Most people think wine quality starts with the grape. At L’Acadie Vineyards, our sustainable winery starts deeper — in living soil. Certified Biocyclic Vegan and organic wine Canada practices are focused on soil health. The soil then provides for the plant: this is the organic ethos. Living soil is rich with organisms that all play a role for vine health, resilience and our organic wine quality.
Living soil is alive with fungi, bacteria, earthworms and insects. They are reliant on each other as they naturally cycle nutrients in the soil food web. The vine lives symbiotically with fungi in particular and trades carbohydrates to fungal populations living in the root zone in exchange for nutrients, water and flavours of our unique soil. Organic principles view living soil as more than just dirt — it is a balanced ecosystem.
“Soil is at the root of a healthy planet but we’re treating it like dirt” – Ducks Unlimited Canada
Grape pomace is grape skins, stems and seeds left over after pressing juice. We create piles of pomace during fall harvest and manage them with aeration by turning the piles with a tractor. Composting begins naturally, creating heat and plumes of steam.
We are encouraging growth of beneficial fungal populations, called mycorrhizae. This compost is added to the vineyard the following year either directly into soil or as a compost tea sprayed on vines. Fungal-dominant soils support our vines for climate change resilience and wine quality. This cyclic nature of our operation is aligned with Biocyclic Vegan viticulture principles to produce our vegan wine Canada.
One pillar of certified organic is to always keep a cover crop over soil to protect it. Benefits of this regenerative agriculture practice: prevents erosion, prevents carbon release, increases organic matter, protects soil microbiology and supports beneficial insects.
We choose our cover crops between rows wisely – planting a diversity of perennial grasses, flowers and herbs for a thriving ecosystem. Specific functions of various crops can include natural nitrogen fixation from air to soil (clover), attracting predator insects to control pests (sweet alyssum), improve soil structure with tap roots (radish) and crowding out weeds.
Certified organic farms do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, all practices confirmed with rigorous inspections and audits. This avoids disruption of soil biology by protecting and encouraging its delicate organisms. Conventional vineyards rely on synthetic fertilizers and chemical inputs. It is a cycle of killing soil organisms resulting in dead soil that can’t provide for the vine and subsequent reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Rather than nurturing and feeding soil, they have to feed the plant directly.
Our Nova Scotia winery has had a long-term sustainability approach since inception over 20 years ago. One reason is the link between organic wine and climate change resilience, protecting the future of our award-winning cool climate organic sparkling wine program. Extended root systems with mycorrhizal fungi improve nutrient and water uptake for stronger and naturally balanced vines. This means improved water retention during drought and better drainage during heavy rainfall for long-term sustainability in Nova Scotia’s evolving climate.
Read more Finding the Mother Tree
The world’s best wines come from organic living soils. There is an enhanced expression of terroir, a sense of place in a wine that reflects the vineyard. Extended root systems give living soil wines more flavours from the surrounding soil, in our case mineral flavours from slate, schist and sandstone soils.
Read more Terroir and Organics
Regenerative organic vineyards do not use chemical pesticide or fertilizers that can leach into groundwater. Added to this it has improved filtration through rich organic matter soil. That means long-term protection of local waterways and our community drinking water.
Vegan wine is grown in harmony with nature. It aligns with your values to reduce carbon emissions, especially by not supporting the intensive livestock industry.
Read more about intensive livestock carbon emissions
Certification of organic vegan wine gives you peace of mind and transparency that no synthetic chemicals were used in production or causing residues in your glass.
Read more Pesticides residues in wine
Instead, there is greater expression of terroir in every glass. Because wine doesn’t have to be just a beverage, it’s an expression of place.
Next time you are choosing a bottle, look for the organic and vegan wine logo. Our sustainable sparkling wines are far-reaching – at the front of organic wine UK popularity, the best Canadian wine. Explore L’Acadie Vineyards organic and vegan wines by visiting our website, signing up for our newsletter for more behind-the-scenes vineyard stories or visit our Gaspereau Valley winery in Nova Scotia wine country.
