Page 63 - Grapevine March-April 2020

International News

Fitzpatrick has been in the wine business since land, but you always want to look at how you’re
1986 when he founded Cedar Creek Estate Winery. doing things. They came up with some recommen-
He sold the majority of his vineyards to Mission Hill dations on how we can do things even better than
five years ago, but kept one be-tween Peachland we currently are [doing them]. It was a very worth-
and Summerland. In 2017, he launched a new label, while process to go through,” he said.
Fitzpatrick Family Win-ery, using those grapes.
Recommendations ranged from replacing big-tick-
The boutique winery focuses on sparkling wine et items like a 25-year-old water pump with a
and has approximately one-fifth of the produc-tion newer, more energy-efficient model, to less costly
capacity of Cedar Creek, topping out at about initiatives like installing flow meters to better mon-
10,000 cases at full production. The shift into spar- itor water usage, and expanding the winery’s com-
kling wine was a strategic choice to take advantage post program to incorporate food waste from the
of the vineyard’s unique microcli-mate. on-site, seasonal restaurant.

“We lose the sun about two and a half hours ear- The winery is also now pursuing organic certifi-
lier than most other vineyards,” Fitzpatrick said. cation, following a recent $40,000 investment in
“That’s why we specialize in sparkling wine. It cre- mechanical weeding equipment that will allow
ates that natural crisp acidity. I call it shade’s gift.” Fitzpatrick to stop using herbicides in the spring.

Fitzpatrick Family Winery is located in the In the last five years, Fitzpatrick said consumer
Thompson Okanagan region, British Columbia’s pri- awareness of sustainable practices has changed sig-
mary wine-growing region. The area boasts 84% of nificantly. “People are much more aware and want
the province’s vineyards by acreage and has over to know what your practices are, and are you being
200 wineries. Wine tours are a big draw for visitors a good steward of the land,” he said. “it’s nice to be
to the region. With the local tour-ism association able to stand be-hind what we do.”
increasingly spotlighting sustainable tourism, win-
eries like Fitzpatrick’s are get-ting more recognition Do Wine Consumers Care?
for their environmentally friendly choices. Researchers Say Yes

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association According to market research by Wine
recently developed a sustainability pledge to iden- Intelligence, it’s not just hippies who are choos-
tify and feature responsible tourism providers in ing more socially and environmentally conscious
the region, including Fitzpatrick Family Winery. purchases. Interest in organic, fair trade and sus-
Other wineries who have signed on to the program taina-bly produced wine is growing and is now
include Poplar Grove (https://www.poplargrove. considered mainstream, particularly among con-
ca/), Grizzli Winery (www.grizzliwinery.com) and sum-ers under the age of 45.
Meadowvista (www.meadowvista.ca).
In the U.S., almost three-quarters of consumers
The region was also officially certified as the surveyed said they would consider buying sus-tain-
first destination in the Americas to achieve the ably produced wine in the future. Seventy percent
Sustainable Tourism Accreditation from Biosphere of Canadians agreed.
International and the Responsible Tourism Institute.
The certification criteria includes commitments to Nine out of ten millennial consumers surveyed
environmentally sustainable prac-tices, including said they would be willing to pay an average of $3
ensuring access to sustainable energy and adopting more for sustainably produced wine. The research
measures to mitigate cli-mate change. found that sustainability certifications for wine
improved consumers’ willingness to buy.
Fitzpatrick Family Winery was a pilot winery for
the program last fall, Fitzpatrick said, which in-clud- The research was presented at the first U.S.
ed a thorough audit on water, energy and waste Sustainable Winegrowing Summit in Sonoma last
management practices. June. In a speech at the event, Wine Intelligence
CEO Lulie Halstead outlined five key concepts to
“We think of ourselves as good stewards of the “sell” sustainability to consumers, highlighting how

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