Monthly R&D Series – Fall Sessions
A great opportunity for industry to get involved with the BCWGC R&D Committee, meet the researchers and bring your questions to the table. These monthly R&D series are for industry to participate in an informal virtual discussion on research priorities that support BC enology and viticulture.
Join us via Zoom from 9:00 - 10:00 on any of the "Third Thursday" R&D sessions
October 20, 2022
Dr. Elizabeth M Wolkovich, UBC-WRC - How climate change reshapes terroir: Why the Okanagan may be less resilient than other regions
Climate change is reshaping the terroir of the world's current and future winegrowing regions, with winners and losers determined in part by how growers adapt---or not. I will review my lab's models of winegrape development to show that dire predictions of the demise of winegrowing are strongly mitigated by planting varieties phenologically matched to the regional and local climate. Current estimates, however, are at coarse spatial and temporal scales, making them difficult for growers to use. Applying these global models at vineyard scales requires new approaches, and increased research on the diversity of varieties available. This is especially true in newer growing regions, which generally exploit very little of winegrapes' tremendous diversity, making the resilience of these regions potentially lower than established regions.
Using the Okanagan as an example, I outline how improved phenological models with variety research at the local scale can help build resilient agricultural systems, both by guiding management each season and through critical planning for long-term shifts.
More info: https://stateofwine.org/
Membership on the R&D Committee is open to all grape growers and winery representatives, in good standing, on a voluntary basis as well as non-voting members who are partners and stakeholders.