Warm weather this summer has helped grapes grown on Canadian vines ripen into sweet, juicy fruit that experts are calling the best harvest in 25 years. Grape growing regions throughout the country are reporting similar harvests.

From Globeandmail.com:

Drought-like conditions in Southern Ontario may have taken their toll on lawns and backyard gardens, but the sunny weather was divine for wine grapes.

"We're getting phenomenal fruit into [what will become] $15 and $20 bottles of wine," said Paul Speck, president of Henry of Pelham Estate Winery in St. Catharines. "There is just great flavour all the way through the berries."

In British Columbia, Canada's second-largest wine-producing province, conditions have been looking much the same.

This is a welcome break for growers in the Niagara region who have been having a difficult decade. Extremely cold winters, and an Asian ladybug plague cause severe problems for their vineyards.

According to the article, however, there are some vineyards who have not benefited from the weather - bunches and bunches of grapes had to be thrown out at some Ontario wineries in order to spare the vines. And the quality of this year's ice wine is another question. The grapes aren't picked until mid-to-late December, so it's a bit early to make assumptions.