Between Flowering and Berry Set in Summerland, Okanagan Valley
Right now at Solvero Winery in Summerland, BC, both Garnet Valley and Happy Valley vineyards are moving from flowering into berry set. This is a short stage in the Okanagan growing season, but it plays a direct role in how the vintage develops.
Flowering has finished, and the vines are beginning to form berries. Each flower can become a grape, but only if the timing lines up. Some remain; others drop. What stays on the vine determines how clusters form and how fruit ripens as we move toward harvest in the Okanagan Valley.
At this point in the season, our work is focused on observation. We’re walking each block to see how the vines are progressing across both vineyard sites. Garnet Valley, with its steeper terrain and varied soils, moves at a different pace from Happy Valley. Happy Valley is more even, but still shows changes depending on location within the site.
There’s little to adjust during this phase. The vines are setting the structure of the crop. What happens now will carry through the rest of the growing season and into the wines we produce here in Summerland.
A Summer Weekend at Solvero and Across Bottleneck Drive
Last month in Summerland, BC, we took part in two events that reflect different ways to experience wine in the Okanagan Valley.
On Friday, June 19th, we hosted Sip. Stretch. Socialize. at the Solvero tasting room patio from 6 to 8 pm. The event was sold out. Guests began with an outdoor yoga session led by Tara Newbigging, followed by a relaxed gathering with wine, charcuterie, and conversation with winemaker Alison Moyes.
There was no formal tasting structure. The focus was on open discussion: how decisions are made in the vineyard and cellar, and what the current stage of the season means for the wines. With the vineyards moving into berry set, the timing connected the conversation directly to what is happening now in Summerland vineyards.
At the same time, the Grand Sommelier Express brought together producers from across Bottleneck Drive, one of the Okanagan’s key wine and tourism routes. We poured alongside local wineries, cideries, breweries, and distilleries while the train moved through the valley.
The event gave guests a way to explore Summerland wine and local producers in one setting and speak directly with the people behind each label, drawing strong attendance throughout the weekend.
These two experiences, one at the winery, one across the region, reflect how visitors can engage with wine in Summerland, whether at the tasting room or through broader Okanagan wine events.
