Sustainability Best Practices: The transferability of sustainable methods of wine production in Tuscany to the Okanagan.

The issue of sustainable best practices in the wine industry of British Columbia is becoming increasingly important as the British Columbia Wine Institute reports wine production in B.C. has risen from 17 licensed grape wineries in 1990 to 277 in 2019 (winebc.com). This presented an opportunity to study the transferability of sustainable methods that have been successfully employed for generations in an Old-World wine region like the rural countryside of Tuscany and determine how they might be applied to create meaningful community impact in a relatively young wine region that is quickly expanding. Through first-hand engagement with sustainable methods of rural production in the wine industry of Tuscany, Darcen identified sustainable best practices and analyzed the transferability of these concepts and methods to the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Paper submitted for academic publication.