Planting and harvesting according to the moon cycle can sound a little woo-woo, but if you ask the people behind Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna, British Columbia, and Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, it would seem that it’s the only practical thing to do.
“We strive to be a model of man in nature,” says Stephen Cipes, proprietor of Summerhill Pyramid Winery. “We have 80 acres overlooking the lake here in Kelowna. And we feel we are a model for the world to come in and see how we can live together in harmony with the earth and not only be sustainable, but also with biodynamic farming and permaculture, we’re giving back. It’s about replenishing the soil. We’re giving back to nature rather than just taking.”
“ It leads to better winemaking and more attentive winemaking”
Stephen actually arrived in Kelowna from New York. He moved after learning from a friend that he could grow fruit and grapes in the Okanagan Valley.
“I always wanted to grow grapes and make sparkling wine,” says Stephen. “And I discovered that the location here is ideal for growing small intensely flavoured grapes that hold their flavour through the second fermentation in the bottle and produce sensational sparkling wine. I had always wanted a good reason to come to Canada, as it was the home of my mother’s mother, Esther, whose parents emigrated from
