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It's the ultimate in clean tech grape waste upcycling.
Penticton-based Winecrush Technology takes the grape skins and seeds leftover after the winemaking process, which previously just went to the dump, and turns it into a valuable natural food additive.
"We transform it into a high-performance flavour enhancer that heightens and extends flavours and reduces the need for sodium by 80% in plant-based meats where the colour red is needed," said Winecrush CEO Kirk Moir.
It doesn't end there.
Winecrush's new bio-mechanical process, which transforms the junk skin and seeds, also known as marles or pomace, into a puree, also maintains the additive's nutritional value, protein, phenolic compounds, dietary fibre and antioxidants.
As such, the additive is also desirable for salt reductions and other seasoning spices, meats, desserts, cheeses, breads, cereals, condiments and sauces.
"Our pilot project over the past year saw 10 Okanagan wineries give us their pomace," said Moir.
"In the future, it's our goal to pay wineries for pomace because it has value."
Winecrush provides bins for the participating wineries, picks them up when full and makes its additive from the pomace collected.
Reusing grape pomace not only keeps the skins and seeds from the landfill but prevents it from becoming part of volatile compost heaps.
Pomace at the dump or in compost releases methane gases, which are bad for the environment, and can also contaminate soil.
Last year's pilot project saw 150 tonnes of pomace collected and not sent to the dump or compost, avoiding the release of 6,500 kilograms of methane.
It was the methane prevention that caught the eye of Agriculture and Agri Food Canada in Summerland.
The agency provided an undisclosed amount through its Agricultural Clean Technology program for the Winecrush pilot.
Funding has been extended so Winecrush can do the same during the 2021 harvest.
"The project is designed to give wineries an effective alternative for the derivatives from the winemaking process, rather than let these food-grade materials go to waste," said Winecrush co-founder Bill Broddy.
By the way, Broddy, who has a background in product development with tech giant IBM, got the idea for Winecrush when he saw bears feasting on pomace and realized it had value as a byproduct packed with nutrients.
"We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up to partner with Winecrush," said Kiera LeFranc, winemaker at Stag's Hollow Winery in Okanagan Falls.
"But, their vision for sustainability and environmental preservation seemed to be in line with what we are trying to achieve here at Stag's Hollow."
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