The B.C. government says wineries can import grapes and juice to make their 2024 vintages after “devastating” losses this winter.

The province says allowing winemakers to import grapes from outside B.C. is a “temporary measure” to prop-up hundreds of wineries and thousands of jobs after freezing weather wiped out this year’s harvest.

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says financially supporting the wineries will “protect jobs and maintain the cultural and economic vitality” of the industry.

The province says wineries indicated January’s “deep freeze” in the Okanagan that sent temperatures down to -20 C for several days had resulted in 90 per cent loss of grape production and damaged an estimated 15 per cent of vines.

“Really what we’re trying to do is be able to provide some relief, provide a temporary opportunity for wineries that choose to to be able to navigate some of the issues around importing and being able to produce wine that is made in B.C.,” Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development Roly Russell said on NL Newsday.

The B.C. government says the support measures will run from April 2025 until March 2026.

“It’s very much intended and built to be a temporary measure for a year to be able to support the wineries and make sure they can keep going so that they’re up and running when grape production comes back again,” Russell added.

Wine Growers British Columbia says wine made with imported ingredients will not be marketed or labelled as B.C. products.

President Miles Prodan says the grape losses had “threatened the viability” of the industry.

– With files from The Canadian Press