At Le Vieux Pin and LaStella, good practices lead to resilience in challenging times

Severine Pinte in the vineyard. Tania Veitch photo

Ask award-winning winemaker Severine Pinte what motivates her unwavering belief in sustainability and she’ll tell you, “I’ve been doing it all my life.” It’s the foundation of good winemaking and sound viticulture, says Pinte who has been at the fore of sustainable winemaking in B.C. since arriving in the Okanagan from her native France.

Employing sustainable practices from vineyard to cellar adds up to yet one more facet of running a viable winery, explains Pinte, who has chaired Sustainable Wine Growers of British Columbia (SWGBC) since 2020.

Pinte reckons a strong program embraces everything from preserving water to working hard to build social equity by “taking care of the people not only within your business, but outside as well—by helping to foster a sense of community.”

The winemaker recalls that when she arrived in 2010, the B.C. wine industry was just gearing up its sustainability program. She “jumped on board,” applying to the Rhône-inspired Le Vieux Pin and the more Italian LaStella those same practices she’d been following in the Languedoc region of France.

“When we launched Sustainability BC Certification in 2021, I immediately put the two wineries and our vineyards through the program because it actually felt normal,” she says. “When I looked at the [certification] standards for wineries and vineyards, we were already employing many of those practices.”

Going through certification involved looking at the business under a magnifying glass, then drilling down and expanding on many of the actions already under way. “Now it’s just a matter of maintaining—and focusing on—continuous improvement every year,” she says.

For example, adhering to and improving upon expedient water use remains a key goal, says Pinte. She points to the recent installation of 99 automatic irrigation valves, which help the viticulturist fine-tune water flows and timing even more precisely, as required.

Pinte also credits the solid sustainable foundation with helping the wineries’ successful response to the “Big Freeze” of 2024. “We were able to pivot funds elsewhere, to rebuild the vineyards,” she explains, adding that equally important was being able to keep the team together during a tough time.

One of her favourite varieties to work with is Syrah, which she loves for its ability to make “really beautiful, elegant wines which are responsive to the type of terroir we have in the south.” Roussanne is another firm favourite, especially in sandy soils, for its “flowery notes that are delicate, but still with nice structure and texture.”

And, of course, Sangiovese. LaStella is one of very few Canadian wineries to work with the Italian grape. Even though its growing season is short (compared to Italy) and the variety is one of the last to ripen, with a low yield, they are still able to get “a fruity style” that shows the core characteristics of Sangiovese. “And to be able to do that here in Canada, I find that pretty cool!”

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY: 

Le Vieux Pin and LaStella Winery
levieuxpin.ca | LaStella.ca

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