Here at Pelee Island Winery, we’re passionate about sustainability, wine and well… growing wine! What exactly does sustainability look like in the wine industry? How can a winery ensure they are being sustainable? How much sustainability can actually go into making wine… it’s just grapes?
If you’re new to our wine, this blog will be a good guiding resource for you to understand a little bit more about us and why we hold sustainable wine growing processes near and dear to our heart. If you’re not new, this blog will give you a little look into and a reminder of our sustainability practices.
What does sustainability look like in wine making/growing?
Sustainability in wine-growing is incredibly important. Here’s what it looks like when SWO (Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario) practices are put into place:
- Managing Water Use in Winemaking
- Lightweight Wine Bottles
- Sensor Lights and Taps
- Viable Business Planning
- Energy Efficiency
- Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Alternative Energy: Solar Panels, Geothermal, Alternative Vehicle Fuel Sources and Technologies
- Winery Design
Here at Pelee Island Winery, we do all of these and more. In case you missed it, we actually have solar panels on top of the winery.
Pelee Island Winery is SWO Certified
Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario aims to cultivate awareness, commitment and leadership in sustainable winegrowing practices in Ontario. By 2030, they hope that all of Ontario’s VQA wineries and vineyards will be Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario Certified. We’re proud to be part of this initiative.
The SWO program is comprised of three core pillars of sustainability – Environment, Economy and Community.
Practices within these pillars reflect how SWO Certified wineries and growers are invested in respecting our natural resources, building sustainable businesses and committed to social responsibility. Evolving SWO Certified to include both winery and vineyard certification ensures that the complete grape to glass cycle is sustainable.
SWO
If you’re curious as to whether or not your wine is SWO Certified, look for the SWO logo. When you see this logo, it means that from vine to bottle, the process is sustainable and that the wine meets all of the qualifications that SWO puts forth.
Pelee Island Winery’s Commitment to the Porto Protocol
Last year, we made the decision to join the Porto Protocol – an international non-profit institution filled with members who are all working towards the same goal, to make a greater contribution towards mitigating climate change. Members and partners of this organization stretch the whole value chain in the wine industry.
Mission
To drive collaborative action by bringing together a network of change makers and workable climate solutions for and within the wine world.
Conclusion
Here at Pelee Island Winery, we’re constantly looking for ways to reduce our footprint, implement new sustainability initiatives and keep our current practices as sustainable as possible. This is our commitment to you and the world we live in. If there are any other initiatives you think we should implement, we’d love to hear from you. Until then, let’s continue to pave the way for a more sustainable wine industry.