| |
AWARD WINNING ORGANICALLY PRODUCED WINES |
|
| |
|
|
| From
Vineyard to Cells |
|
 |
|
A organic Vine Yard is
the first step in making organic wine;
the second step is the use of organic
practices in the cellar. We now move out
of the Vine Yard and into the cool, enclosed
space that lies below the tasting room,
tucked into the hillside.
We are frequently asked, "Why bother
with organic certification? Aren't all
wines basically 'organic?' For us, organic
encompasses a wish to minimize the environmental
footprint of our agricultural and business
activity and the desire to make good wines
without elaborate chemical or mechanical
intervention. Organic production imparts
integrity to these intentions, both in
production and marketing. Instead of merely
touting our products as "natural",
we can prove it.
Do we think our wines are better than
anyone else's just because they're organically
produced? No, and we have deliberately
refrained from making claims to this effect.
Wine appreciation is highly subjective.
We also realize that not all of our customers
are particularly looking for organic wines;
they may be choosing our wine just because
they like it, and they could care less
about the methodology. That's OK, too.
Given the increasing frequency of reports
linking environmental contamination to
disease, however, organic practices seem
to make more and more sense.
Why aren't all of our wines organic?
We cannot grow enough grapes in our Vine Yard
to meet all of our needs, and must purchase
about 35-40% of our annual tonnage from
other growers. We would prefer to purchase
grapes from only certified organic growers,
and are always making new contacts, but
with the small number of certified Vine Yards
in the province, there simply isn't enough
organic fruit available. In order for
our winery to remain economically viable,
we must produce at least 10,000 gallons
of wine a year. It's a dose of realism
we have to swallow every year, and therefore,
you will likely continue to find a mix
of certified and non-certified grapes
in our portfolio; all wines are made according
to organic processing standards, but only
those bearing the organic decal on the
bottle or label are made from certified
organic grapes.
|
|
|
