On the Importance of Winery Collaboration with Erin Korpisto, of Coferment Management

Image courtesy of Terravista Vineryards

With 222 licensed grape wineries and 1,234 vineyards, the Okanagan Valley boasts an important 86% of BC’s vineyard acreage. This acreage is a series of small to large-scale farmers and independent small businesses with families integrated into the fabric of our region - looking to make meaning by learning from and growing on the land.

And, after a difficult summer marked by wildfires and another cold snap at the beginning of January, it feels as though growing in this new era of extremes is proving to be challenging for grape growers and winery owners throughout the region.

The previous cold weather event in December 2022 caused a 39-56% decrease (compared to a typical year) in grape and wine production for the 2023 vintage. And, at the start of 2024, we experienced a recurrence of cold weather across the valley, mirroring or surpassing the damage faced in late 2022.

Further, in August 2023, the central Okanagan became a ghost town after visitors were asked to avoid the valley in response to the McDougall Creek wildfire. Winery owners found themselves paying staff who were promised jobs until the end of the season while navigating empty tasting rooms during historically busy months.

But it’s not just climate change that is contributing to the industry’s challenges. Rising shipping, labour, and land costs are making it increasingly difficult for small wineries to feel comfortable in their passion. And, although similar tests have been faced for years, the consistency of these crises seems to be making for uncharted waters.

To combat some of the challenges, Eric and Dallas Thor (of Terravista Vineyards) and Alan and Amy Dickinson (of Synchromesh Wines) founded Coferment Management in 2023. Managed by Erin Korpisto, DipWSET, Coferment is a cooperative management company that provides a comprehensive suite of business services to small wineries that share their ethos. To strengthen collaboration and sustainability within the industry. Wineries that take part will have access to shared business resources such as general management, strategic planning, bookkeeping, financial analysis, and shared hospitality teams.

“As the owner of a small winery, the responsibilities can be overwhelming, pulling owners and winemakers in multiple directions,” says Erin. “Coferment's goal is to alleviate this by taking on the administrative tasks, allowing winery owners to focus on the aspects of their business they love most. Small wineries don’t typically need a full-time bookkeeper or GM, but finding employees to take these roles part-time is challenging.” Through economies of scale, Coferment will be able to provide these business resources to winery owners without them having to hire x number of full-time staff.

The Inspiration Behind Coferment

“It started in 2020 when Alan Dickinson from Synchromesh began having some discussions with various small winery owners, friends, and colleagues, including Dallas and Eric Thor, about the struggles faced by small wineries. What could they do to combat them? How could they work together? They ended up having some real camaraderie and the idea for Coferment was born,” says Erin.

"Over time, Dallas, Eric, Alan and Amy had further discussions and when they realized that I was seeking a new opportunity, the idea for Coferment stuck. I then spent the summer testing Coferment’s model, as the GM of Terravista Vineyards and Synchromesh Wines.”

Coferment also plans to offer training for hospitality staff, help coordinate supply purchasing, and offer shared resources such as software programs, employee benefit packages, etc. Small wineries (production under 5000 cases) interested in participating, will go through an interview process to assess compatibility in terms of shared values, address specific business needs, and review business health.

In response to the seemingly neverending challenges faced by Okanagan’s wine industry, Coferment Management represents a collective effort to weather the storm for an industry so near and dear to our communities.

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