Organic Wines

Looking to create unique and interesting wine offerings at your golf club? Why not add an organic wine to your list? With the increase of consumer awareness and interest in organic produce and the success of stores such as Capers and Choices it is no surprise that the wine industry is following the trend.

Currently there are only 23 organic wine listings on the LBD sales sheets in BC but more local wineries are now producing well made organics. To remove confusion in the marketplace the province of BC has developed labeling standards for organic wines. “100% Organic” means that the wine is produce with grapes that are certified 100% organically grown. “Organic” means that the wine is produced with a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. “Made with Organic Grapes” means that the wine has a minimum of 70% organic ingredients.

Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery located in Peachland began producing organic wine in 2006 and have won awards for their Zweigelt and Riesling varieties. Summerhill Pyramid Winery located in Kelowna achieved certified organic status in 2007 and proudly displays the green, certified organic checkmark on their labels. Lotusland Vineyards of Abbotsford produces all of their wines in small batches with organically grown Fraser Valley grapes that are hand harvested and processed within 48 hours. They are also a member of the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program that provides international travel and organic farming experience to men and women from around the globe. Other options include Working Horse Winery in Peachland and Forbidden Fruit Winery in the Similakmeen Valley which produces fruit wines with 100% organic fruit.

There are sure to be many more organic wine producers in BC in the near future so why not give one a try? It provides and interesting story for you servers to tell your guests and provides an opportunity to support a local producer.