From Left to right: we have The Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, H.P. Pfeifer

You heard it through the grapevine…

Southwestern Ontario gearing up to produce environmentally friendly wines.

A growing number of consumers are concerned about food safety, and the environmental impact of food production. One group of grape growers started to lay the foundation for a sustainable grape growing protocol. They hope that this protocol can turn into a distinct, value-added feature. The growers are cautious which pesticides they use, and select products that have a low Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ).

Southern Ontario’s climate provides an ideal environment for growing a wide array of fruits and vegetables. The soils and proximity of the lake are ideally suited for grapes grown for premium wines. This combination of sun and moisture however also sets the stage for a wide range of diseases and pests that can affect quality. Climate change may only compound the problem.

Sustainable grape production.

"I’m not saying you should not spray," Hans Peter Pfeifer, spokesperson for the growers and vintners of the Viticultural Roundtable of Southwestern Ontario. "With grape growing, you can only succeed if you have a high quality crop that is not rotting." The group’s attitude towards pesticides is to use only as much as is necessary and little more. .Right now grape growers don't have access to the same pesticides used in the US or Europe, and an outright ban of chemicals would put the industry at an even greater disadvantage". The grape growing industry has to be sustainable both ecologically and economically or there will not be an industry in the future.

EIQ, the new measuring stick.

The group has taken sustainable protocols from other wine producing regions around the world and adapted them to southern Ontario’s growing conditions. They also use Ohio State researcher Les Kovach’s EIQ rating system, based on the toxicity and environmental impact of each chemical. "We try not to use products that have a high EIQ rating, or use them very sparingly," says Pfeifer. "The goal is still high quality production."

Rather than selecting chemicals by price, Pfeifer suggests:

The next step

With over 1500 acres of producing vineyards and 13 wineries, Southwestern Ontario is recognized as a grape-growing region that produces premium quality wines. A the present time, roughly 60% of the region’s growers have implemented the sustainable wine grape production protocol and continue the process of "fine-tuning" it during regular meetings. The protocol is a "living document".

Introducing a new vineyard management protocol is a lengthy process but Pfeifer says: "every journey starts with one step. And if you never try anything you’ll never know how far you can go." Farmers must see their operation as an ecosystem, not just a production unit. The grape growers in Southwestern Ontario are actively demonstrating their commitment to a cleaner and healthier environment.

For further information: www.ontariograpes.com

Courtesy of the Canadian Farm Business Management Council - www.farmcentre.com.



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