In 2021, we achieved certification to the strict Biocyclic Vegan Standard based in Europe, the first farm and winery in North America. This vegan wine certification is a significant addition to our environmental stewardship by scaffolding the benefits of our certified organic status to new heights. Health benefits, animal welfare and environment protection are reasons it is so popular in Europe.
We had been looking for a certification for our vegan wine for many years and were so happy when we found Biocyclic Vegan based in Germany and Greece. We discovered that they certify the whole operation including the vineyard as well, and we scored very high because of organic practices, biodiversity and not using animal inputs since 2017. The estate vineyard has been organic since inception, the first in Nova Scotia, and we released organic wines in 2008. Compelling reasons for our organic practices are better terroir flavours from living soils, healthy wines with no pesticide residues and, more significantly, protecting the environment from pesticides and synthetic petroleum-based fertilizers, both high carbon-generating practices. Biocyclic vegan practices raise the bar even more.
Read more Terroir and Organics
Biocyclic vegan agriculture means purely plant-based organic farming. This form of cultivation excludes all commercial livestock farming of animals and does not use any inputs of animal origin in viticulture or winemaking. Special emphasis is placed on promotion of biodiversity, healthy soil life, closure of organic cycles and on systematic humus build-up. Vegan viticulture enhances our environmental stewardship by avoiding products from the high carbon-generating livestock industry and instead using constant cover crops (also called green manure) between rows for regenerative agriculture carbon management. Composted grape pomace – stems, seeds and skins from every vintage, is significant for further sustainable management of our soil’s nutrition and microbial life.
There are many ingredients allowed in conventional winemaking and many of them are derived from animals. Our low intervention winemaking only uses inputs that are allowed for organic production and not from animals. Our practices are inspected closely with traceability and transparency.
Biocyclic Vegan certification recognizes our extra sustainable efforts and care that are beyond organic, veganic, and we embrace their principles for the good of people, environment and animals.
