British Columbia Wine Grape Council

Grape Day, part of the Commodity Days Series
2025-11-26 13:00 - 16:30 (America/Vancouver) | UNC Ballroom, 3272 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
Save the Date! November 26th at UBC Okanagan campus.
Open to all members of industry!
Co-hosted by the University of British Columbia and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, hear updates on the 6 ongoing S-CAP funded research projects for wine grapes in the morning. Stay for lunch, and a presentation on smoke taint as well as a sensory analysis of affected and treated wines. There will be ample time for discussion and networking. We looking forward to seeing you once the hustle of harvest is past it’s peak!
Activity #4: Vegetation management for long-term productivity and enhanced ecosystem services in Canadian semi-arid vineyards
Activity #5: Managing grapevine viruses and their arthropod vectors
Activity #6: Sustainable control of grapevine trunk diseases under a changing climate
Activity #7: Precision management of grapevine stress and development under the challenges of climate change
Activity #8: Prediction, prevention, and mitigation of smoke-taint (and other air-borne aromas) in grapes and wines
Activity #9: Influence of temperature and heat-stress mitigation strategies on grape quality in British Columbia vineyards
Parking information:
Park in H Lot, pay by Honk app or pay station ($8.45/day) and walk up hill to University Centre building.
View map: UBCOkanagan_CampusMap
Register here

Virtual Workshop: Interpreting Your Soil Test
2025-12-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
The Ministry of Agriculture & Food invites you to register for their upcoming Virtual Workshop: Interpreting Your Soil Test
If you recently submitted a soil sample for analysis and have a soil test report but aren’t sure what it means, join the Ministry of Agriculture & Food for a virtual hands-on workshop to help you decode soil test results and learn how to use them for better crop, fertilizer, and land management decisions. If you haven’t submitted your soil sample yet, deadline is December 1.
To get the most out of the workshop, please bring along your test results. Even if you have not received your test results or you did not submit one, you are still welcome to attend!
December 16, 2025 from 10:00-12:00 PT.
REGISTER HERE: VIRTUAL WORKSHOP – Interpreting Your Soil Test Report Tickets | Eventbrite
Download Brochure Here

BCWGC December 18, 2025 R&D Committee Meeting
2025-12-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Dr. Mamadou Lamine, Dr. Odile Carisse, and Dr. Kosal Khun; AAFC Quebec – Developing and validating disease detection tools to improve the management of powdery mildew and botrytis rot in vineyards.
The presentation will focus on Activity 16, Objective 4 of the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Program Projects being conducted at AAFC labs in Quebec. The project involves collating weather, crop, disease and injuries yield data from field experiments; designing the forecasting model based on pathogens life cycle; evaluating the reliability of the model structure; and, evaluating the forecasting models under vineyard conditions based on disease control, yield losses, and the number of fungicide applications.
Register here

BCWGC February 19, 2026 R&D Committee Meeting
2026-01-08 08:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
February 19, 2026 – 12:00 – 1:00 – Hannah Charnock, Brock University – Mitacs Proposal – Tracking Provincial Sparkling Wine Harvest Chemistry & Characterizing Chemical and Sensory Qualities of BC Bubbles
Sparkling wine is a growing market segment, highlighting clear opportunities for domestic development. In BC, producers face significant vintage-to-vintage variability driven by climate pressures, yet there is currently no central framework to track harvest chemistry or characterize the composition of finished sparkling wines across regions. This project addresses that gap by establishing a provincial harvest chemistry database for key sparkling wine varieties alongside sensory and chemical benchmarking of finished wines, providing practical tools to support data-driven harvest decision-making and long-term category development with enhanced quality and resilience.
Researcher Bio: Hannah Charnock holds a PhD in Oenology & Viticulture from Brock University, where her research focused on the chemistry of sparkling wine aging. She recently completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Bordeaux’s Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, conducting industry research on red wine aroma composition and sensory interactions. Her background includes harvests at premium sparkling wine producers in the UK, and industry leadership experience in sensory science and quality systems at Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Hannah holds her WSET Level 3 and a Certificate in Wine Business Management from the Goodman School of Business.
Register Here

BCWGC January 15, 2026 R&D Committee Meeting
2026-01-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
January 15, 2026 – 12:00 – 1:00 – Dr. Joanna Fountain, Lincoln University, NZ – Climate change impacts and adaptation options in cool climate wine regions: from knowledge to action
Bio/Introduction
Dr. Jo Fountain, is an Associate Professor at Lincoln University in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is a rural social scientist with diverse research interests focused on analysis of change and resilience in primary industries, tourism systems, and communities located in rural regions. Current projects include analysis of destination and tourist resilience in the face of natural hazard risks and ongoing and intensifying climate variability, and the changing shape of the wine industry in the context of climate change. Jo has been involved in cross-cultural and international research collaboration with colleagues in China/Hong Kong, Australia, Europe and Canada.
Climate change impacts and adaptation options in cool climate wine regions: from knowledge to action
The overall goal of this presentation is to explore synergies and opportunities for ongoing collaboration between New Zealand researchers and the goals of the BCGWC Climate Resilience Working Group. The current presentation will summarise preliminary findings from surveys and interviews conducted in the Okanagan wine region in summer 2025 as part of a larger project comparing experiences and opinions of New Zealand and Okanagan wine producers.
Dr Fountain will also discuss the recognised challenges in converting climate change knowledge to implementation of short and longer-term adaptation activities, and outline a new five-year multi-disciplinary project which aims to address the ‘Adaptation Gap’ in the New Zealand context.
Register here

Ag HR Management Training
2026-01-28 13:00 - 15:30 | Online
Join CAHRC for FREE Ag HR Management Training, a practical, agriculture-focused 8-week training program built specifically for the realities of farm and agri-food operations.
Start dates:

Cohort 1: Jan 28, live sessions on Wednesdays 1:00 to 3:30 pm PT
Cohort 2: Feb 4, live sessions on Wednesdays 1:00 to 3:30 pm PT
Cohort 3: February 4, live sessions on Wednesdays 1:00 to 3:30 pm Pacific

Register here

BC Agriculture HR Toolkit Walkthrough
2026-01-29 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
The BC Agriculture HR Toolkit is now live, a free online resource for employers across British Columbia.

120+ templates, guides & checklists
HR tools designed for agriculture
Free access for BC employers

Join CAHRC’s free toolkit walkthroughs! Learn the best way to utilize the Toolkit for your operation. Ask your questions and discover the benefits of this FREE resource.

Jan 29, 2026, 1:00 pm PT
Feb 19, 2026, 1:00 pm PT

Register here

Ag HR Management Training
2026-02-04 13:00 - 15:30 | Online
Join CAHRC for FREE Ag HR Management Training, a practical, agriculture-focused 8-week training program built specifically for the realities of farm and agri-food operations.
Start dates:

Cohort 1: Jan 28, live sessions on Wednesdays 1:00 to 3:30 pm PT
Cohort 2: Feb 4, live sessions on Wednesdays 1:00 to 3:30 pm PT

Register here

BCWGC February 19, 2026 R&D Committee Meeting
2026-02-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
February 19, 2026 – 12:00 – 1:00 – Hannah Charnock, Brock University – Tracking Provincial Sparkling Wine Harvest Chemistry & Characterizing Chemical and Sensory Qualities of BC Bubbles

Sparkling wine is a growing market segment, highlighting clear opportunities for domestic development. In BC, producers face significant vintage-to-vintage variability driven by climate pressures, yet there is currently no central framework to track harvest chemistry or characterize the composition of finished sparkling wines across regions. This project addresses that gap by establishing a provincial harvest chemistry database for key sparkling wine varieties alongside sensory and chemical benchmarking of finished wines, providing practical tools to support data-driven harvest decision-making and long-term category development with enhanced quality and resilience.
Researcher Bio:
Hannah Charnock holds a PhD in Oenology & Viticulture from Brock University, where her research focused on the chemistry of sparkling wine aging. She recently completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Bordeaux’s Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, conducting industry research on red wine aroma composition and sensory interactions. Her background includes harvests at premium sparkling wine producers in the UK, and industry leadership experience in sensory science and quality systems at Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. Hannah holds her WSET Level 3 and a Certificate in Wine Business Management from the Goodman School of Business.
Register here

Managing Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Australia and New Zealand
2026-02-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Summerland Research & Development Centre, 4200 Highway #97, Summerland, British Columbia, V0H 1Z0, Canada
Managing Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Australia and New Zealand
Wednesday February 25th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PST)

This presentation will be a great opportunity to learn what other grapevine growing regions are doing to mitigate the impact of such important diseases. Please refer to the attached pdf flyer for more information on Dr. Sosnowski’s seminar.
The seminar will be in person at the Summerland RDC main conference room and provided virtually by MS teams.
Registration to attend this seminar either in person (limited to 50 people) or online via MS Teams is required.
If you would like to attend, please send an email to joseramon.urbeztorres@agr.gc.ca indicating the following:

I will attend in person (limited to 50 people, first come – first served). Registration deadline for in Person attendance is Tuesday February 10 end of business day
If attending in Person, please also provide in your email your Citizenship or Canadian permanent-resident status (non-Canadian citizens and non-permanent residents will need to submit extra information to access the Summerland RDC as per Canada Federal Government policy)
I will attend Virtually (Link will be provided 24 h before the seminar). Registration deadline for Virtual Attendance is Monday February 23 end of business day

Please direct any questions to joseramon.urbeztorres@agr.gc.ca
Click here to request to attend

BCWGC March 19, 2026 R&D Committee Meeting
2026-03-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
March 19, 2026 – 12:00 – 1:00 – BCAC & AgSafe, Producer Emergency Awareness Session
Emergencies can strike without warning so make sure you and your farm are prepared. This session will provide information on how to build a farm-specific emergency plan to increase the resilience of your farm. We’ll also explain the emergency response framework in BC and the tools available to help you before and during an emergency.
Presenters:
Ken Nickel – BC Agriculture Council
Reg Steward – AgSafe BC
Bios:
Ken Nickel was the Executive Director responsible for BC Ministry of Agriculture participation in emergency events affecting agriculture in BC for 14 years. Ken currently oversees the BCAC-led “BC Agriculture Sector Coordinated Emergency Response Structure Project” for all 30 BCAC member organizations.
Reg Steward, AgSafe Superintendent of Field Operations / safety consultant / rancher, served in the RCMP for many years. His background made him invaluable as an Agriculture Liaison for many regional Emergency Operation Centers over the past decade.

Register here
