B.C. wineries celebrating earliest harvest on record

A hot summer has ledwineries across B.C. to experiencetheir earliest harvest yet, says the B.C. Wine Institute.

The harvest usually starts in September or October, but the institute said most wineries have already startedpicking their grapes.

Church &State Winesis especially grateful for its harvest; the southern Interior winery almost wentup in flames when forest fires nearOliver and Osoyoosracedtowardsits crop.

"From where we were we thought it had engulfed the building," said Church & State Wines co-ownerJohn Pullen.

While none of the province's wineries were damaged by the wildfires, many of the producers wondered how the smoke would affect their crops.

In the case of Church & State Wine, the owners were happily surprised by theresults.

"We have the best fruits we've ever seen, two to threeweeks in advance," said Pullen.

Best crop in years

Other producers in the region agree that this year's crop may be one of the best on record.

"We were facing extreme heat, but itproduced high-quality grapes," said Mathieu Mercier, winemaker for Osoyoos Larose.

"It's very, very good. Very concentrated, with lots of colour, lots of tannins, and a rich, fruity flavour."

Mike Watson, viticulturist for Constellation Brands Canadaand past chair of the B.C. Wine Grape Council, said he has been testing the area's grapes for signs of smoke.

"We have seen this before in 2003 where heavy smoke never amounted to anything for the wine or the fruit," said Watson in a written statement.

"If there are any affects from smoke aromas, it will be very site specific and will be monitored accordingly."