Let someone else worry about bubbles Up Front


By Bryden Winsby A


nd so, the question could be asked, just howmany successful wineries can this province


sustain? The number of start-ups just keeps on growing, as does the quality of what’s being produced. But surely the bubble will burst soon. You’d think that one of themost


prominent figures in the industry would bemore than ready to retire after a long career that saw himbuild the largest wine company in the country.Well, there’s apparently no fear of a bursting bubble in Don Triggs’ non-retirement plans, as evidenced with the newly-opened Culmina Family EstateWinery. As Associate Editor Judie Steeves


describes in her profile of the venture, it’s no laid-back, twilight-years hobby farm. There’s a very high degree of sophistication at play, fromvineyard site decisions and rootstock selection to start-of-the-art equipment and winemaking technique. You can see for yourself when it


opens to the public in August. Of course,many other winemakers


don’t have the resources ofMr. Triggs, and successmeans trimming costs wherever possible, and that’s where NormCole’s Artusmobile bottling operation has filled a niche. Space and equipment costs are saved by specially- equipped trailer units that roll up to the winery and look after the whole process, frombottle washing to packaging the finished product. F0r some people, winemaking is just


part of a wider operation. A case in point is detailed by Contributing Writer SusanMcIver in her profile of Troy and SaraHarker, the Cawston couple who were the recipients of this year’s B.C. Outstanding Young Farmer Award. Fruit wines have been added to


what’s being produced on their property, which includes an 18-acre orchard containing varieties of apples, peaches, pears, nectarines and cherries. Elsewhere in this issue, we’ve got


some coverage of this year’s horticultural forum, where recognition was paid to several of the B.C. tree fruit industry’s best orchardists. Among the symposium speakers was Jerry Cross, a


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Ideal for use in vineyards, fruit orchards and berry production, the L1 spreader is mounted with row equipment made of stainless steel. The spreader is fitted with a hopper with a width of only 125 cm (49”) for narrow distances between rows of plants, bushes or trees.


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recognized expert in integrated pest management, who shared details of research he’s been involved with in England to come up with some interesting alternatives to protect pome fruits.


And speaking of pests, there’s an


added approach being taken to try and control starling populations in the Okanagan-Similkameen region. Growers and the public at-large are being encouraged to disrupt nesting sites. The aimis to reduce the number of juvenile starlings that form small flocks and are particularly destructive. Growers are also being encouraged


to continue doing their bit in support of efforts to control SpottedWing Drosophila, the tiny fly that is posing a serious threat to soft fruit and berry crops. We’ve also got a piece on the report


released recently by a panel of 15 experts on the subject ofwater use in agriculture. They have recommended five areas in which there should be more research and in which action should be taken toward more sustainable management of this


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most essential resource. Good water management is one of


the key elements in producing consistently high-quality fruit and our resident adviser, Peter Waterman continues his discourse on that subject and several others in his OrchardManagement column. Back to grapes and wine, Gary


Strachan delves into a couple of complex topics (at least for me) — math and flavonoids. In the former instance, he suggests using something called a Pearson Square for winemaking calculations, and in the latter we learn all about important factors in wine colour and palate (not, as I initially thought, alien invaders from the planet Flavon). Still with the care and feeding of


grapes, Gary also offers tips on how to spot and respond to symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Have a great summer!


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