Photo Credit: Tobias Rademacher

Globally, winemaking is one of the most important and popular agricultural activities around the world. Like many businesses, the wine industry is putting in an effort to become more environmentally friendly as well as appeal to a more sustainable audience. Soon wine lovers in Kelowna, BC (and all over the Okanagan) will be able to recognize which bottles are made with the planet in mind. Nothing is more satisfying than enjoying a nice glass of wine after a day of work or pairing it with fresh produce and local food, especially when it’s sustainable.

How Can Wine Be Sustainable?

Starting November 2, 2020, earth-friendly vineyards and wineries will be able to evaluate how  sustainable their operation is, for a certification called SWBC Certified (Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia). Wine bottles that are SWBC certified can be expected to start rolling out spring 2021. This new certification was developed by the volunteer Sustainable Winegrowing BC committee members with the goal of being earth-conscious. 

According to Karen Gillis, SWBC committee chair and Vineyard Operations Manager for Andrew Peller Ltd., “SWBC has become a hub for wine industry knowledge, sharing best farming practices that contribute positively to the land, our neighbours and our economy. Certification is the next step.”

SWBC Certification

In order for a local winery to become certified, there’s a comprehensive list that must be complied to. To start, water conservation, ecological diversity, soil health, worker safety, social benefits and more will be evaluated. Wineries will be audited by a third party company and their progress will be tracked. They must continuously improve if they want their products and business to stay certified. According to Jane Compardo, a representative of the Okanagan Crush pad and volunteer of 8 years with SWBC,

“After a decade of leadership, our wine industry is ready to game up to the next level. We are holding ourselves accountable to some of the most rigorous sustainability standards in the world. We listened to growers and wineries to make our certification process as meaningful, and easy-to-use as possible. It’s set up so that the smallest family business, or the largest multi-holding winery can participate.”

Wineries across BC are looking to start the certification process. Many of these businesses are aware that BC wine consumers expect quality at every level: including the price point, sustainability and taste. Karen Gillis stated

“Our British Columbia culture values not only the land, but the health of our people and our industry. This is a made-in-BC solution the wine industry can be proud of.”

As the world’s mindset shifts towards being more sustainable, industries around the world will need to pivot along with their consumers. Wineries and produce markets are no different. If you’re living in BC, you should expect to see more certified wines popping up. This program took about 10 years in the making with the support of BCWGG Board of Directors and Sustainability Committee. As this program progresses into 2021, SWBC will continue to gather data and work closely with other organizations such as UBCO, Okanagan College, the Ministry of Agriculture and BC Grape Growers Association. Now you can enjoy your glass of wine while promoting sustainability and supporting local businesses and farmers markets in BC.