Geothermal energy keeps grape vines cozy in winter at Eastern Townships vineyard
CBC
At the Vignoble du Ruisseau in Dunham, in Quebec's Eastern Townships, rows of grape vines are taking their long winter's nap under cocoons of insulating geotextile, covered with a layer of snow.
But these vines are benefitting from an extra source of heat to keep them comfortable during Quebec's harsh winter freeze: geothermal energy.
The family that owns the vineyard believes it's the first in the world to use the technology to protect grape vines from the cold.
"The thinking here is, go big or go home," said Sara Gaston, general director of the Vignoble du Ruisseau.
The system, patented by the vineyard, distributes heat across 7.5 hectares of fields, thanks to 15 kilometres of tubing running both above and below ground, keeping the temperature of the soil above –10 C all year round.
WATCH | How the vineyard's geothermal system keeps grapes toasty:
In addition, the vineyard's warehouses, vats and cellars are all heated and cooled using geothermal energy.
"Two metres below ground, it stays between 5 and 8 degrees, in summer or in winter," said Gaston. "Whether you're in Hawaii or in France, it's about the same temperature."
The system works by carrying that underground heat to the surface with the help of a glycol solution flowing through the tubes.
Gaston says, in winter, that redirected heat protects sensitive buds and helps limit losses of grapes in intense cold snaps.
"We wanted to make sure that the vines don't die and that there is a full and quality harvest, year after year," she said. "That allows us to have vines that are more than ten years old…that are imbued with the terroir of our region."
She says the idea to use geothermal heating was born of the family's desire to plant grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Riesling, which tend to prefer the warmer climates of France's Burgundy & Alsace regions.
"Those types of vines resist until -18 [degrees]," she said. "So that's why we have to heat them to be sure that when we have minus 30…the vine will be ok."
They landed on geothermal as an eco-friendly option and developed their own system to harness it. On particularly cold days, Gaston says the vineyard generates additional heat from electricity or wood chips.
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