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Environment 911 - Sustainability in BCs Okanagan Wineries - screenshot.png

Blog Post for Environment 911
Sustainability in B.C.'s Okanagan Wineries
Oct 19, 2020

Sustainability in B.C.'s Okanagan Wineries
Drinking responsibly takes on a whole new meaning

Organic, natural, sustainable, biodynamic—many of these terms used to sound buzzy or were a rarity in wine production. But more and more wineries, especially in B.C.'s Okanagan region, are taking on the task of creating wine in an eco-friendly fashion.

I did a quick 36-hour trip to the Okanagan to have a peak (and of course a few sips) at some of the many places that boast great strides in sustainability. The height of the summer wine touring season may be over, but you can still get many of these wines at restaurants and wine retailers.

Hopefully this is a starting point for your next trip to wine country to sample, learn and pick up these more eco-friendly bottles...

1. Okanagan Crush Pad

Okanagan Crush Pad has a variety of labels under its umbrella: Haywire, Free Form, Narrative and the most recent edition, Bizou + Yukon.

Free Form was launched in 2018 to celebrate the winery becoming certified organic—and has some of my new favourite natural wines (I’m also partial to the labels with the design by Vancouver’s Scott Sueme and the paper being made of stone).

The vineyard has a modern design and the patio set-up, which is super-sized for COVID, allows you to sit and choose from set curated flights (much like a beer sampler) with all the information you could desire about what it is you’re drinking, and the science and technique behind how it's made.

After getting some bottles to go, I suggest you take the self-guided tour around the fields next to the winery. You’ll pass by the chickens and ducks hanging out in a pen complete with a coop made with wine barrels.

Click here for where to buy/drink and the wine shop. 

2. Echo Bay, Else Wines, and Rigour & Whimsey

It was recommended that I visit Echo Bay winery, as there were some awesome things in sustainability going on. At the helm of the family winery is head winemaker Kelsey Rufiange, whose goal is to create a biodiverse vineyard that is self-sustaining.

As a side project, she created Else Wines (as in something else) so she could be creative with her grapes and techniques (with delicious results).

We were able (and lucky enough) to sit out in the back field and sample some vino from both labels, and learn about the family and Kelsey’s history (check out the info on their site).

Also of note, another wine label produced and bottled on the property is Rigour & Whimsey, which fits right in with the organic philosophy of Echo Bay, centering around regenerative farming and responsible agriculture.

Some of the smaller batch wines (like those of Else) are going to be harder to find, but here are the links for stockists: Echo Bay, Else Wines and Rigour & Whimsey.
 

3. Covert Farms

One of the themes I discovered through our visits is that if a winery is leaning into sustainability, you’re likely to find some feathered and furry creatures around.

Covert Farms acreage is the ultimate experience when it comes to the farm-to-table mentality. On tours of the property, you'll see chickens and roosters, which you can feed, along with a new rescue pig named Delilah, llamas, farm dogs and cattle. Animals at sustainable wineries aren’t there just to look cute: they fertilize, help with pest management and are natural lawnmowers.

And when it’s time to sit and sample, the spread is much like Covert's philosophy—beautifully made wines, from newly released organic to grand reserve bottles, and a feast of locally or in-house made preserves, cheeses, meats, and fruits (pictured at top). The highlight for me was being guided through it all by the very passionate and knowledgeable staff, and hearing about exactly what goes into making their wine.

Click here to for the wine shop.

There were a lot more places we wished we could have visited on our little sustainable winery jaunt, like Summerhill in Kelowna, Orofino in the Similkameen Valley, Ursa Major and Anthony Buchanan in Oliver and Foxtrot in Naramata. The trip was short due to COVID restrictions and the smoke from the wildfires, which was a reminder why it's so important to consider wineries that pride themselves on their biodiversity and responsible practices.

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Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup
for Environment 911 - “But Make It Vegan” Column

Soup season is in full effect!  My mom has a great broccoli cheddar soup recipe, but it has a lot of cheese and dairy in it, and my stomach just can't do that anymore. I remembered that Hot For Food does vegan queso with potatoes and carrots as the 'cheddar'...and thought: Maybe I can make a hybrid.   

It luckily turned out, for just winging everything, and now you too can have a vegan cheddar broccoli soup on the next cold rainy day.  There are a few things that are optional in this recipe, like the Daiya cheese, if you want to make it a bit cheesier, but you could eliminate it, and it would be just as tasty.  Also, try your hand at freezing some for a later date, esp. since there isn't any dairy in it to freeze! 

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Makes Approx. 6 to 8 Servings 

INGREDIENTS: 

- 2 large heads of broccoli WITH the stems (or frozen stems and a large head of broccoli) 
- 2 onions, chopped 
- 1 large Yukon potato, diced 
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 
- 3 pieces of celery, peeled and chopped 
- 7 cups of veg broth 
- 1 tsp dried oregano 
- 1 cup non-dairy milk 
- 1/2 cup cashews 
- 2 tbsp olive oil 
- salt and pepper 
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast  

optional: 
- 1/2 cup Daiya (or non-dairy) cheddar shreds 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

 Chop the florets off of the broccoli, and trim any leaves away. Cut the ends off of the stems, and discard, then roughly chop the rest of the stem and set aside.  Take the head(s) of the broccoli and cut into small bite-sized florets. In a small pot, steam the broccoli until it is JUST cooked. Too long and they won't hold up in the soup.  

In a large, heavy-bottom pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the onions, cooking for a few minutes, then the garlic for an additional minute.  Next add in the carrots, potato, celery, and broccoli stems, season with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir and sauté for a minute and then add 7 cups of the veg broth and bring to a low boil for 10 mins.  In a blender, add the non-dairy milk, and the cashews, nutritional yeast, oregano and blend until creamy.  

Working in batches, add in the broth and veg mixture from the pot until everything has been pureed. You can add a few florets of broccoli at this stage as well. Return to the pot when finished blending. If the soup is too thick you can add a little more broth/water/non-dairy milk to thin it out. But it's all preference.  You can now add in the broccoli florets that you have steamed, and the non-dairy cheese if you're using it.  Heat the broccoli through and it's ready to serve. Season with a bit of fresh pepper and.... 

ENJOY! 

  

 

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But Make It Vegan: Bacon & Cheddar Perogies
Recipe for Environment 911

One of my all-time favourite easy freezer-meals are perogies (no matter how you spell them), but that said, there’s something about a hand-made fresh pierogi that is just delicious.  

Luckily this recipe can do both for you, as you’ll make a big batch and can have some that same day, and freeze the rest for another day you’re feeling lazy.  

These may be more work, but good vegan pierogis are so hard to find, and this way you can customize your fillings, and even make a few different flavours in the same batch.  

The Bacon & Cheddar Perogies is a classic, and the most popular, and it’s what I have for you below (I used the Vegan Bacon recipe from The Edgy Veg), but if you want greens you can chop and wilt some spinach, or add in some caramelized onions, or vegan ground round. Heck, you can even make some dessert pierogis with some local fruit to pair with some dairy-free ice cream.  
The world is your oyster!...or perogies I guess.  

Make Approx. 50-60 Pierogis  

INGREDIENTS: 

For The Dough:  
- 3 cups flour (more for rolling/dusting) 
- 1/2 tsp salt 
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil 
- 1 cup of water  

For The Filling:  
- 3 russet potatoes 
- approx. 1.5 cups vegan cheddar 
- salt and pepper 
- nut milk 
- 2 tbsp vegan butter 
- 3 or 4 pieces of vegan bacon (see below)  

For The Vegan Bacon from The Edgy Veg:  
- 10 pieces rice paper  
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast  
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder  
- 4 Tbsp olive oil  
- 6 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos  
- ½ tsp liquid smoke (sub: 1 Tbsp bbq sauce) 
- 1Tbsp maple syrup  
- ½ tsp ground black pepper  
- ½ tsp of paprika  

For Cooking:  
- 2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil  

For The Topping: (all optional)  
- 1 onion 
- chives and/or green onions 
- vegan sour cream (or cashew cream)    

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Make the vegan bacon from The Edgy Veg (using any substitutes that you need) and allow it to fully cool. 
If you want to skip this step (to save a bunch of time) and just want cheddar perogies, with a smoky flavor, add ½ tsp to the filling when mixing it all together. It won’t have the crunch and chew factor, but you will still get the aroma.  

For The Dough:  

Measure out the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add in the salt and combine, then add the water and oil and begin to bring the dough together.  
I started in the bowl and when it was loosely mixed, moved it to a clean, floured countertop, and continued to knead the dough until it came together in a smooth ball. (Took a bit less than 10 mins)  
Cut the dough in half, and wrap each half with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20mins  - you can put it in the fridge if you want, but let it warm up a bit before you start to work with it. 
*Make the filling(s) during this time - See Below   

For The Fillings:  

Scrub and peel your potatoes, and then cut into cubes. Cover with cold water, and then bring to a boil on the stove. Let the potatoes cook at a rolling low boil until you can pierce them easily with a knife (around 15-20mins-ish).  
Drain and then place the potatoes back in the pot. Add the vegan butter, and then either with a potato masher, or a hand mixer, work the potatoes until they're smooth, while slowly adding some nut milk as needed. (I don't like chunky mashed potatoes, but if you prefer, you can leave some). Lightly salt and pepper to taste, then stir in your vegan cheddar.  

If using the vegan bacon, crumble into small bits, or chop and then stir in. If just using the liquid smoke, pour in and mix well.  
Let cool to room temp so you don't burn yourself when making the perogies. 
If you'd like to use other fillings as well, you could heat some veggie ground round and wilt some baby spinach in a pan. Either use this on its own, or mix it into the potatoes.   You could also sauté some onions, and then add chopped mushrooms, cooking until they brown and the moisture has evaporated. And again, either use on its own or mix into the potatoes.    

To Make The Perogies:   

Roll out half the dough until it's about 1/8 - 1/16 inch thick (very thin) - either by hand, or in a pasta maker.  
Use a round cookie cutter, or a glass, floured, and cut the dough into circles (or ovals). Place on a floured cutting board, or cookie sheet, while you do the rest of the dough.   
Re-roll any leftover dough bits to maximize the amount of you can make.  

When the half of dough is ready and cut, grab a small bowl of room temp water. Place the circle of dough in your hand, and fill with about a heaping teaspoon of your filling of choice. This amount will vary with the size of your circles - it may take a few tries.  

Dip a finger in the water bowl and run it around the edge of your perogy circle, and then fold in half over the filling. I started pinching it together to seal it from the middle and working towards one edge, then doing the other.  
Place on a floured surface and cover while you make the rest of the perogies in this manner.  Keep going until all of the dough is gone!   

To Cook:  
*If you want to have caramelized onions for a topping, it's good to make them first, as they take some time. 
Cut an onion into half-moon slices, and then add to a frying pan that is on medium heat, with about a tsp of olive oil or vegan butter. Stir every few minutes, and you can add a sprinkle of salt as well. It will take them about 25-30 mins to caramelize. Keep warm while you make the perogies.   

Boil some salted water in a large pot. and then drop the perogies one by one into the pot. You can do about 10 at a time max, as you don't want them to stick together (or the bottom of the pot).  
[If you're one of those people that eats perogies just boiled and not fried, skip the next part and plate your perogies.]  
In the meantime, heat some vegan butter or olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the perogies have cooked for about 3 mins and rise to the surface (it may take longer if you're cooking them from frozen), scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them in the frying pan.  

Cook them until they're golden brown on both sides (to your liking).  
Place them on a plate, and top with the caramelized onions, chives or green onions, and vegan sour cream on the side - if you're using those.  

ENJOY!  

 

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