Raise a glass to organic
Organic wine just tastes better, winery founder says
For Southbrook Winery’s Bill Redelmeier, going organic was a no-brainer when he founded his Niagara winery in 1991. Coming from a farming background, he had used conventional farming techniques when he worked the fields in his youth.
“We used chemicals as minimally as we possibly could in the old farm up in Richmond Hill, and it was fine. But then I got married and had kids, and I’m bringing my dirty coveralls home and they’d go into the washing machine with the rest of the clothes and I started thinking this wasn’t such a good idea.”
When he founded Southbrook he decided to do things differently.
“I’m not sure everybody buys into (organic) . . . I’m not sure everybody has to. I think it’s the right thing. If I lived on the vineyard or next to it, I’d sure like my neighbour to be organic,” says Redelmeier, who also sits on the board of the Ontario Organic Council
Southbrook was Ontario’s first organic winery, joined by Frogpond Farm Organic Winery in 2001 and Tawse Winery in 2005. The organic alcoholic beverage market is now served by more than 100 organic or biodynamic products stocked at the LCBO.
Toronto’s Mill Street Brewery launched in 2002, with its certified Organic Lager, made with organic New Zealand hops and Canadian malt.
In 2006, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. started up in Vankleek Hill, near Ottawa, with a commitment to allorganic ingredients.
For now, the spirit side of things is coming up short. The Toronto Distillery Co., founded in 2016, calls itself an organic “grain to glass” distillery using locally sourced grains.
For Redelmeier, one of the most important results of being organic is also the simplest: “We’re just convinced it makes better wine.”
“I’m not sure everybody buys into (organic) . . . I’m not sure everybody has to. I think it’s the right thing.” BILL REDELMEIER SOUTHBROOK WINERY FOUNDER