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AWARD WINNING ORGANICALLY PRODUCED WINES |
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| Introduction |
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We are asked frequently,
"Why bother growing organically, aren't
all wines basically organic?"
A
partial response comes from our friend
Bill Jones, of Magnetic North Cuisine,
in the November/December 1995 issue of
FarmFolk/CityFolk's newsletter:
"Organic, as it is applied to
our local food sources, is generally assumed
to be a products produced in a sustainable
and agrotoxin-free environment. When most
consumers buy local organic products,
they are usually doing so for personal
health and environmental preservation
sentiments. These are great reasons that
stand on their own merits, but the influence
you are exerting for positive social change
may be the most compelling reason to support
organics.
In other words, we made several choices
when we decided to seek organic certification
of our Vine Yard (and winemaking). We wanted
to live on a piece of land where harmful
chemicals were not used or accumulating.
We wanted to minimize the environmental
footprint of our agricultural and business
activity. We wanted to make good wines
that were as pure as possible, without
elaborate chemical or mechanical intervention.
Are we creating positive social change?
Perhaps. Do we think our wines are better
than anyone else's just because they are
organically produced? No. We, like every
other winery on the planet, have made
wines we are not completely happy with.
We believe, however, that our presence
in the marketplace provides an alternative
for wine consumers who share our values
and concerns. 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. The real benefit is that we know who
our customers are, and they know us. It's
a value-added symbiosis, far removed from
mass marketing, high volume production
and maximization of economic return. If
that can be called social change, so be
it. We feel comfortable here; not all
wineries, nor businesspeople, for that
matter, necessarily would.
Our own 18-acre Vine Yard in Peachland
has been organic since 1992. Elisabeth
Harbeck's Vine Yard in Okanagan Falls,
contracted to us for Pinot Blanc and Pinot
Noir fruit, will be fully certified organic
this year (1997), after completion of
the required 3 year transition period.
To the best of our knowledge, there are
only 5 certified organic wine Vine Yards
in the province.
From the 1995 vintage, the following
wines, for the first time in British Columbia,
bear the COABC decal, identifying both
the grapes and winemaking as certified
organic: Traminer, Riesling, Bibendum
White, Bibendum Rosé, Icewine.
Why would a grower prefer conventional
to organic methods?
There is no doubt that yields
in organically managed Vine Yards are lower,
and labours costs, particularly for soil
improvement and weed control, are higher.
Some growers have found that the reduced
yields mean better plant health and better
fruit quality, bringing higher per ton
returns that help to offset the increased
labour costs. For other growers, this
equation may not work. Each grower makes
his or her own decision. Each Vine Yard
and each grower has a distinct personality.
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