Geography: Lake Okanagan, at 144 kilometres long and 3.5 kilometres average width, is the source of much-needed water for irrigation for vines in the Okanagan Valley.

Clone: The mutation of a species. Growers select and propagate clones selected for such desirable qualities as early ripening, vivid flavour and deep colour.*

Terroir: Borrowed from the French, this term encompasses the entire environment–soil, climate, aspect–that makes a vineyard special.*

Vinifera: A species of grape–Vitis Vinifera–that produces the classic wine grapes that have spread from the vineyards of Europe.*

Geography: The southern Okanagan Valley in the area between Oliver and the border is classified as part of the Sonora Desert, which runs south to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.

*Schreiner, John - British Columbia Wine Country, Whitecap Books Ltd., 2003

  
 
 

The following represents a list of research and development projects previously undertaken, funded or partially funded by the British Columbia Wine Institute.

2000

  
  • A geographic information system (GIS) for viticulture in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys.
(Dr. Pat Bowen - PARC)		  
  This proposed database is a compilation of basic information necessary to determine characteristics of quality, site selection and future R&D projects. It ties in well with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and may replace the out-dated 'Atlas of Suitable Grape Growing Locations in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys of B.C.'. It will be necessary to utilize vineyard weather stations in order to gather data and cooperation will be necessary by both growers and wineries.  
  • Development of an integrated pest management program for B.C. grapes.
(Dr. Tom Lowery & Dr. Gary Judd - PARC)		  
  Monitoring populations of leafhoppers, cutworms, wireworms, thrips, mites and beneficial insects in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Grower education and monitoring of vineyards will be a part of this project.  
  • Control of weeds in grape plantings in B.C.
(Dr. Eugene Hogue - PARC)		  
  To evaluate the efficacy and crop safety of registered and non-registered pre-emergence herbicides in new and established grapes on different soil types. Soil types for testing: rocky soils, silty loam, sandy soils and sandy/loam soils. Will also include the accumulation of data required for safe and effective weed control treatments and for minor use registration.  
  • Management of Grape Powdery Mildew and Bunch Rot in B.C.
(Dr. Peter Sholberg - PARC)		  
 

To monitor temperature, leaf wetness and relative humidity in vineyards strategically located in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in order to forecast primary infection of powdery mildew and susceptibility and ability to infect and decay wine grapes with bunch rot. To forecast infection using appropriate models and to provide information for reducing or eliminating bunch rot sprays.

Download PDF #1
Download PDF #2
Download PDF #3

 
  • Factors affecting the production of volatile acids in Icewine.
(Dr. Hennie van Vuuren - B.C. Wine Research Centre, UBC)		  
  Microorganisms will be isolated from the Icewine must prior to fermentation, identified and tested for their ability to produce volatile acidity (“V.A.”). As well, studies will be made with different wine yeasts for their ability to produce lower levels of V.A., and the effects of fermentation temperatures and sulphur additions prior to fermentation on the production of volatile acids.  
  • Brettanomyces spp. in wineries in the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island.
(Dr. Hennie van Vuuren - B.C. Wine Research Centre, UBC)		  
 

Brettanomyces spp. will be isolated and identified from BCWI wineries in the Okanagan Valley and
Vancouver Island. The level of contamination for each participating winery will be established and each isolate will be characterized by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA polymerase Chain Reaction.

Laboratory scale fermentations will also be conducted and the effect of brettanomyces contamination on wine quality will be determined by GC/MS and sensory analysis of the wines.

Download PDF

2001

  
  • Development of solar energy trapping techniques for advancing bud break and accelerating early shoot development in Okanagan vineyards.
(Dr. Pat Bowen – PARC)		  
  This project will evaluate different plastic mulches and ventilated plastic cordon sleeves and combinations thereof, to establish if bud break can be advanced, and if this would result in earlier maturity.  
  • Compositional Evaluation of Okanagan Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Grapes.
(Dr. Benoit Girard – PARC, Dr. Nigel Eggers – OUC and Dr. Pat Bowen – PARC)		  
 

This project will investigate organic acids, phenolics, flavour volatiles and nitrogen status of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in 8 different zones throughout the Okanagan. This study will provide valuable information for the ongoing Geographic Information System (GIS) database. From this we should be able to draw conclusions regarding the effect of site selection, soil, condition, management practices, etc. on the various quality parameters studied. It will also help develop more efficient analytical techniques.

2002

  
  •Management of Grape Pests and Improved Fruit Quality with Altered Pruning Practices.
(Dr. D. Thomas Lowery, Principle Investigator)		  
  Download PDF  

 

 • Aging of BC Wines.
(Dr. Hennie van Vuuren - B.C. Wine Research Centre, UBC)		  
  This project will support the BC Wine Library. Selected wines will be aged under temperature and humidity controlled conditions and will be tasted every year by a sensory panel for 24 years or until the wine is spoilt. Volatiles such as alcohols, esters, ketones, and sulphur compounds will be identified and quantified. Raman spectrometry will be employed to study phenolic compounds. Wines produced in British Columbia as well as international wines (as standards) will be analyzed. The changes in the sensory and chemical composition of each wine will be documented. The ability of wines from different microclimates in the Okanagan to age well (or not age well) will be correlated with viticulture and enology practices in the Okanagan.  
  • Monitoring grapevine and soil water relations to develop irrigation recommendations for the Okanagan Valley.
(Dr. Pat Bowen - PARC)		  
 

The relationship between stomatal conductance and leaf temperature relative to the temperatures of wet and dry surfaces will be analyzed to develop procedures for monitoring stomatal conductance based on infrared thermometry.

Monitoring will also take place in vineyards differing in soil texture and crop vigour level. Analysis of the relationships among these variables will be used to determine best methods (low cost and efficient) to detect early water stress and reduced stomatal conductance and to make irrigation threshold recommendations.

The experiments will be conducted at two sites differing in soil texture and dry-down dynamics. A TDR system with data logger will be installed for a period of time in different vineyards to monitor soil wetting and dry-down in response to the existing irrigation regime.

This information will be used to better understand the dynamics of water application and use, and to make recommendations to improve the efficiency of vineyard irrigation. This project will be funded for three years.

  
  • Evaluation of calcium sprays to control grape powdery mildew and improve fruit quality.
(Dr. Pat Bowen - PARC)		  
 

Given the effect of foliar calcium that was demonstrated in a small-plot experiment, further research will be conducted on a larger scale and at more than one site to test the effects on powdery mildew and fruit quality.

It is important to determine any effects on leafhopper population dynamics if calcium is to be considered in an IPM program. An experiment is thus proposed at two sites in which calcium chloride will be compared with sulphur and/or Nova, and water (control) sprays. The effects on powdery mildew, leafhopper populations, vine physiology (shoot development) and fruit quality will be determined over the growing season.

  
  • Management of Grape Pests and Improved Fruit Quality with Altered Pruning Practices.
(Dr. Tom Lowery - PARC)		  
 

This project will evaluate the effect of early season (June) leaf removal, suckering and shoot thinning on leafhopper and erineum mite populations as well as on botrytis incidence. Impact on fruit quality, bud development and next season yields will also be measured. This research will complement the integrated pest management project already under way.

2003

  
  • Extension of the Geographic Information System (GIS).
(Dr. Pat Bowen – PARC)		  
 

This will include the development of three new modules for the GIS map. One module will add soil classifications to the existing vineyard maps. Another module will use the existing VQA database to explore the relationships between wine quality characteristics, viticultural practices and vineyard site conditions. The third module will study the effects of mesoclimate (microclimate) on ripening patterns within existing vineyards.

Six monitors per acre, supplied by INTEL’s research lab in Berkeley, CA, will record temperatures every ten minutes. This module will also be useful in the prediction of frost pockets. Feasibility of posting vineyard maps on the internet will also be explored, keeping in mind that confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

Download PDF

 
  • Minor use registration of Pendimethalin (Prowl) for weed control.
(Dr. Gene Hogue – PARC) 		 
  Due to reports of increasing resistance to Glyphosate (Roundup), particularly in Canada Fleabane and Watson’s Willow herb, there is a growing need for an alternative to Roundup. Gene will investigate what needs to done to get registration for Pendimethalin.  
  • Starling Control Program.  
  This project will set up and monitor starling traps throughout the Okanagan Valley. Plans for building your own traps will be made available shortly.  
  • New strategies for management of grape diseases.
(Dr. Peter Sholberg)		  
 

This project will further refine the powdery mildew (PM) disease forecasting models by incorporating spore traps to indicate the beginning of the presence of the disease-causing organism. It will also attempt to validate botrytis development models, giving particular attention to infection at bloom time.

Furthermore Peter and his team will design a DNA probe for powdery mildew. This will allow us to detect early presence of powdery mildew on spore traps, since PM cannot be grown on media for early detection.

Download PDF

 
  • Sluggish and stuck alcoholic fermentations.
(Dr. Hennie van Vuuren - B.C. Wine Research Centre, UBC)		  
 

Stuck fermentations are often the cause of microbial contamination, leading to high volatile acidity, production of H S and other spoilage compounds or undesired residual sugar in wines.

The proposed research will isolate and characterize contaminants from stuck fermentations, establish if there is a link to copper containing pesticide or fungicide residues and investigate, through DNA microarray analysis, the expression of most of the genes in wine yeast cells, to provide an insight into physiological processes in the cell that are no longer functioning at the level of transcription.

  
  • Development of IPM tools and strategies for the management of wireworms and click beetles.
(Dr. Bob Vernon - PARC, Agassiz and Dr. Tom Lowery - PARC, Summerland)		  
 

This project will identify which species of click beetle is causing the damage to grapes in the interior, determine it’s life cycle, develop monitoring tools and investigate options for integrated management of this pest such as trap crops, biological controls and pheromone traps.

  
  • Response of Merlot Grapevines to Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation in the Okanagan Valley.
(Pat Bowen, Carl Bogdanoff, Brad Estergaard and Steve Marsh – PARC)		  
 

The effects of sprinkler versus drip irrigation on vine development and fruit maturation were explored over two years in a Merlot vineyard with a sandy soil in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

Download PDF #1
Download PDF #2

2004

  
  • Development of a pheromone trap for monitoring and managing the sugarbeet wireworm Limonius californicus, the main species of click beetle attacking grapes in the Okanagan.
(In cooperation with Simon Fraser University, Phero Tech and Dr. John Borden - PARC Agassiz)		  
  They will identify and synthesize all pheromone components of this click beetle to be used as an attractant for monitoring and possibly also controlling populations through mass trapping, mating disruption or “attract and kill” devices.  
  • Effects of interactions between deficit irrigation, vine balance and leaf removal timing on vine physiology, fruit quality and disease and insect pressure in Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon.
(Dr. Pat Bowen - PARC Summerland)		  
 

This project will focus on the effects of deficit irrigation on coarse textured soils in the South Okanagan. Within the growing season three factors must be managed to optimize fruit development while minimizing the risk of delayed fruit maturation, low yields, and poor cane ripening. These are: fruit light microclimate, vine balance and water supply.

Two experiments, each with deficit irrigation treatments, will be conducted: one that includes vine balance levels, and the other with timing of leaf removal. The effects of the treatments on vine and leaf physiology, fruit yield, berry quality, and the incidence of pests and diseases will be determined. Carry-over effects of the treatments to the following year will also be studied.

  
  • Development of key flavour and aroma volatiles in Okanagan Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
(Dr. Kevin Usher – PARC Summerland, and Dr. Nigel Eggers – OUC Kelowna)		  
 

Project starts in 2005. The climate of our southern regions is suited to produce excellent flavours and aromas in these Bordeaux grapes. Characteristic aromas of Merlot grapes arise from isoprenoids and thiols whereas Cabernet Sauvignon possesses methoxypyrazines in addition to isoprenoids and thiols. Too low or too high concentrations of these compounds can have drastic consequences on wine quality.

Cultural practices and climate have been shown to influence these flavour volatiles in different ways. This suggests that the different types of flavour volatiles develop independently of each other. It is difficult to grow grapes so that the development and timing of each class of flavours is optimal.

This project proposes to study how the different classes of flavour volatiles develop throughout the growing season and how they progress during ripening and how this relates to cultural practices and environmental conditions.

  
  • Insecticide Efficacy Trials.
(Dr. Tom Lowery – PARC)		  
 

This project has been approved but deferred. This project will evaluate several insecticides for efficacy against leafhoppers, cutworm, and click beetle. These include formulated extracts from neem, Azadirachta indica, horticultural oils, and the insect growth regulator buprofezin (Applaud) for leafhoppers, and spinosad (Success) and B.T. for the control of cutworm.

Three rates of each insecticide will be applied to replicated plots of grapes at PARC Summerland, or possibly to non-bearing grapes in commercial vineyards. In addition to efficacy data, numbers of beneficial insects and mites will also be counted.

2005

  
  • Identification and management of grape sour rot in British Columbia.
(Dr. Peter Sholberg – PARC)		  
 

Sour rot is an important disease of wine grapes that destroyed thousands of dollars of grapes
during the 2004 growing season. It is characterized by browning of the grape berry, breakdown
of the internal tissues and a strong vinegary odor. The presence of fruit flies is also a distinctive
feature of this rot. The etiology of this disease has not been studied in Canada. The objectives of
our research was to study the cause of sour rot, develop molecular techniques for identification
of the pathogens involved in this disease, and test possible control strategies.

Download PDF

 
  • Nutritional requirements for maintenance of healthy vines and highest quality grapes.
(Dr. Gerry Neilsen - PARC)		  
 

Recently, there have been reports of vines with poor vigour and weak growth, which may be a result of nutrient deficiency, compounded by overcropping. Low vigour can also be a consequence of excessive root damage, resulting from soil nematodes. This project will correlate vine nutrition and quality of grapes in a number of soils in the Okanagan/ Simlkameen and determine if nematodes play a role in vines showing poor vigour.

Download PDF

 
  • Identification of Factors that Contribute to Berry Shrivel (Arrested Fruit Development) in the Okanagan Valley.
(Dr. Pat Bowen – PARC) 		 
  Berry shrivel incidence occurs at seriously high levels in some Okanagan Valley vineyards where it causes significant yield and quality losses, and/or high costs associated with cluster thinning. Low-level shrivel incidence is more common in the Okanagan, and can remain undetected while it reduces crop quality by contaminating the harvest with afflicted “non-ripe” clusters. This project proposes to characterize the mesoclimate and vine physiology in shrivel-prone and non-prone vineyards. Based on the patterns found, we will develop causal theories and test these by conducting experiments including treatments that either enhance or reduce shrivel incidence. The information obtained will be used to make recommendations to the industry to reduce berry shrivel incidence in the Okanagan Valley.  
  • Timing of Polyethylene Sleeve Application and Removal to Advance Fruit Maturity in Two Merlot Vineyards.
(Pat Bowen, Carl Bogdanoff, Brad Estergaard and Steve Marsh – PARC)		  
 

The effects of application and removal timing for polyethylene vine canopy enclosures (sleeves) was studied in two Okanagan Valley vineyards.

Download PDF #1
Download PDF #2

 
  • Controlling wasps without insecticides.
(H. Buchler)		  
 

While the wasp populations in most vineyards were lower than last year, some of the very early, thin-skinned varietals still suffered some damage. The culprits belong to the family of vespidae, with the European paper wasp appearing in the largest numbers, followed by the yellow jackets and the bald faced hornets.

Download PDF

 
  • Insect and Mite Pests of the Grape of the Southern Interior of B.C.  
 

This publication is a companion to the Management Guide for Grapes for Commercial Growers, British Columbia Wine Institute, Kelowna BC.

Download PDF

2006

  
  •2006 Project Summary
 
 

Download PDF

 
  •Brett Odor Project Results Summary
 
 

Download PDF

 
 

You'll need Adobe Reader to see the PDF files that appear on this page.

 
 
© 2006 British Columbia Wine Institute.  All rights reserved.