgourmet or email nummersgourmet@gmail.com

18 Innovation 2015

NULTON IRRIGATION User Friendly Wine Analysis

The Okanagan’s #1 Maxi-Jet Dealer For Over 25 Years 5830 Sawmill Road, Oliver, BC 250-485-0246 International wine analysis firm Randox Food Diagnostics, is leading the technological development of analytical chemistry for winemakers, with the release of the new RX altona wine analyser.

Here, two worlds meet; traditional winemaking methods of yesterday in collaboration with the cutting-edge technology of tomorrow.

The RX altona brings revolutionary analysis technology to wineries and wine laboratories worldwide, with unique features such as a choice of two detection systems (LED and halogen), which can be selected based on the individual requirements of the winemaker. Also offering an extensive testing range and outstanding accuracy.

Accuracy with the flexibility of increased wavelengths, open channels and user friendly features including a responsive touch screen, favourites menu, on screen prompts and the ability to export data in excel format.

New Smart Monitoring System The wine analyser features a new smart monitoring system, automatically detecting potential analysis problems and reports them to the user. This includes issues such as air bubbles and clots, as well as monitoring environmental conditions to prevent overheating.

The RX altona is both accurate and efficient, powering down when the temperature required for analysis is reached and smaller than a standard personal computer, bringing the technology of tomorrow to the winemaker today!

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Innovation 2015 19

Wireless Networks Move Pheromones Towards Mainstream Pest Control Precision agriculture isn’t just for cereal crops anymore. BC-based company, Semios is using wireless technology in orchards and vineyards to monitor pests and apply pheromones instead of commercial pesticides for crop protection.

The system is a breakthrough for producers looking to reduce or replace insecticide controls, and is already expanding applications in orchard management.

Pheromones are chemical signals used by many animals to communicate. In agriculture, they are used to change or disrupt insect behaviors, like mating, to reduce populations. While they have long been recognized as a viable protection solution, there has been no reliable system to deliver them when and where they were needed – until now.

“We thought that perhaps technology could enable and improve adoption of pheromones in crop protection,” says Michael Gilbert, CEO of Semios. “Using our network, we deliver enough of the right pheromone at the right time to get the same effect as we would with other controls.”

The Semios system uses cellular networks to connect a system of sensors, including traps and monitors, to remotely trigger a high burst application of pheromones for specific pests from an aerosol dispenser. The work to develop and test the application was supported through the Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program (Agri-Innovation) delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).

Using the Semios system farmers require only one can per acre instead of the 6001000 of the pheromone dispensers used in passive release systems. Data is collected from the network of sensors, and delivered to an online control centre that producers can access from their computer or mobile devices. The network and equipment is managed by Semios when farmers subscribe to the service, reducing the risk of the investment and learning curve.

“We are talking about real time interactive control of these pests,” says Gilbert.

“The way the system is built, growers 20 Innovation 2015

from their phone can change when and where the pheromones are delivered on demand, and within 10 minutes every single sensor in their field will be on the new schedule.”

The system was first applied to control coddling moths in apples, and has since expanded to nine different pests in seven different crops across the United States, Europe and Canada. Currently 200 farms, representing 7000 acres of orchards and vineyards, are using the Semios system.

“IAF offered the first program to fund our agricultural projects, and they have been a great partner for us,” says Gilbert.

“The adoption of our metered systems got us in to big farms, and allowed us to further develop the platform, and now we do everything from remotely monitoring insect pressure in real time, as well as disease risk, frost risk and soil moisture irrigation. We now have added all these modules that truly provide a platform for the grower looking to move into the next stage of precision farming.”

Funding for the Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program is provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

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Funding is still available to support the commercialization and adoption of innovation projects that benefit individual enterprises and positively impact the BC agriculture and agri-foods sector as a whole.

For more information on the program and the application process, visit iafbc. ca/agri-innovation.htm or contact the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC at 250.356.1662/funding@iafbc.ca.

“ FUNDING THROUGH THE CANADA-BC AGRI-INNOVATION PROGRAM HELPED PUT NEW PRECISION CROP MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY INTO INDUSTRY-WIDE PRACTICE. ” Michael Gilbert, Founder & CEO of Semios.

Using project funding to design and manufacture a unique biopesticide system, Semios is now able to help growers in Canada, Europe and the U.S. to more effectively combat orchard pests while reducing pesticide use.

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iafbc.ca Innovation 2015 21

Orchard & Vine Survey

We asked our readers, What innovations have you seen in the wine industry?

Our readers answered this question in a more personal way than we expected that reflects their philosophy and attitude towards wine making as a whole.

The answers fell into three broad categories; 1 - INNOVATIONS WE EMBRACED 2-W HY INNOVATE A PERFECT PROCESS! 3-M ORE SCIENCE & BETTER EQUIPMENT! The answers reflect a wider debate in an industry that is based on tradition, what traditions to keep and what change to embrace. From labels, closures and bottles to mechanization and virtual wineries.

While working on this issue our writer Michael Botner visited Culmina Family Estate Winery started by Don and Elaine Triggs. This new boutique winery made choices when building their winery and creating their wine that seem to directly reflect the answers we received from our readers. Blending traditional technology and new innovation, even including a 'Leading Edge Technology' and 'Simple Technology' section on their website.

Their philosophy revolves around two principles: gentle handling of fruit and minimal intervention of wine at every stage in the process, using both state of the art and simple technologies to achieve this goal.

Innovations We Embraced Labels That Are Fun, Not Snobby

22 Innovation 2015

Keg Wine Great Idea!

Kegs also represent an important step in reducing the carbon footprint by decreasing the cost of transportation and avoiding the recycling associated with bottles. A single keg will potentially eliminate 3,000 bottles from the wine distribution process.

Screw Caps The Stelvin® screw cap closure for wine was created in the 1960s and is now used globally.

Combines a glass finish known as BVS, specific head-space & capping conditions and highly technical liners which are tailor-made for wine, resulting in high quality.

Benefits for Wine Makers •A bsence of cork taint means a reduction in wine spoilage •C onsistency from one bottle to the next •P reservation of aromas, flavors and freshness • Easy to open and to close

Returnable Stainless Kegs This process of kegging, preserving and serving wine-on-tap has been vetted and approved by the world’s most respected wineries.

More than 150 wines are now available in FreshTAP stainless steel kegs and the system provides hospitality locations throughout Canada with an easy solution for delivering wine-on-tap to their customers.

Wine-on-tap from stainless steel kegs provides a sustainable, environmentally friendly wine delivery system.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a new operational expansion in Ontario, FreshTAP is both the pioneer and leader in the wine-on-tap movement in Canada.

Innovation 2015 23

Orchard & Vine Survey

We asked our readers What innovations have you seen in the wine industry?

"Why Innovate a Perfect Process!"

No Manipulation!

Neighbours helping neighbours making better wine!

Having a winery without owning a single grape plant is quite innovative...

There is a big difference in a winery versus someone who [just} blends and sells. The winery with the vines should get a little more respect.

Most of the best wine in the world is made using natural yeast and letting 'er rip through fermentation while holding back a bunch of unfermented juice to sweeten it once your done. Old school techniques put back into action.

Okanagan Crush Pad has concrete fermenters an old school tool that is currently back and making a big splash in the tech savvy new world.

24 Innovation 2015

Orchard & Vine Survey

"More Science & Better Equipment!"

More science.

Easier wine processing equipment.

Delta | Delta E1 | E1 Destemmer by Bucher Vaslin

More high tech replacing manpower.

Cellar ingredients and knowledge improving.

Appearance of new wineries and high end facilities.

Improvements in understanding of viticulture especially proper siting of vineyards.

Innovation 2015 25

Photo by Michael Botner

Innovation & Sustainability at Trigg Family's

Don Triggs checks leaf vigour in Margaret's Bench vineyard 26 Innovation 2015

Culmina Family Estate Winery Don, Elaine and Sara Triggs started Culmina Family Estate Winery with the simple goal of making the highest quality wines possible.

The Triggs named their winery ‘Culmina’. Translating to the ‘peak‘ or ‘apex’ in Latin, they chose the name to reflect not only their lifetime of work in the wine industry, but also their desire to create the highest possible quality grapes from their terroir.

By Michael Botner Producing B.C. wines from unique grape varieties like Austria’s prolific Grüner Veltliner is risky. While the late ripening variety makes charming wines for easy drinking, it is little known outside of central Europe, apart from a few pockets on the American side of the Pacific Northwest. Despite several challenges, Donald and Elaine Triggs, co-owners of Culmina Family Estate Winery which straddles Hester Creek on the Golden Mile Bench, embraced Grüner on the advice of Karl Kaiser, the Austrian born co-founder and former winemaker of Inniskillin in Niagara-on-the-Lake. After obtaining virus-free vines acceptable to Canadian authorities at the University of California nursery, Triggs planted a small, three-acre block on Culmina’s Margaret’s Bench, the highest elevation vineyard in the South Okanagan, in 2011. To achieve ripeness, “half of the berries are dropped before the harvest,” says Triggs. Also, “ripeness is uneven, so we have to pick every row twice by hand, a costly undertaking.”

Grüner’s strengths include exceptional winter hardiness and a reputation for producing stylish, food friendly wines sought after by restaurants to pair with Southeast Asian-influenced, Pacific Rim cuisine. Naming it Unicas, only 60 cases of its first Grüner were made from the third leaf in 2013 with production rising to 284 cases for the 2014 vintage.

After a distinguished career in the wine industry, which culminated with the sale of Vincor to Constellation Brands in 2006, Don and Elaine Triggs wanted to run a family winery with their business and marketing savvy daughter Sara. With the services of Bordeaux-based vineyard and winery operations consultant Alain Sutré, they researched a variety of sites before acquiring the southeast-facing Arise vineyard on the Golden Mile in 2007.

Rigorous data collection showed degree days of 1,516, similar to Bordeaux and indicated it was best suited for red Bordeaux varieties. It was decided to grub up the existing, mature 12 acre vineyard, and replace it with 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with some Syrah in the warmest locations.

The search for a location to grow white varieties resulted in the 2008 purchase of two vineyard sites above Arise. Suitable for Chardonnay and Riesling at the higher elevation section and Malbec and Petit Verdot on the lower areas with the 1,800 degree days, the highest of any on Culmina’s property, Stan’s

Innovation 2015 27

Increasing competition between vines forces roots deeper to find water and nutrients in the mineralrich sub-soil, so they most effectively express Culmina’s distinctive terroir.

Pascal Madevon Bench stretches north and south along the mountainside. Cool climate varieties went to the 10 acre Margaret’s Bench site, reaching 600 metres, the highest in the South Okanagan. At 1,300 degree days, it is also one of the coolest, with conditions comparable to Burgundy’s northerly Dijon vineyards. It is planted with Riesling allocated to stonier soils and Grüner to the schist-like soil areas, as well as Chardonnay.

Preparing the radically diverse, 3 vineyard, 56 acre site took 2 years and consisted of aerating the soil, hand-picking some 3,500 tonnes of rocks with on-site crushing and re-purposing for roads and pathways, applying locally-sourced cow manure compost to enhance organic content, and a cover crop to prevent soil degradation and erosion. Recognizing that growing conditions – such as temperature and relative humidity, soils, elevation and aspect - varied enormously throughout the site, the Sutré-Triggs team took radical measures to ensure precision as to uniformity of vine vigour and ripeness, while still respecting the existing lay of the land.

Early in the project, they utilized 20 temperature/relative humidity loggers and 60 one metre pits to ascertain not only soil type but also mineral and water retention characteristics. This provided critical data for the selection and placement of the most suitable rootstocks and clones. At 2,044 vines per acre, with vines planted every 1.1 metres, in rows 28 Innovation 2015

Pascal Madevon and a worker review Ranch irrigation weather station data on the iPhone.

View of Culmina Winery and Arise Bench Vineyard.

Photos by Michael Botner

While Arise Bench and Stan’s Bench are part of the new Golden Mile Bench GI (Geographic Indication), the first and only one approved by the BC government, Margaret’s Bench was deemed too high and is not part of the new GI. “There are geological reasons why soil composition of higher elevation sites like Margaret’s Bench are not included, an indication that the approval process is working as it should,” says Triggs.

Dryland farming project vines planted on Stan's bench hillside.

1.8 metres apart, density is 50 per cent higher than the average, and results in “33 per cent lower crop per vine,” says Triggs. French-trained vineyard manager & winemaker Pascal Madevon adds, “Increasing competition between vines forces roots deeper to find water and nutrients in the mineral-rich sub-soil, so they most effectively express Culmina’s distinctive terroir. It also reduces the size

of the canopy from 40 to 20 cm, lettingmore filtered light reach the berries.”

Micro block farming is where the advanced monitoring and control technology makes a grand entrance. “Based on data already collected, Culmina divided the site into 43 individual micro blocks, each averaging 1.25 acres. “The smaller the micro-block, the more precise we are in ensuring even distribution of water

where and when it is needed,” explains Madevon.

A “Ranch” irrigation system with 2.5 valves per micro-block, approximately 1,000 vines per valve, for a total of 108, was installed on the property. Integrated with solar-powered weather stations on each bench, it provides virtual data on soil moisture, evapo-transpiration rates and temperature, as well as relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed and direction. Madevon reviews and adjusts the irrigation settings every day in different parts of the same block or more widely using a cloud-based, Iphone app.

“I check the weather station outputs for things like water in the soil and the weather forecast to get an idea of the next day’s temperature and rainfall,” he says. He also walks through the vineyard, taking pressure bomb measurements and watching for stress on vine leaves, before reprogramming the valves. “Every day, vineyard workers check if the system is working properly and report breakages and other problems,” he says.

CULMINA SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES Land Use •H and-hoeing and cultivation of weeds to minimize the use of undesirable sprays •U sing hand-split cedar end-posts and galvanized steel in-row posts in lieu of chemically treated wooden ones • S ourcing local cow manure compost to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers •D eveloping a natural cover crop to support bio-diversity and beneficial insect populations in the vineyard •M inimizing tilling and cultivation in the vineyard to prevent soil degradation Water •C onversion of the old vineyard from overhead irrigation to maxi-jet under canopy irrigation which uses much less water Waste •C hipping, not burning, of old vines into compost material •R eclaiming old trellising wires and aluminum irrigation lines for sale to salvage companies •O n-site crushing and re-purposing of rocks pulled off of vineyard for roads and pathways Energy & Emissions • I nstallation of north-facing windows and skylights in the winery to reduce the lighting, heating and cooling requirements of the facility • I nstallation of high quality wall insulation in the winery, machine shed and workers quarters • I nstallation of double-paned windows and under floor insulation to reduce the rate of energy consumption Courtesy of culmina.ca

Once all of the irrigation valves are installed, the Maxi-Jet below canopy nozzle irrigation system was put in place. It is effective as means of controlling vine vigour. “Much like rain without watering the leaves, distribution of water under and between vines, as well as the rows, is very thorough,” says Madevon. “In addition, a flourishing cover crop increases bio-diversity by allowing 40 per cent more beneficial insects to thrive. Without any overlap, reduction of water use is a bonus.”

The goal for Culmina is to have the uniformity of vine vigour everywhere on the site. For Madevon, the work continues in January and February while vines are inactive. He exhaustively surveys the entire vineyard, taking vine trunk measurements for each panel consisting of 5 vines. The readings are compiled into a vigour map showing 4 levels of vigour by colour. It is analyzed and compared with the previous year’s map to detect areas which require the attention, such as the addition of cow manure.

On a steep, rugged hill sloping towards Stan’s Bench, Culmina has embarked on a project to determine the viability of dryland farming on the property. “With the arid South Okanagan’s irrigation dependence and looming water shortages, Innovation 2015 29

Photo by Michael Botner

we’d like to find out whether or not water consumption can be reduced while still growing high quality grapes,” says Donald Triggs. In 2012, nearly 1,000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah vines were grafted onto drought-resistant, high vigour rootstocks known for going up to 30 feet metres downward in search of water. Planted 2 by 2 metres apart, the young vines are earmarked to be Gobelet or Bush vine trained, common throughout the most arid regions of the Mediterranean.

“At this early stage, the vines produce about one barrel of wine per hillside and flavours are interesting,” reports Triggs.

Of many other innovations in Culmina’s operations, EV outlets are an indication of how strongly the winery stresses sustainability. Visitors to the winery who are traveling in a Tesla from afar are welcome to use the special charger provided. Winemaker Madevon has traded in his winery truck for a Chevy Volt, driving to work from home in Penticton and back every day. “The cost is $1 each way on the grid,” he says. “If it works out, future winery vehicles could include a Tesla SUV.”■

Traditional Technology

Innnovative Technology

• Grapes harvested from the estate are picked by hand.

• Bucher Oscillys destemmer for gentle handling during the crushing and destemming of fruit.

• The fruit are hand-sorted on a vibrating table.

• Gravity-flow designed winery built into the side of the mountain means the grapes are transferred into the winery by gravity instead of a must pump. This also allows for pump-less rackings and transfers.

• A simple basket press is used. Its gentle pressing ensures that stems and seeds do not crack.

Courtesy of culmina.ca

30 Innovation 2015

• Modern, stainless steel, temperature-controlled conical fermentation tanks.

• Peristaltic pump, the same kind of pump used to transfer live fish at aquariums from one tank to another.

• Electric Vehicle Charging Station outlet on-site.

• Ranch irrigation system – solar powered weather stations with cloud based data monitoring and Maxi-Jet below canopy nozzle irrigation system.

Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Environmental Re-Vision

By Ronda Payne

Positioned on a sunny slope in Duncan, B.C., the people behind Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard made use of elements created by those who owned the land before and created an environmentally conscientious, delicious destination.

Recycle Restore Renovate

Photo by Ronda Payne

Innovation 2015 31

Ultimately, at the end of the day, we aren’t a wine region, but a tourism region.

Photos by Ronda Payne

Bailey Williamson

Bailey Williamson and his dog Vinny.

Pouring wine in the Blue Grouse tasting room.

According to Blue Grouse winemaker Bailey Williamson, back in the late 70s, John Harper received funding from the Ministry of Agriculture to do grape vine testing on the seven-acre site.

He planted approximately 150 different types of vines to see what would flourish in the damp island climate.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, we aren’t a wine region, but a tourism region,” Williamson said of the challenges of wineries in the Cowichan area. “We aren’t an Italy or a France. We have an amazingly beautiful recreational component that allows us to offer the whole suite of enjoyment.”

Come the 80s, the Cowichan Valley was taking hold as a microgrowing region for wine grapes and Dr. Hans Kiltz purchased the farm. After 10 years since the initial plantings, it became obvious what varieties were thriving and what was dying. He rejuvenated the plantings and by the early 90s was licensed to sell wine from the site, but it was a far cry from the typical vineyard experience enthusiasts and tourists seek out.

This part of Vancouver Island features wine, golf, fishing, restaurants and other tourist activities and as Williamson explains, wine sales are driven by the whole spectrum of activities.

With grapes ideal for the climate, Kiltz installed a 2,000 liter stainless steel tank and started creating Blue Grouse wine in earnest. It was July of 2012 when Kiltz ended his time with the vineyard and Paul Brunner bought the property with visions of creating a tourism destination.

More than establishing a tourist destination, the ultimate goal for the Brunners is to create a sustainable winery people can be proud of.

32 Innovation 2015

“Someone sells our wine at a restaurant in Victoria then they [guests] come up here,” he explained. “We entertain them as our guests here, then they go home and we ship our wine to them.”

“Many times, Paul the owner has said, ‘We’re not the owners, we are the stewards of this land’,” Williamson noted.

Innovation 2015 33

The Pond Provides… environmental preservation geothermal loops to heat and cool the building roof top rain water diversion water for fire suppression riparian habitat

This desire to be green took many forms when the renovations were in planning stages. Not only did the building need to be aesthetically attractive, but it also needed to be efficient and as green as possible.

This began by making use of the stainless tank Kiltz had installed as well as his original production area.

“This was part of the original winery,” commented Williamson.

“We basically enveloped it.”

Upon entering the parking area a beautiful pond greats guests, but this is more than an attractive water feature.

“The pond out front, we have geothermal loops to heat and cool this whole building,” Williamson said. Pond water can also be used for fire suppression by the local fire department.

Rain water from the roof is diverted to the pond to ensure an adequate level and vast riparian areas are maintained to preserve the natural environment.

“That’s what Paul’s vision is, is keeping things natural,” Williamson added.

Three phase power runs the European equipment that produces the two Blue Grouse product lines: Blue Grouse Estate wines are made entirely from on-site grapes while the Quill line allows Williamson flexibility in his winemaking by making use of other B.C. grapes.

Making use of what was already on site may have been a challenge, but it was one that paid off for Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard.■

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The Latest Dirt on Soil A potentially simple solution to replant disease complex

By Ronda Payne The fall of 2012 marked challenging times for growers when it came to planting and replanting new stock. With the new regulations on the use of fumigants, growers were finding newly planted fruit trees and cane berries were increasingly susceptible to root-lesion nematodes.

The fumigation issue came into focus when the province of B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture started the Orchard Replant Program. Not only were there few effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to fumigants, but also when fumigation was possible, growers were faced with completing extensive fumigation management programs.

The good news Fortunately, research soil ecologist Tom Forge, was already working on a solution – and surprisingly he is finding that something growers already make use of may be the answer. He began working on alternatives to fumigation in raspberries in 2009 or 2010, and in 2013 applied some of those learnings to a study on cherry trees.

“Very, very high doses of compost was almost as good as fumigation,” Forge said.

“We got the best [plant] growth out of compost [aside from fumigation]. It was much better than the control.”

He explored high doses of poultry manure as well, but found that the increased nitrogen and potentially harmful effects to ground water made it a less desirable option.

Summerland housed the cherry tree tests in an old apple orchard with Skeena on Gisela 6 stock. Five different methods were trialed: no treatment (control); 50 dried tonnes per hectare of compost applied to plots in the tree rows; fumigation; wood chip mulch; and 50 dried tonnes per hectare of compost plus wood chip mulch.

“At the end of our first full growing season in 2014, we found that [the nematode] populations remained low wherever we applied compost,” Forge noted.

Interestingly, in the fumigated plots, the nematode numbers started out low, but by the end of the season were significantly higher than the populations in the composted plots.

The results are promising “So far we’ve always tried relatively high rates,” Forge said. “It raises the question, what about 25 tonnes? These are avenues we need to explore, but the basic proof of the concept is there.”

Given that many growers are already interesting in amendments for their soil, the potential of commercially viable compost to improve soil quality and the long-term health of new plantings is worth more research.

When the focus on soil is water Back in 2013 at the Pacific Agriculture Show, DeLisa Lewis, then with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, told an audience there was nothing new under the sun in soil management. She noted that the practices of soil tillage, crop rotation, cover crops, organic amendments and mineral amendments are still the core of soil management.

Now that Lewis has returned to farming, just outside of Duncan as the lead farmer at Green Fire Farm, Orchard & Vine wanted to see if her point of view had changed at all, or if it truly was “noth-

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Innovation 2015 35

ing new under the sun”. It was no big surprise that the sun has been the topic of interest for Lewis this year.

“It’s been a real experience learning again the bio-physical limits of the soil,” she said.

She’s referring, of course, to the extreme lack of water and unusual heat this spring. In her farm’s location well water is the only option and there is no ability to simply turn the tap on and water the earth. The latest big project completed on Green Fire Farm was an irrigation pond and Lewis noted water only recently made it from the pond into the field.

“This year, we’re trying to bring in a 10 acre field of vegetables,” she said. “But you can’t keep soil alive without water.”

The typical work of turning the soil happened in March and April, but with no water, there was no way to move forward. While Lewis often speaks with other farmers about the importance of organic matter in the soil, the conversation this year is specific to the importance of soil water.

“Without that mixture of soil, minerals and water, you’re not going to have anything growing, living.” She said. “It’s just dust.”

It’s a process of life-long learning, she noted and while a lack of water is challenging, she did note it makes weed management easier. ■

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RIPENING RESEARCH FOR BC WINE

Genome BC Allocates Close To $1.1 Million For Four New Projects

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tellarin. “Using an integrative approach we are helping to understand the biology behind berry ripening so that new strategies can be developed and implemented to speed it up or slow it down.”

Recently, it has been shown that molecular and physiological events associated with ripening occur earlier than previously thought and likely act as triggers for major events such as acid catalysis and the accumulation of sugar, aromas and pigment.

our new innovative research projects have been funded through Genome BC’s Strategic Opportunities Fund (SOF). The SOF program, with funding provided by Genome BC and several partners, aims to catalyze new projects and initiatives of strategic importance to BC’s economic sectors.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is one of the most widely cultivated fruit crops. The BC grape and wine industry is steadily increasing, growing from 17 wineries in 1990 to about 273 today, and BC wines are widely recognized for their high quality. Nevertheless, in some areas unfavourable seasons can limit fruit maturation making the production of premium wines challenging.

One of the newly funded projects through this sixth round of SOF funding is being led by a new recruit to the Wine Research Centre at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Dr. Simone Diego Castellarin, Assistant Professor, is leading a new project

The project will employ an innovative fruit sampling methodology that allows the non-destructive separation of berries approaching the onset of ripening based on their level of elasticity (i.e. a precise quantitative measure of softening). The sampling will be focused on developmental stages that precede what is normally considered the beginning of ripening as defined by color development. Metabolites from each developmental stage will be quantified and evaluated and then related back to the corresponding expression profile

Dr. Simone Diego Castellarin, Assistant Professor, the Wine Research Centre at the UBC.

with a budget of $200,000 that aims to investigate the initial molecular and physiological events involved in ripening. The project, entitled Molecular and physiological characteristics of early ripening events in grapevine will use leading edge genomic technologies to uncover little known information about the drivers of metabolic changes central to triggering ripening.

“Grape softening is the earliest ripening event,” says Cas-

of the berry’s genome. This molecular signature can be used as a form of diagnostic that allows the identification of those genes involved in these early ripening events.

The knowledge generated by the grapevine project will facilitate future viticulture studies focused on developing practices that enhance or delay ripening. This project will also form the basis for a more extended research program on molecular viticulture at the UBC Wine Research Centre, establishing strong international research collaborations and strengthening interactions with the BC grape and wine industry.

“The wine industry is of significant value to the BC economy,” said Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. “This growing industry will benefit from more investment into understanding the mechanisms behind grape ripening so as to maximize the growing season for wineries in our province.” ■ For more information: www.genomebc.ca/sof

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Innovation 2015 37

 MONEY TALKS | GEOFF MCINTYRE

Lessons Learned During 29 Years In The Wine Business end goal in mind today, helps build value in your business to prepare winery owners for a successful succession.

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n Tuesday, June 16th, MNP hosted their 6th Annual Workshop for the B.C. Wine Industry. Winery owners and key stakeholders gathered at the Penticton Lakeside Resort for the opportunity to learn and share valuable insights to maximize their winery business. Hosted by MNP Partner and Business Advisor to the BC Wine Industry, Geoff McIntyre, this year's theme was Building Value in your Winery Business for a Successful Transition. Many business owners fail to plan for the future because they find it overwhelming and don't know where to start. Our speakers at this interactive presentation demonstrated how having your

This year's keynote speaker was Stuart Scott - author of Riding the Tiger, How to Create a Successful Winery During Tough Times and former owner of Camas Prairie Winery, 2007 Idaho Winery of the Year. Stuart spent 29 years in the wine business starting from in his garage and building value along the way before successfully transitioning his business in 2011.

A summary of Stuart's presentation and lessons from the wine industry are below. Even though Camas Prairie was a smaller operation and the ultimate sale price was not huge, the return on Stuart’s initial investment of $18,000 is very impressive. Remember, Stuart was not selling land and buildings so most of this profit is reflective of the value he built over time. The lessons he has to share are very relevant to any size winery.

“In 2011, when I sold my winery I put down on paper what I had learned. I believe that human knowledge should be a cumulative affair that allows us to progress without repeating the mistakes of others. I had enough winemaking skill to win a commercial award in my rookie year as a winemaker. But I didn’t start out with the skills necessary to be a success in the wine business.

Before becoming a commercial wine maker I had been the owner of a small vineyard, 2 acres, and made wine as a hobby. Between the vineyard and winery businesses among the things I learned were: grapes are easier to grow, and wine is easier to make, than either is to sell. Growing good grapes or making good wine does not guarantee success in business.

And, if you want to know if your fruit or wine is any good, don’t ask your Mom, ask potential customers.

While team teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Idaho, I learned about the phases of business: planning, start up, maturing and harvesting. The focus of my presentation for MNP business advisors is how I prepared my business for sale, set my asking price, and assisted potential buyers and lenders to put the deal together. I had a property that could have been sold with the business, but I chose sell the business as an entity while keeping the property for a later separate sale. My remarks here are just about harvesting the business.

The keys to my success in the wine business were: having a price-worthy product, providing both product and service to all my wholesale and retail customers, having continuity of supply so my wines were of consistent quality and always available. By having all three components, I created a “Brand.” The Brand had intangible value, sometimes called Blue Sky, and it gave me a marketable business.

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In setting up the harvest of the business, I used lessons learned about the appeal of franchise opportunities for the potential buyer. Franchises offer a buyer help and guidance in settling up and operating a business. This helps take the fear out of buying. I copied the appeal of a franchise by having in place: a series of written training and operations manuals. I had lists of all my wholesale customers that included their point of contact, a purchase and contact history. A list of all my suppliers, with their point of contact: for grapes, packaging materials and equipment. There was a similar list for consultant services such as laboratory analysis, liquor legal, graphic design and printing.

There was in place an ongoing marketing program that a buyer could keep or change. Finally, I included in my offering 60 days of full-time in-house transitional services and an offer, for purchase, of oneyear of inexpensive consultant services.

Together, these things mimicked the most appealing aspects of a franchise: training, support and replacing the key man.

Anticipating the need to help a buyer and their prospective lender, I had an itemized list of all my equipment and trade fixtures. The list included documentation from vendors as to the current replacement cost of each item. Five years of tax returns were available for review and included proof that I had been paying myself a salary for the previous 5 years.

Using the so-called Rule of Five, that a purchase price should not exceed the an

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ticipated profits of 5 years, I set a realistic asking price based on three elements.

The price was based on valuing my real property at 50% of current replacement cost. My average inventory was valued at my production cost, so that all potential profit from sales would accrue to the buyer. The third component was the value of the brand or the ‘Blue Sky’. I set this value based on the difference between the Rule of Five suggested value and the equipment and inventory values.

Remember! If you want to know if your wine is any good, don’t ask your Mom. If you want to know the value of your brand, don’t ask Mom. Find the fair market value and see how much profit this realistic, saleable price will allow you to make. In the end, what we have is only worth what someone else is willing to pay.

Finally, I created a written set of purchase options. The business could be purchased with or without the liquid inventory. The buyer could become my tenant, keeping the business in place, or move the business if they had their own property. A proposed lease was already available for review. The buyer could rent all or part of my space, because different product models have different the space needs.

Last, was my offer of future consultant services with the first year being at a bargain rate.

In summary I had information in place for the buyer and lender. There were purchase options for the buyer, an existing customer base of 50 wholesale accounts and an established retail location and customer base. This was how I grew from an $18,000 start-up in my garage to a $250,000 business sale that kept a valuable property as an on-going source of rental income.”

Not many North American winery owners have yet been able to build their business from the ground up and execute a successful sale to a third party. Stuart Scott’s experience with Camas Prairie Winery provides valuable insight into how this can be done.■ For further information or to book a free succession planning consultation, contact Geoff McIntyre, 250-979-2574 or geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca

40 Innovation 2015

 THE WORD ON WINE | LAURA KITTMER

Consumers Embrace VQA on Grocery Shelves

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he BC Wine Institute in collaboration with the BC Pinot Noir Celebration and Visa Infinite welcome internationally renowned wine judge and writer Steven Spurrier for his inaugural visit to the Okanagan this summer!

The secret is out. BC is producing world class wines and this summer Decanter consultant and Editor Steven Spurrier is

flying from London, England to find out what all the fuss is about first-hand!

and tasting over 100 of British Columbia’s finest wines from all over the province.

Through a collaborative effort, Spurrier’s inaugural visit to BC wine country comes at an opportune time, as the Wines of British Columbia celebrate 25 years of BC VQA in the modern wine industry and the BC Pinot Noir Celebration announces a major expansion with Visa Infinite for their third annual event.

Spurrier says he is looking forward to visiting our bourgeoning wine region. After having tasted and enjoyed a number of BC Wines over the years he’s intrigued to see first-hand the vineyards, the cellars and especially the people involved, all-important components that add another dimension to any wine.

Steven Spurrier, a champion of French wines and famously recognized for his role in organizing the original Judgement of Paris Wine Tasting in 1976, as portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster “Bottle Shock” will be touring wineries in the Okanagan Valley

“Bringing Steven Spurrier to the Okanagan is a dream the BC wine industry has had for years! His exceptional wine knowledge, international awards, accomplishments and innovative ideas make him the ideal wine critic to showcase how far our industry

has come within the last 25 years,” says British Columbia Wine Institute Marketing Director Maggie Anderson.

At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, Wines of British Columbia won 129 awards overall including 3 Regional Trophies, one Gold and 18 Silver Medals. Specifically, BC Pinot Noir’s won 12 awards including one Regional Trophy for Best Red Wine in Canada (CedarCreek Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir 2012) and four Silver Medals (Baillie-Grohman Reserve Pinot Noir 2012, Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir 2012, Howling Bluff Summa Quies Pinot Noir 2012 and Spierhead Pinot Noir Cuvée 2013).

Pinot Noir is the second most planted grape in BC (1,073

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Innovation 2015 41

acres) and the wines have gained recognition around the world for their intense, lively flavours and consistently win international awards for their premium quality.

With such fanfare for this specific variety, Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls hosted the first BC Pinot Noir Celebration three years ago to bring winemakers, Pinot Noir lovers and a talented panel of special guest speakers to showcase the best Pinot Noirs in the province.

Last year, the BCWI was proud to bring renowned wine writer Karen MacNeil (The Wine Bible) to present the keynote address for the event held at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna. This year, the celebration is shaping up to be yet another major success, with Mr. Spurrier in attendance and 26 wineries showcasing BC’s finest Pinot Noirs handpicked in a blind tasting by the Vancouver Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS).

In honour of the third annual BC Pinot Noir Celebration, Visa Infinite is inviting cardholders to meet and interact with Spurrier over a sumptuous multicourse dinner with chefs Rob Walker, Vikram Vij, Trevor Bird, and Dilan Draper at Liquidity Winery on August 21 as part of their Wine Country Program.

The BC Pinot Noir Celebration, held on August 22 in Kaleden’s Linden Gardens, will involve interactive breakout sessions alongside top BC winemakers; salon tastings with 26 of BC’s best Pinot Noir producers, canapé competition with Okanagan Chef’s Jason Leizert, Alex Sielmann, Chris Van Hooydonk & Calgary Chef Dilan Draper; family style dinner by Artisan Culinary Concepts and live music with local band The Young’uns.

For tickets and more information on the BC Pinot Noir Celebration and Liquidity Dinner with Visa Infinite you may visit www.bcpinotnoir.ca. For more information on the Visa Infinite BC Wine Country program you may visit WineBC.com For details on BC VQA and the Wines of British Columbia, go to WineBC.com. To stay up to date on all the summer happenings, like the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page or follow @WineBCdotcom on Twitter and Instagram.■ Laura Kittmer is the Media Relations Manager at the British Columbia Wine Institute. www.winebc.org 42 Innovation 2015

 GREEN STEP | LINDSAY EASON

Electric Okanagan: The Future Looks Bright EV Charging equipment to qualifying businesses or organizations. And why would a business want to do this?

The Director for Western Canada, Rob MacGregor explains, “Having an EV charging station draws in new clientele to the business that is like no other consumer. They are well educated sustainability advocates and are not afraid to spend money on good food, wine and unique experiences.

They have a broad network of friends and organizations and tell everyone they know, bringing more people into that business. We’ve noticed that on average, every business that installs one of our charging stations gets an economic shot in the arm of about 10-15%, and the install only costs an average of $800.”

North America, and will guide our industry and visitors to the region.

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here is the tourism industry headed in the Thompson Okanagan? Imagine seeing electric cars and vans dominating the roads as they transport people and goods to wineries, resorts and attractions up and down the valley.

Well that future is soon to become a reality. There is excitement in the eyes of Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, when he talks about the future. “The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is committed to making our region one of the worlds top eco-friendly destinations. We are working on a Sustainability Tourism Charter that is the first of it’s kind in

"One of our first steps to supporting the tourism businesses in the Thompson Okanagan will be to install Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at key tourism destinations, supported by marketing initiatives, to inform and attract electric vehicle owners to tour through our region.”

This vision is already underway with the creation of route97.net, a website that promotes the ribbon of highway stretching from Washington to Alaska, highlighting the EV experiences available along the way.

And this vision aligns perfectly with Canadian company Sun Country Highway. Wanting to build the most sustainable electric vehicle infrastructure in the world, Sun Country Highway set out to lead the electric vehicle movement by promoting the adoption of zero emission transportation. They currently have a program that provides free

The benefits sure speak for themselves, but how do recipients of the program feel?

Mason Spink, winemaker at Dirty Laundry Vineyard was unsure how much additional traffic they would have when they first started looking into

installing a charging station, but he quickly realized they had nothing to lose. “It made sense to get it installed, and it has been interesting to be on the forefront of this growing trend,” Spink notes. He has noticed more electric vehicles arriving this year to charge up (which is free for EV owners to use) and most users are Tesla owners.

But even with the current $5000 grant available to purchase an electric vehicle, the luxurious Tesla is still very costly. Why would there be more Teslas on the road than the other more affordable electric models? Rob MacGregor had the answer. “Closer to the urban centers, there will be more Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts, maybe a few Mercedes Smart electrics and BMW I3s. Because of their shorter electric range, they need to stick closer to home and work, plugging in more often. But once you start getting a little more rural, it’s all about the Teslas. Teslas have a bigger driving range, and Tesla drivers aren’t like any

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Innovation 2015 43

other group of people we know. They love to drive. Driving a Tesla is like going on a ride at Disneyland. That hour or so they spend charging their car, they might spend $200-300 at that particular winery, golf course, restaurant or resort, and then spread the word to all their friends and other EV drivers about their wonderful experience.”

There are already over 30 wineries and numerous other hotels, attractions, cen-

tres and locations from Osoyoos to Vernon where EV charging stations have already been installed. And there seems to be a lot of help coming this way for the hospitality tourism industry. A great place to find out the latest grants and programs is through Plug In BC, a resource hub coordinated by the Fraser Basin Council, for anyone seeking opportunities and support for electric vehicles in the province. They are currently

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But don’t wait too long. There are already wineries, such as Kismet Winery, planning specific tours and promotions for EV drivers to attract more of these desirable tourists. Others, such as Saxon Winery, are focusing on reducing their carbon footprint through their supply chain by switching to an all-electric transport company. There are already electric wine tours in Napa Valley, showing the growing need for luxurious, environmentally friendly experiences.

We are just starting to scratch the surface in the interior with the possibilities for boosting tourism through electrifying transportation. Creating an electric charging network will “bring people into the valley that aren’t going to affect the physical environment in a negative way. What a better way to boost tourism than with electric cars.” adds MacGregor.

The future is looking bright. ■ For more information about installing an Electric Charging station, visit pluginbc.ca and suncountryhighway.com.

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Beautiful Coffee Table Book of Local Wineries & Vineyards

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he idea for the book resulted from the Naramata Bench Wineries Association visits each year to Victoria to host our Spring Wine Release Events.

The Naramata Bench is one of the most renowned wine regions in both British Columbia and Canada. How it came to be is a story told in this coffee-table-style book. The book reveals the personal stories behind the region’s vineyards and wineries, and the winemaking philosophy of each. Written and designed with wine tourists and oenophiles in mind, this book informs, entertains and fascinates with thoughtful and illustrated profiles of 26 different wineries on the Naramata Bench, making it essential reading for anyone visiting the area, or enjoying the wines produced here, or as a call to come and visit the Bench.

Author Garth Eichel is a writer, photographer, editor and publisher. He has written about wine, beer and spirits for a range of publications, including the Victoria Times Colonist Newspaper and Wine Access magazine. A certified sommelier, he completed his Level III diploma program with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) in 2014. Garth lives in Victoria with his wife and son. ■ The book will be for sale locally at wineries featured in the book or visit online at: naramatabench.com

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Innovation 2015 45

3 Key Strategies to Streamline your Packaging Decisions Packaging decisions can be difficult and stressful… with many different options it can seem overwhelming and once you’ve chosen what you would like your final package to look like, coordinating supply components can be just as challenging.

Here are 3 key strategies that can help you be more efficient in your decisions and avoid some pit falls when sourcing glass wine bottles, specifically addressing how to plan, forecast and coordinate logistics.

1. Do your research. Who are the vendors that carry the items you need.

■ Ask specific questions that will help in your decision: ■ Is the glass I’m buying manufactured in North America or abroad (Europe or Asia)?

■ This has an impact on logistics and ordering times. Forecasting is critical for glass suppliers as glass manufactures schedule their production 90 to 120 days in advance.

■ How often is the glass colour and specific bottle mold running? Typically glass bottles that are not standard shape or produced at heavier than usual glass weights may only be produced once or twice a year. If this is something for which you need continuous supply, be prepared and order in advance.

■ Does your supplier carry back up stock? It is critically important to understand how close to your bottling date will they be bringing in your bottles in order to ensure your dates are met. This should be at minimum of 2 weeks prior to your scheduled delivery.

■ What guarantees does your supplier have in place in regards to quality?

This is important because this varies greatly by manufacturer. Understanding the AQL (Acceptable Quality Limits) standards around colour ranges, neck finishes, label panel and packaging specifications will save you time and money. Being able to react to situations quickly when there are quality issues can be more difficult when dealing with international supply. What is the back up plan?

■ What are the capabilities of your glass supplier to resolve problems and how quickly can they react?

46 Innovation 2015

2. Are the bottle(s) that you have selected compatible with your other packaging components? You are likely sourcing other packaging components such as labels, corks, closures, capsules, and boxes.

It is important to supply your vendors with bottle drawings that have their manufacturing dimensions and tolerances (called “bottle drawing specification sheets”)which include all the critical specifications. Simply supplying a bottle sample does not always provide the most accurate information as all bottles have tolerances +/- specifications. Suppliers of closures, capsules and labels need to understand what those specifications are, and can be provided by your glass supplier. Label sizing has become an area of concern. Glass manufacturers have recommended label panel sizes for each glass bottle style also known as “molds”.

Your glass representative will be happy to provide those to you.

3. For the small lot wine producers, a variety of bottles is not always efficient.

Sourcing end lots or numerous shapes of bottles puts a lot of emphasis for the winery to coordinate numerous packaging materials. Try to streamline your bottle selections to 2 or 3 bottle styles (also known as molds) so you can increase efficiency in forecasting, ordering and supply chain logistics. It will also provide production line efficiencies that gained through longer production runs and limiting production change over- downtime, improving your cost to acquire packaging components.

You can be assured that TricorBraun WinePak will be able to guide you in both your bottle selection as well as all logistics surrounding your packaging needs. We have nearly 35 years’ experience in supplying the wine industry and over 100 years of supplying packaging components.

Please see more about how we can help you get your quality wines to your customers by going to www.tricorbraunwinepak.com Call Heidi Cook at 604-649-5623

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