In today’s (post) modern world, business has a profoundly powerful effect on the structure and content of our daily lives. As entrepreneurs in a multifaceted industry that involves farming, manufacturing, marketing, and hospitality, we see ourselves as having a responsibility to contribute to culture in a way that aligns with the eternal values that nurture health and happiness in humanity. This responsibility is our primary motivator, not profit alone.My parents started working with Summerhill Pyramid’s organic certifier all the way back in 1988. Organic certification is important because it provides transparency for the way we farm and make our wine. Now I am thrilled to announce that on May 15, after a two year accreditation process, Summerhill has become a Certified B Corporation®, which provides the same kind of transparency for the way we run our business. Our overall impact on our Earth and community is looked at; everything from the way we hire and treat our team members to every aspect of our supply chain. The B Corp™ certification is a mark that means we prioritize people and planet alongside profit, and are using business as a force for good.

A few more facts about B Corps:

• There are over 2700 Certified B Corporations from more than 130 industries and 60 countries
• Summerhill Pyramid is the first winery in Canada to gain the certification, and one of just 26 wineries worldwide
• The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
• The certification process uses credible, comprehensive, transparent, and independent standards of social and environmental performance, assessed in five categories: governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment. You can find Summerhill’s impact report here.

Summerhill Pyramid is Canada’s most visited winery. We welcome thousands of visitors onto our farm from all over the world. The founding vision to bottle among the very finest wines in the world has been achieved, with trophies from the highest levels of competition in France, England, and around the world to show for it. But the greatest legacy is the change that we strive to nourish daily. Our greatest goal is an ongoing one of service to humanity, engendering a culture of gratitude for people and planet with every heavenly sip of our organic wine.

Ezra Cipes

CEO, Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. B Corp businesses make a positive global impact by working to reduce inequality, lower levels of poverty, create a healthier environment, build strong communities and offer high-quality jobs. Summerhill Pyramid Winery has been assessed in categories including governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment to achieve this certification.