Vertical Exploration Completes 39 Tonne Sale of St-Onge Wollastonite to Gorman Brothers Vineyard in West Kelowna

VANCOUVER, BC / September 22nd, 2022 / VERTICAL EXPLORATION INC. (TSX-V: VERT) (“Vertical” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the first direct sale of the Company’s premium-quality St-Onge wollastonite to the Gorman Brothers (“Gorman”) Vineyard in West Kelowna.

The sale to Gorman Vineyard consists of a 39 tonne wollastonite shipment that was crushed, packaged and loaded onto a large semi-trailer truck at the St-Onge quarry site on September 15th, and then successfully shipped and received on schedule at the Gorman Vineyard today. The 39 tonne sale marks a significant milestone for Vertical, as it represents the largest direct sale and shipment of the Company’s St-Onge wollastonite to date. Vertical is pleased to be working with the Gorman Vineyard, a 24 acre vineyard that is both one of the newest vineyards in West Kelowna and one that aims to be fully organically certified in advance of the bottling of its first wines in 2024. Gorman Vineyards’ use of the St-Onge wollastonite aligns with its plans to use only top quality natural fertilizers and soil supplements on its 47,000 vines, and ensure its carbon footprint is as small as possible. The Gorman team is hoping its operations will eventually become carbon negative with the addition of the St-Onge wollastonite to its sandy soils.

Gorman Vineyard is also excited to undertake a related Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) supported pilot project to measure the potential benefits of adding wollastonite to its soils to improve the fruit quality of the eight European varietals that it will be growing at its West Kelowna site. Trials with the St-Onge wollastonite will specifically focus on the potential reduction of the powdery mildew spores using wollastonite, and on improvements in the skin and grape quality that could lead to a reduction in tractor hours and CO2 emissions. The unique properties of the Gorman Vineyard site, including post fire rehabilitation, active spring runoff and large biodiversity, allows Gorman to measure the St-Onge wollastonite’s potential benefits against the ongoing ecological impacts affecting the Vineyard site.



39 Tonne wollastonite shipment leaving St-Onge



Overhead view of Gorman Vineyards in West Kelowna



Gorman’s Sauvignon Blanc vines that will receive an application of St-Onge wollastonite in October 2022

Peter P. Swistak, President/CEO of Vertical Exploration Inc., commented: “We are thrilled to have successfully completed our largest single sale and shipment of our premium wollastonite to date, and to also have moved into a new and exciting niche agricultural market such as the wine industry. There are currently over 280 licensed grape wineries in BC, and the Okanagan valley accounts for approximately 86% of the province’s total vineyard acreage. This sale to the Gorman Vineyard showcases the potential significant revenue that can be generated from ongoing sales to the ever-expanding premier Okanagan wine industry. We are also pleased to be working with, and supporting, the Gorman Vineyard in its pilot study involving the use of wollastonite as a soil supplement to both nourish its young vines and reduce its own carbon footprint in order to become a carbon neutral organically certified Okanagan winery. We are looking forward to the results of the pilot study and related future sales to the wine industry, and plan to raise a glass of inaugural Gorman vintage to toast our combined efforts in 2024.”

ABOUT VERTICAL EXPLORATION
Vertical Exploration’s mission is to identify, acquire, and advance high potential mining prospects located in North America for the benefit of its stakeholders. The Company’s flagship St-Onge Wollastonite property is located in the Lac-Saint-Jean area in the Province of Quebec.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Peter P. Swistak, President/CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Telephone: 1-604-683-3995
Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).