Rich in natural beauty, the Osoyoos region is home to many wineries that make it their mission to be good stewards of the land. Here are five sustainably farmed wineries to visit in the Oliver-Osoyoos wine region.
LaStella Winery
Situated at Osoyoos Lake, LaStella’s vineyards produce grapes that are crafted into wines named after Italian musical notes. The winery says it uses certified sustainable practices for the good of the land and for the good of those who work it. They want to keep the soil healthy and free of chemicals for future generations.
Le Vieux Pin
Oliver’s Le Vieux Pin says its journey to being sustainable was long and arduous, but worthwhile. They aim to capture the essence of traditional French winemaking in a way that leaves the land in better shape than before they arrived. Their certified sustainable practices include everything from winemaking to the business and operation as a whole.
Covert Farms Family Estate
A fourth-generation, 650-acre farm and winery, Covert Farms in Oliver uses regenerative techniques on three distinct vineyard blocks where they grow a variety of grapes. Certified organic, they do minimal tilling, keep the ground covered, encourage species diversity, keep living roots in the soil as much as possible, and integrate livestock.
Phantom Creek Estates
Phantom Creek produced its first certified organic vintage in 2021. Viewing the vineyard as a complex ecosystem, they encourage beneficial insects, raise chickens, and plan to add livestock as well as make their own compost.
Desert Hills Estate
All five of Desert Hills’ vineyards are managed with sustainable viticulture practices.
They planted the first Syrah vines in the South Okanagan and now farm five vineyards with a total of 80 acres. Desert Hills doesn’t use harsh sprays and keeps tractor passes to a minimum.