Eco-friendly wines for your Memorial Day BBQ

I've put up quite a few wine reviews on Mother Nature Network in the past couple of months, and I thought that I'd do a roundup here for those of you who are going out to choose wine for your celebrations this weekend. I only review wines that I like - if I drank it and I didn't like it, I won't write about it because I'm really not an expert. I'm just a wine lover who knows what I like. 

The links will take you to my full review.

Live a Little Really Ravishing Red - an organic, fair trade Shiraz from Africa. I payed $8.99 for the bottle.

Bonterra 2007 Viognier - I loved this white California wine that's made with sustainable grapes. It's a little more pricey than my usual wines - $22.99 - so I won't be drinking it every week.

Red Truck Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc - These are the wines I'll probably serve at my own summer BBQ's. These California wines are inexpensive - $10.99 a bottle. They are both great wines to pair with cheeseburgers.

Napa Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc - I liked this wine, but at $17.99 a bottle, I'll probably reach for the Red Truck Sauvignon Blanc more often. It's a great cheese and crackers wine.

Organic ReLeaf Wine - This red is a fabulous Friday night pizza wine at an every Friday night price $8.99. The wine is from Africa and the winery treats their employees well, an added bonus.

Montebelli Fabula 2006 - A 100% certified organic Sangiovese (the grapes that Chianti is made from). This wine is good, but it definitely needs food to bring out its finer qualities. Great with pasta, and fabulous with roasted red pepper and provolone - maybe not so great for your BBQ, though. I paid $12.99 for the bottle.

Bonterra 2007 Zinfandel - If you're putting blue cheese on your burger on the grill this weekend, get this wine. It was an amazing pairing. I like Zins, and this one is a keeper. At $11.99 this wine made from organically grown grapes is a good value.

Do you have a favorite, reasonably priced (below $20 is reasonable in my eyes) eco-friendly wine that you think I should try? Tell me about it in the comments.

A fair trade mother's day basket

I don't particularly like gift baskets when you order them from a company that puts them together for you. There's always items in there that are useless or at least not to the recipient's tastes. But I think putting together you're own gift basket with useful and appreciated items is thoughtful and personal.

Mother's Day is this Sunday, and if you need a gift for a foodie, then I think creating a gift basket with fair trade products is a great way to go. What can you put in the basket?

• Wine - There are many fair trade wines out there. I did a review on one Live-a-Little Really Ravishing Red, a South African Shiraz, last week on MNN. If you are unfamiliar with fair trade wines, try going to a larger wine store and ask for some recommendations.
• Chocolate - My personal recommendation for fair trade chocolate is Divine, but there are many really good fair trade chocolates out there. In my region, I can get them at Wegmans, Whole Foods, and I think perhaps Trader Joe's.
• Coffee/Tea - Fair trade coffees abound at many grocery stores and there is usually some selection of fair trade teas, also. If you're adding tea, you may also be able to find fair trade honey to go with it.
  
• Baked goods - Use fair trade chocolate, cocoa or sugar to make some decadent treats to put in the basket.
• Vanilla - If the mom is a baker, she'll be happy to have some fair trade vanilla for your spice shelf.
• Flowers - Fair trade flowers are available, but not everywhere. Click here to see some national sources. If you can't find fair trade flowers and still want to shower mom with some, go with a local grower.

What do you think? Would your mom be happy to get this as a gift. I'm a mom, and I know I would be.

I've got your Friday night pizza wine - Releaf

Over on MNN today I've got a review of Releaf, a South African blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The company that imports it, Organic Wine Trade Company is pretty impressive itself. Take a look at the review to find out how they are bringing sustainable, responsible wines to the U.S.

Releaf is a perfect choice for your Friday night pizza wine. It pairs well with pizza, it's sustainable so you can feel good about drinking every Friday night, and the price is right - $8.99 at my local wine store.

My first organic wine review (of sorts)

I hope to get another post up later today on a book I was sent to review, but I've got this crazy week where I'm at the boys' school all week running the book fair. So I thought I'd link you to a wine review I did on MNN today on Bonterra Vineyards 2007 Zindfandel. 

I actually call it a wine review (of sorts) because it's not a regular review that talks about long finishes and gives a numerical score. It's just my thoughts on the wine.

Bonterra Vineyards 2007 Zinfandel