Okanagan Crush Pad Makes Canadian Wine History — Miss Eileen Soo

Okanagan Crush Pad Makes Canadian Wine History

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery Achieves New Milestones in Environmental Stewardship

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery (OCP) proudly celebrates two remarkable environmental achievements, solidifying its position as a leader in sustainable winemaking.

OCP has become the first Canadian winery to attain silver membership with International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), joining a prestigious list of global wineries committed to addressing climate change. Additionally, the winery has made history by converting to Fortis BC's Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program.

IWCA Silver Membership: OCP has successfully completed a rigorous ISO-14064 audited baseline greenhouse gas inventory, marking the 26th silver member in the history of IWCA. This prestigious achievement demonstrates OCP's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The winery has set ambitious targets, aiming for a 33% reduction in emissions by 2030 and ultimately achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. OCP's IWCA membership also aligns with the United Nations' Race to Zero Campaign, further emphasizing its dedication to environmental responsibility.

Fortis BC RNG Program Conversion: In a groundbreaking move, OCP has become the first winery to embrace Fortis BC's Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program. This initiative is pivotal in transforming British Columbia's energy landscape by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For over a decade, Fortis BC has collaborated with local farms, landfills, green energy companies, and municipalities to produce and distribute RNG, derived from decomposed organic waste. By transitioning to RNG, OCP will annually reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by a substantial amount.

Christine Coletta, founder of OCP, emphasized the winery's deep commitment to environmental stewardship, driven by a sense of responsibility to future generations.

Despite facing numerous industry-wide challenges in the past year, including adverse weather and economic impacts, the team at OCP has continued to champion sustainability. OCP's membership in IWCA and its partnership with the Fortis BC RNG program validate the winery's dedication to sustainable practices.

Notably, general manager Craig Pingle and winemaker Kat D'Costa have assumed leadership roles in these initiatives, with D'Costa earning the title of sustainability officer in recognition of her outstanding contributions.

“I am honoured to coordinate our sustainability efforts and thank chief winemaker Matt Dumayne for stepping up and providing time for me to spend on this important initiative,” notes D’Costa. “We are all behind lessening our impact as we continue to grow our business.”

About Okanagan Crush Pad Winery

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery, guided by the vision of founder Christine Coletta, is renowned for crafting wines that capture the unique essence of their exceptional Okanagan Valley location in Summerland. Committed to sustainability, OCP is a proud member of IWCA and has set ambitious carbon reduction goals. Chief winemaker Matt Dumayne oversees four distinctive wine portfolios: Haywire, Narrative, Free Form, and Garnet Valley Ranch. The winery utilizes state-of-the-art facilities and a variety of fermentation and aging vessels, resulting in wines that reflect the region's distinctive climate and terroir. OCP also stewards the 320-acre Garnet Valley Ranch in Summerland, emphasizing organic farming practices and providing a haven for wildlife and biodiversity. Learn more here.

About International Wineries for Climate Action

Founded in 2019 by Familia Torres of Spain and Jackson Family Wines of California, IWCA is a global collaboration open to wineries worldwide. Employing a three-tiered membership system, it encourages diverse wineries to join its ranks. With numerous members, IWCA focuses on reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry through science-based approaches, sharing best practices that mitigate climate change impacts in vineyard and winery operations. Learn more here.

About Fortis BC RNG

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is an exciting energy innovation that’s one of the key ways Fortis BC is supporting a cleaner, lower carbon future for all British Columbians. When organic waste like rotting food, waste water, landfill waste or cow manure decomposes, it naturally releases biogas, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) containing carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere. But before biogas can escape as GHGs, Fortis can capture and purify it to create carbon-neutral RNG. Learn more here.