Sustainability

What does sustainability mean to us?

As a family business we are constantly evolving. With that, we are always looking for ways to increase our sustainability through the principles of the “three E’s” or pillars of sustainability - environmental impact, economic development and social equity. Our move towards sustainability includes making environmentally sound vineyard choices in conjunction with creating a viable generational business that is actively engaged in the community.

Environmental Impact

  • We were able to eliminate the use of all non-organic farming measures by the end of 2010. That said, we have no intention of pursuing organic certification at this time.
  • Instead of spraying to eliminate weeds, we use a ‘grape hoe’ to till under the vines now that our established vines can withstand this disruption.
  • With every year that passes we reduce our irrigation levels, training root systems to grow deeper and seek water sources beyond the surface.
  • We switched to an eco-glass in 2009. This lighter weight bottle has a lower carbon footprint and reduced the shipping weight by 20%.
  • In 2017 we installed our solar panels; not only does it provide us with enough natural energy from the sun to run the winery, but we now give back power to the grid.

 

Economic Development

  • The British Columbia wine community is young and growing, and part of our responsibility to sustainability is to ensure our business health for those depending on us.
  • John has been actively participating in the growth of the industry, championing issues affecting all of us and contributing both time and resources to help provide resolutions.
  • It’s our privilege and honour to help expand the market for Okanagan wines both nationally and internationally. John regularly travels internationally with the goal of building the Okanagan and Canadian wine reputations. His belief has always been that our success as a collective will outshine any individual efforts.
  • Ultimately the intention is to create a viable, generational business with a legacy built on the quality of our wines as well as the quality of the people behind them.

 

Social Equity

  • We know that a key, yet often under represented, element of sustainability is social sustainability. At Painted Rock we aim to help build a stronger community by investing in our team and their personal development.
  • In addition, we contribute to a number of non-profit organizations each year. For more information on how we contribute, visit our Sponsorships page.