Hot summer has southwest Ontario grape farmers ready for big crop

Grape growers in southwest Ontario say this upcoming harvest is shaping up to give excellent grapes after two brutal winters nearly killed off their stock in back-to-back seasons.  

All summer, most of Ontario has been blanketed with hot, dry, weather. It's plagued cash crops like corn and beans — but not grapes. This weather is exactly what they need, says Tom O'Brien, a vintner in Harrow, Ont.

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"This is a great year," O'Brien told CBC News. "It's like the plants know they haven't grown berries in the last three years. They're producing amazing berries, and this heat .. it is absolutely wonderful for grapes." 

He said he's begun pruning back his crop to make sure the grapes retain their quality. That's a far cry from last year when he needed to supplement his crops with grapes from the neighbouring Niagara wine region.

Researchers at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., found during the winter of 2014-15 some grape varieties saw their survival rates at lower than 10 per cent.

This year, things are different, with a mild winter in 2015-16 and hot temperatures this summer.  

"The berries are going to be a little bit smaller, so the juice we get is going to be extremely concentrated with sugars and acids and all the flavours that make really good wines," O'Brien said.

On nearby Pelee Island, the hot summer has been called "picture-book perfect."

"The grapes on Pelee Island are sunbathing every day," said Walter Schmoranz, the president of Pelee Island Winery.

"The grapes have very deep roots and so far are looking great and it looks like a fantastic vintage." he said.