Member Spotlight – 40 Knots Winery
Located in beautiful Comox, BC on Vancouver Island, 40 Knots Winery embraces their unique microclimate on the slopes of their vineyard that face the Georgia Straight. They were recently re-assessed with GreenStep’s Sustainable Tourism criteria, and achieved our highest grading to become Sustainable Tourism PLATINUM Certified. They are currently one of four Sustainable Tourism members across Canada who have achieved this level of certification.
Tell us a bit about your business. What makes you different?
We choose to farm and craft wines based on sustainability. That means we take the best of traditional, vegan, organic and biodynamic methods to our vineyard and cellar.
Why is sustainability important to you/your business?
It is in our business mission and vision to be sustainable: economically, environmentally, and socially. Our strategic plan is inclusive of all these. It not only makes business sense because this is what our customers expect, it makes sense to do our part to ensure healthy soil, air, community and world.
Why did you join GreenStep Sustainable Tourism?
“Sustainable Tourism encompasses our beliefs and goals. The team at GreenStep provided the expertise we needed to develop and implement our Sustainability Goals, going beyond other green programs to include all aspects of sustainability – environmental, social, cultural, natural, and economic. People think that being sustainable is costly, but in fact the opposite is true – incorporating sustainability creates a fiscally responsible business in addition to all the positive impacts in your community and beyond”.
Brenda Hetman-Craig, Owner
Photo Credit: 40 Knots Winery, taken with an 1800’s old fashioned camera
What sustainability related projects, policies or initiatives do you most want travelers to know about?
Our vineyard is alive! The swallows arrive every year (swallows will only nest in clean environments), we have had 3 goslings just hatch, we had twin fawns born in our vineyard, we have added mason bees, and the lady bugs are working hard. We also offer a pruning class each year. We are continuously working towards zero-waste, continuing to add farm-fresh food to our picnic offerings.
Photo Credit: 40 Knots Winery
What are some goals and/or actions you plan to take in the future to further increase the sustainability of your business?
We have so many! Our entire team is working with us and constantly coming up with ways we can be more sustainable. We will continue to grow our gaggle of geese from 20 to 50 by natural hatching. We are expanding farmland, planting another 5 acres of vineyard, expanding our orchard by adding 500 dwarf apple trees, and reclaiming a 7-acre vineyard in Quadra. We are growing our partnerships with other like-minded producers and we commit to buying local. Our commitment to our community is to purchase a home for the homeless within the next two years. We continue to support the work of Project Watershed to reclaim the Comox Estuary, and work to improve our vineyard interpretive trail.
To learn more about 40 Knots Winery – head over to their website.
