Our Green Philosophy

In producing the first certified vegan wine in the world, we reduced our carbon impact. In the Fall of 2020, Oxford University reported that cutting meat and dairy could reduce one’s carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent. Not only is the wine in our bottles certified vegan but all of our vineyard practices are vegan, our packaging is vegan and our menu is vegan. Even our Principals are vegan, so we’re as vegan as it gets. 

We designed-in sustainability by tile draining our vineyard. After a rain, our roots dry-out faster, as grape vines don’t like wet feet. As a result, we grow clean fruit. For our Vitis Vinifera, we use geo-textiles to extend our growing season and protect our fragile topsoils.

In addition to producing gold medal-winning French vinifera wines, we grow hybrids as well. Marquette, Traminette and Frontenac varieties naturally resist pests and taste great. Hybrids are winter hardy to -40C. These vines grow here sustainably and with little intervention.

It is possible to be respectful of the planet while producing spectacular wines. Karlo has twice been named on the “Top Ten Cutting Edge Wines of the World” list and on WineAlign’s “Best of the Best of Ontario” list under the direction of Executive Winemaker Derek Barnett and Winemaker Spencer Mayer. We earned an astounding 21 gold medal scores in the first quarter of 2021 alone. Most recently, Karlo Estates was honoured with VineRoute’s “Top 20 Wineries of Ontario” listing as well as named on their “Top Ten Wines of Ontario” list.