Background
The Wine Council of Ontario (WCO) represents more than 80 wineries across the designated grape-growing areas of the province: Niagara Peninsula, Prince Edward County, Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island. The Council promotes Ontario wine and supports its members by seeking opportunities that give its members a competitive edge.
The Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program was created in 2007 to help WCO members identify and adopt best practices in environmental stewardship. The wineries are located in some of the most fertile areas in Canada and their conservation is critical for the wine industry.
Taking action
The WCO has developed a range of tools and actions for its members under the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program:
- Survey to assess members’ levels of sustainability with respect to their water and energy consumption and waste production
- Sustainability newsletter to educate the wineries on topics including wastewater treatment, water conservation and energy efficiency
- Quarterly meetings to discuss the wine industry’s role in environmental improvement
- Workshops on different topics, such as lightweight glass for bottles, prevention pollution in wineries
- Providing students with work experience opportunities in the wine industry and environmental sector
- Marketing initiatives such as the green leaf symbol in the Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide
Achieving results
- Sustainability survey: between 2009 and 2010, there was a 67 per cent increase in survey involvement, demonstrating that sustainability is becoming more important to winemakers and their customers
- Developing educational materials such as drafting a toolkit for the winemaking industry which describes best practices, government funding sources and environmental laws and regulations
- Integrated improvements: with counsel and feedback from the WCO, members are renovating their sites to improve surface and groundwater protection, solid waste management, carbon emissions, and soil and land management
The Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program is attractive to WCO members because it demonstrates the environmental and economic benefits in adopting best practices. Based on the increased level of interest from wineries including non-members, the WCO’s approach is helping to encourage greener vineyards in Ontario.
