Stratus Vineyards, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).
Stratus has become the first Canadian building—as well as the first winery worldwide—to meet this standard of green construction.
“Stratus Vineyards recognizes the growing demand from a concerned public that the wine community contribute to the ever-increasing need for responsible environmental behavior,” says Charles Baker, director of marketing and sales for Stratus. “Not only do the ownership and management at Stratus sincerely embrace this concern, they have helped set the pace within the global wine industry.”
In order to qualify for the LEED certification, the winery had to meet a number of standards that reflected its commitment to reducing the negative impact on the environment both during construction and following into its everyday operations.
Some of the green building features that earned Stratus its LEED distinction are geothermal heating and cooling, the use of recycled materials in construction and design of the building and more efficient electrical and plumbing systems.