Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery Becomes First Biosphere Certified Winery in the Thompson Okanagan

Noble Ridge Vineyards & Winery has achieved Biosphere Certification, the first winery within the Thompson Okanagan region to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability management by aligning business operations with each United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, using the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle Platform. 

In 2001, Jim and Leslie D’Andrea purchased land in Okanagan Falls, BC that would become their vineyard and began building their vision. Now, in 2024, Noble Ridge Vineyards & Winery is a sustainability leader selling award-winning wines. The company is named after the noble varieties of grapes grown and the ridge that divides the land on which they thrive. 

For Benoit Gauthier, Director of Winemaking & Viticulture, implementing sustainable practices is a priority to nurture short-, medium-, and long-term benefits for the vines, winery, and region. Gauthier began switching from conventional farming to sustainable farming practices in 2014, initially focused on improving the soil quality. Benoit reduced the use of synthetic fertilizers, sprays, and irrigation water by increasing the organic matter in the soil with the use of compost and organic fertilizer applications. In 2020, he started the Sustainable Winegrowing BC Program with the BC Wine Grape Council. In 2021, Noble Ridge became one of the first vineyards in British Columbia to achieve the Sustainable Winegrowing BC Certification. 

After this accomplishment, the Noble Ridge team decided that the next step was to adopt sustainable practices for the entire business, and the best path was to achieve certification through TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program. 

Sustainability Initiatives

The Noble Ridge team is excited to share a few of their sustainability initiatives with the community.

First is the smart use of energy: Noble Ridge uses solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and high-efficiency heat pumps across the buildings. They have also converted the lights on the property to LED with motion sensors. 

Noble Ridge is also working to become a Living Wage Employer to support the hard-working team at Noble Ridge. 

About the Biosphere Commitment Program 

The Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Commitment Program is a sustainability program offered by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The focus is to equip tourism businesses in the region with tools and resources to continuously measure, manage, and report sustainability management efforts. The program prepares businesses for a globally recognized certification, to show alignment of business operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Destination Certification.

Through the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle platform, organizations can create customized sustainability plans and access dedicated support from industry experts.

Learn more about TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program

Book a Biosphere Introduction Presentation

Visit South Okanagan: New Tourism Initiative

Visit South Okanagan is a newly-launched tourism initiative comprised of the tourism associations of the following communities: Peachland, Summerland, Naramata, Penticton, Kaleden, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, and Osoyoos. This initiative offers information and resources for British Columbians to plan their next vacation.

Acting as the central hub, VisitSouthOkanagan.com offers detailed information about each community, in addition to trip planning resources — including how to access the region by land or air — plus, regional wine maps and blog posts outlining activities and points of interest throughout the region.

The Visit South Okanagan initiative is brought to you by the South Okanagan Tourism Alliance with support from the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association, Heart of Wine Country (Okanagan Falls Winery Association), Naramata Bench Winery Association, and Bottleneck Drive (Summerland Winery Association). 

Find trip planning inspiration at VisitSouthOkanagan.com or on social media:
Facebook.com/VisitSouthOkanaganBC
Instagram.com/VisitSouthOkanagan

About the South Okanagan

An all-season destination, the South Okanagan is renowned for the warmest weather conditions in all of Canada. Its autumns are perfectly temperate, while winters are uncommonly mild and dry. A wide array of accommodation options — from resorts, to affordable family-friendly motels and B&Bs, to scenic private and provincial parks and campgrounds — means that visitors will have no trouble finding the perfect sanctuary to rest their heads at the end of each fun-filled day. 

From escaping into the great outdoors for an unforgettable hiking, cycling, or paddling adventure, tasting wines in the very vineyards where they were made, exploring historic downtown districts, or marvelling at postcard-perfect mountains and lakes as thousands of trees burst into fall colour, the South Okanagan offers something for visitors of all ages.