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.
4 comments:
I don't have any to add, just wanted to say THANKS for the list. I'm going to make a note of these to have handy next trip to the wine shop.
Excellent list. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma. I highly recommend their varietals, as well. While they have excellent merlots and cabs, we had an phenomenal Chardonay Reserve that we still recall fondly today. Benziger practices Biodynamic farming, a unique approach that takes organic a step further. For a virtual tour of the winery and this approach, check out: http://www.benziger.com. Better yet, pick up a bottle. :)
@DarrenBeck
Hello!
I love your blog! I thought I would share with you a video I made for Oxfam that discusses the affect of climate change on the human population. It also encourages everyone to go and visit a website where they can sign a petition telling our world's leaders that we want to see action on climate change at the Copenhagen summit later this year. I thought the video might be of interest to you.
Here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVtTDjMAjTs
With peace,
Matt
I can add a bunch - but I should say that I am distributor of organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines here in Chicago. That said, here are a few people we work with:
Girasole, Mendocino CA.
Charlie Barra is going into his 64th vintage and the family has 200 acres of organically grown fruit. They are growing the Girasole brand and sell fruit to some of the wines you mentioned. Their Pinot Noir is our best seller, and was named a best American value Pinot Noir by more than one critic.
From France, the Loire Valley and Alsace are hot spots for organic agriculture. Domaine Martin Schaeztel is farmed biodynamically by Jean Schaetzel and his Cuvee Reserve wines are fantastic. Les Chesnaies, in Chinon is organic too, and make a great unoaked Cabernet Franc.
In Italy, check out Jasci, from Abruzzo. They make a $15 Montepulciano di Abruzzo that does great with pizza, but has also been poured at high end restauarants like Spiaggia here in Chicago.
Keep looking for wines like this. The best wines in the world come from the best fruit, and that means good farming!
Damien
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