iN NUMBERS: Record-breaking Okanagan vineyard growing conditions in 2025

Wineries have been going through a rough patch in the last few years with cold snaps and heat waves decimating crops, but things were looking up in 2025 for the entire Southern Interior.

Wines of BC released its report for 2025 and found record setting growing degree days.

Growing degree days are an important metric vineyards use to calculate accumulated heat to predict how well crops will grow. They aren’t calendar days, they track the amount of heat a crop gets on days between 10 Celsius and 30 C.

Essentially, more growing degree days means better conditions for crops and gardens.

The Okanagan measured record high growing degree days, and wineries are thrilled with better quality as a result.

“We replanted our estate vineyard in the spring of 2025 and we were ecstatic to see such incredible growth in our baby vines in the first year. Our growers from the Summerland area had some of the highest yields we have seen in years across all varietals,” SpearHead Winery’s viticulturalist Lisa Jansen said in the report.

Here are the numbers:

• 3: Years of challenging weather for vineyards in the Okanagan — 2022 through 2024 — are in the rearview with a great season in 2025.
• 7: Varietals stood out with particular success in 2025: Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Viognier.
• 1,692: Growing degree days were recorded in Summerland, more than 200 above average.
• 1,806: Growing degree days were recorded in West Kelowna, more than 400 above average.
• 1,826: Growing degree days were recorded in Naramata Bench, more than 400 above average.
• 1,722: Growing degree days were recorded in Kamloops, more than 300 above average.
• 1,331: Growing degree days were recorded in Salmon Arm, more than 100 above average.
• 36: Tonnes of ice wine grapes were harvested in 2025, according to reports.
• 90: Per cent of a full crop. That’s the estimate for 2025’s BC grape harvest.
• 50: Per cent of a full crop. That was the estimate for 2024’s BC grape harvest.