L'Acadie Vineyards, Ryan's Well, Motivation
Interview Concludes With Discussion of Charity, Personal Goals
Aug 17, 2009
S101 : One of the more noticable additions to your wine shop here in the Gaspereau Valley is the donation box displayed prominently here in your showroom, could you tell us a bit more about that?
L'Acadie Vineyards : We raise money for Ryan's Well. If you aren't familiar with this charity, it began with a boy named Ryan Hreljac, at the time a very young boy, whose teacher told him that people were dying in Africa from lack of clean drinking water.
Now he's in his twenties, the charity has grown to a huge size; they install wells in Africa for the people to have access to clean water. From simplest beginnings, these people work together to try and provide a better quality of life for those who are suffering for lack of the most basic necessities.
We have a two-tiered tasting system here at L'Acadie Vineyards as well that plays into this notion as well.
We have free wine tastings and paid wine tastings, and half of the proceeds from our paid wine tastings are donated to Ryan's Well. We also have a donation box placed here by our front window for our clients and an artesian well overflow where they can drink our excellent quality water.
S101 : An excellent and worthy cause.
L'Acadie Vineyards : We started last year with our grand opening. We did a kiosk around the artesian well to raise awareness and funds and we made a fair bit of money at that for Ryan's Well.
This year we will have even more, so we're very pleased. We actually had a visitor to L'Acadie Vineyards from Tanzania, and they told us that they were actually familiar with the results of this charity – a nearby village had received a well from them!
S101 : One final question Mr. Ewert. What inspired you, personally, to go into the wine business. What drove you to invest in the culture of wine?
L'Acadie Vineyards : That's an excellent question; what should drive most winemakers is to make an incredible wine, consistently, every year?
Different styles may be necessary – the climate is always different, it's never the same every year and it's never the same in different geographical areas. Wine is a very vintage driven product.
To gain that recognition, through either winning awards or more importantly to have our customers buying my wines and enjoying what I've produced – literally selling out of many vintages is gratifying.
People being interested in what I have to offer is what really drives me forward. It's a good feeling.
S101 : Thank you once again for your time. Bruce Ewert with L'Acadie Vineyards.
L'Acadie Vineyards : And you as well.
Miss out on the earlier portions of the interview?
The first segment of the discussion involves a description of the terroir on the Gaspereau River, as well as L'Acadie Vineyards distinction as the only certified organic winery currently operating in Nova Scotia. From there, the discussion shifts to an explanation of what "Traditional Method Sparkling Wines" really means, and how it relates to quality in the glass of the wine consumer.
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