Ingo Grady’s Post

The erratic weather pattern of the past two Okanagan winters was a shot across the bow of the good ship known as the Okanagan wine region. And the motley crew of local vintners are justifiably panicked and in survival mode. Much has been written about our industry's plight lately, but nothing more compelling than Michael Kullman's 'Love Letter of Hard Truths.' His eloquent and thought-provoking piece in Wines & Vines  (https://lnkd.in/gNWHZiT) is a must-read for everyone who cares deeply about the wines from here. His winery, Osoyoos-Larose, is an excellent example of brand building in pursuing excellence. The owners, Bordeaux-based Groupe Taillan, realized early on (1998) that the Okanagan Valley is a relatively tiny growing area, making high-volume, entry-level wine production near impossible. Thus, the focus is, or ought to be, on distinctive, hand-crafted quality wines. There are only two markets for wine: those besotted by quality and those besotted by price. If you're only known for making cheap wine, you're always vulnerable to being beaten on price. Quality is harder to create, but consumers know quality when they taste it. The survival of our wine region depends on those wineries that can stay the course of excellence, those that, after overcoming a temporary setback, realize that the future of 'Brand Okanagan' is all about growing even better grapes and making even better wine. Easier said than done. Those who believe we have arrived fail to recognize that we're still emerging and must be better. Globally, we're more a curiosity than an establishment. And we will never amount to much unless we insist on authentic industry leadership without petty jealousies and self-serving business strategies. We accomplish this with excellent wines, with quiet confidence and humility, but also with justifiable pride. But not with iconographic edifices and displays of elitist arrogance. Let's hope we will emerge from this with a shared vision and a strategic plan to drive long-term growth. Our best is yet to come, and the Okanagan Valley will be the most extraordinary "Next World" region one day.