Wine growers in the Okanagan are growing concerned about wildfire as temperatures throughout the region rise.

Former Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart says a dry winter and spring have made local forests highly susceptible to wildfire caused by lightning strikes and human activity.

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As the owner of Quails’ Gate Winery, Stewart says he’s already stepped up efforts to protect his grapes from the heat.

“We’re irrigating heavily right now because the ground where the vines are has been so dry. The numbers are unprecedented — the dryness in the soil,” he said.

Aside from crops themselves catching fire, Stewart says vineyards are worried about smoke.

“Usually in the first part of August, the grapes start to soften and go into what they call ‘veraison,’ where the skins are soft, and they can absorb some of the smoke molecules, and that in turn creates a problem when it comes to the winemaking,” Stewart explained.

He says wine growers are forced to spend extra money on lab testing to ensure smoke hasn’t affected the product. If it has, wineries have the technology to remove the harmful molecules, but he says it compromises the essence of the Okanagan flavours.

As a retired politician, Stewart says he’d like to see the BC Wildfire Service given all the resources it needs to deploy initial attack crews as early as possible, and for local governments to prepare for worst-case scenarios at all times.

As a wine grower, he says early budding bodes well for a “great vintage” come harvest season.