Monday in San Francisco was full of blue skies and relatively warm breezes for the city on the bay.
I was in town to check out the annual Family Winemaker's Show. The show is held at Fort Mason, which has a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the SF bay.
I was accompanied by one of my favorite partners in wine crime, Clay Wallin,of VinTank and Wine 2.0.
I always seek out the domestic wineries that are producing wines made from organic and biodynamic grapes. This is a necessary vetting tool since there are hundreds of wineries present. One needs to approach such events with some method to avoid exhaustion.
Anonymous comments from various winemakers regarding organics and wine:
"We used to be certified organic but it was too difficult to control the weeds through tractor mowing. We let the certification go so we can use Round Up again."
"We are practicing organic but have not gone through the certification process yet. It seems costly and time consuming."
"Wines made from organic grapes are not any healthier to drink. We farm organically as a lifestyle decision. We live on the same land as the vineyard."
"We farm biodynamically because we believe in being proactive and preventative. We do not want to make decisions based on fear which is how most conventional wines are made. Fear of stuck fermentation so they buy commercial yeast, fear of insects so they apply chemical pesticides, etc."
I tasted dozens of delicious wines on Monday.
But here is a wine made from organic grapes that is affordable, easy to find and offers great value for money.
Clif Family Winery The Climber 2007 (white wine blend) $14
Very zippy and refreshing. Floral and citrus aromas with lush peach and nectarine flavors. Great summer seafood match. Varietal blend: sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, chenin blanc, muscat
Clif Family Winery The Climber 2005 (red wine blend) $17
Amazing value for your money. This red wine is a definite crowd pleaser. Soft red berry fruit with just a touch of earth and pepper to give it an edge.
Varietal blend: red zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, syrah, merlot
2 comments:
organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. The wine should then be made with little or no manipulation of wines by reverse osmosis, excessive filtration, or flavor additives (such as oak chips). Many organic winemakers also prefer wild yeasts for fermentation. Really a nice post.Thanks for sharing this post with us.
What a great article! I really enjoy the breakdown of the differences between organic and biodynamic, and how they are affecting today’s growers. I want to mention another cool sign that is just now hitting the market to signal consumers about the growing practices behind a certain bottle of wine. This sign that I am talking about is the SIP™ (Sustainability in Practice) Seal. In order to display this seal on their bottles a wine must have be made up of at least 85% certified fruit. The rigorous certification process requires sustainable growing practices from all angles; growers are required to prove to a third party auditor and then a committee that in their practices they have considered their duties to environmental stewardship, economic viability and social equity. These farmers pay a little bit more attention to water quality, energy conservation, biodiversity, and more. Grab a friend and grab a glass to raise a toast to this wonderful effort to bring sustainability to our wine aisles.
For more information about these new SIP™ Certified wines check out www.sipthegoodlife.org.
Post a Comment