Clinton News Record, 2016-09-07, Page 1818 News Record • Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Ontario grape growers enjoying a banner harvest due to hot and dry summer
John Miner
Postmedia Network
The hot and dry weather
that menaced crops in much
of southern Ontario this
summer has turned out to be
a blessing for the province's
grape growers, who expect to
reap a banner harvest.
"Going into the fall we
have everything set to have a
spectacular year," said Mat-
thias Oppenlaender, chair of
the Grape Growers of
Ontario association.
"We are expecting a stellar
year, for sure," he said.
While some areas in South-
ern Ontario were more parched
than others, Oppenlaender said
many grape growers in the
extremely dryNiagara area had
access to irrigation.
Grapes have deep roots, so
they're able to withstand
drought conditions better
than many other crops.
The hot, dry conditions
also reduce disease pres-
sures on the crop, Oppen-
laender said.
"Too much rain is worse
than not enough. We really
do prefer a dry year," he said.
The near -ideal conditions
this year come after a few
tough years for Ontario
grape growers when plung-
ing winter temperatures
damaged vines.
At Maelstrom Winery in
Huron County, near Clinton,
Catherine Landsborough said
the growing season had a gen-
tle, easy start with no late spring
frosts to threaten the crop.
The hot and dry conditions
that followed have condensed
the juices in the grapes.
"While the berries are
small, they are going to be
very flavourful. We are
expecting a wonderful vin-
tage," said Landsborough.
Marc Alton of Alton Farms
Estate Winery, near Forest in
Lambton County is also
expecting a great year for
grape and wine production.
"This year looks very good.
The grapes are nice, they're
ripening nicely. They are
fairly small, so they will be
high sugar and low water
content," Alton said.
Maelstrom Winery and
Alton Farms Estate Winery are
part of an expansion beyond
the traditional wine -producing
areas of Ontario. Earlier this
summer, Dark Horse Estate
Winery opened at Grand Bend
on an 85 -acre site next to the
Huron Country Playhouse.
What Ontario grape grow-
ers are hoping for now is a
nice dry fall with warm days
of temperatures in the low -
to mid-20s and cooler nights,
Oppenlaender said.
"That really helps," he said.
Ontario's wine industry
• More than 180 wineries,
producing about 71 per cent of
total Canadian wine volume
• Nearly 7,000 hectares of
vines in the province's east-
ern, southern and south-
western areas.
• Total farm gate value of
Ontario grapes exceeded
$63.5 million in 2015
• 97 per cent of grape pro-
duction is used for wine
products
Clinton pool gets lots of use this summer
Justine Alkema/Clinton News Record
The pool in Clinton was a popular spot to cool down and have fun during this
particularly hot and dry summer. Pictured here are kids from the community enjoying
the tail end of the hot weather as fall quickly approaches.
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Contributed photo
The OLG Clinton Racetrack and
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