Our Commitment to Sustainability
- To make all decisions for the business with Sustainability in mind
- To protect and preserve the land, soil, water, plants, and animals that support our business
- To reduce the use of water, energy, fertilizers, pesticides and packaging, and minimize waste
- To streamline our sustainability efforts and identify areas of improvement
- To prevent pollution and enhance carbon capture in our vineyards
- To foster relationships with regulators, employees, neighbours and the community at large
What does that mean in practice?
In the Winery
- Heating and cooling of the buildings, including the tanks, is with a geothermal system.
- Currently a portion of our electricity needs are met with solar panels over our south deck. Expansion plans to the solar panels in 2022 will allow all electricity needs in the building to be completely covered by solar.
- Partnered with Crush Dynamics for the Clean-Tech Initiative, which converts the pomace and lees (waste product) from winemaking into natural food additives, avoiding methane release into the atmostphere and earning carbon credits.
In the Vineyards
- Both our vineyards are certified Salmon Safe - assessed and certified by the Fraser Basin Council in September 2020.
- Farm the vineyards naturally, by hand, and without the use of herbicides.
- Irrigate the vines efficiently through drip irrigation, and only irrigate when necessary.
- Grow diverse and natural vegetation buffer zones in order to provide breeding grounds for beneficial insects, to control unwanted populations of pests.
In the Wine Shop & Offices
- Minimize the use of paper, using electronic documents where possible, printing double-sided and minimizing margins when we must print.
- Eliminate the use of single-use plastics (bags, cutlery, cups) in favour of reusable, recyclable or compostable options.
- Support local wildlife conservation and education with donation of tasting fees to SORCO Raptor Rehab Centre.
