LCBO_Food_&_Drink_-_Spring_2020

FOOD & DRINK SPRING 2020 3 9

Winemakers in Ontario tackle sustain-

ability with solar power, geothermal

heating and cooling, and more—plus

in 2017 they established an accredited

certified-organic program.

Ontario’s wineries are as creative as

they are progressive when it comes

to sustainability. In 2001, Frogpond

Farm became the first certified organic

winery in the province and, like other

organic producers (including Karlo

Estate, Sandbanks, Hidden Bench,

Calamus, Reif, Flat Rock and Cave

Spring), its wines are also vegan.

In 2008, Southbrook Vineyards

gained organic certification and became

Canada’s first biodynamic- certified

vineyard. Its visitor centre uses half

the energy of most compar ably sized

buildings and is LEED ( Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design)

Gold certified. Hinterbrook’s winery

is 100-percent solar-powered, while the

temperature of the winery and barrel

cellar are maintained with geothermal

heating and cooling.

Created in 2007, the Sustainable

Winemaking Ontario program was

expanded to become an accredited,

certifiable program in 2017. Look for

its logo (a green leaf with the words

Sustainable Winemaking Ontario

Certified) on bottles from the 13 Ontario

wineries that are fully certified.

Local Harvest

An icon of sustainable winemaking in

Ontario, Malivoire’s lush, vibrant Chardon-

nay is made using sustainable practices

both in the vineyard and the winery, as

well as by the principles of the Oregon-

based Low Impact Viticulture and Enology

program (known as LIVE).

Malivoire Chardonnay VQA

VINTAGES 573147, $19.95

BIG ECO

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON | STRATUSWINES.COM

The world’s first LEED-certified winery,

Stratus Vineyards made a commitment to a

sustainable vision on day one. All aspects of

its operation—from the unique, pumpless

wine-flow system (which reduces electricity

consumption) to the geothermal wells that

enable the cellar to maintain an ideal tem-

perature—strive for minimal environmental

impact.

Stratus Vineyards

Ontariocraft

wineries.ca lists

current Certified

Sustainable

Winemaking

Ontario brands.

STRATUS IMAGE BY MATTHEW PLEXMAN