Your Guide to Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wine
Why does this wine make Victoria crave a Pastrami sandwich? Watch the review of the Phillipe Bornard Cotes-du-Jura Chardonnay Les Gaudrettes 2009 and find out.
Congratulations to Cava producer Recaredo for being accepted into La Renaissance des Appellations, the group of superstar biodynamic winemakers led by Nicolas Joly. All members are certified organic and biodynamic and are chosen by a unanimous vote from the tasting committee, which includes Joly, Olivier Humbrecht, Anne Claude Leflaive and David Leclapart among others.
Recaredo website.
La Renaissance des Appellations website.
Starting today, the Organic Wine Journal will be covering the wide and diverse world of organic spirits. There’s a new breed of handcrafted vodkas, gins, tequilas and others being made that reflect the same commitment to quality and practices as organic wines. Tune in each Friday for a new organic spirit review with our host Tony Sachs.
This wine is like “a powerful hug from a really sexy lady.” Watch Victoria’s review of the Erbaluna Barbera d’Alba Superiore La Rosina 2010.
Are you a sommelier who really knows their Languedoc-Roussillon wines? Want to win a trip to the region to meet some great winemakers? Then enter the Sud De France Sommelier Competition. There’ll be an exam and blind tasting – and then the final three candidates will compete in front of a live audience.
New York’s most exciting wine tasting of the year will be held once again in the spacious Granite Room and Rose Room of City Hall Restaurant at 131 Duane Street. All proceeds from this event (as well as $500 donations from Chambers Street Wines and Louis/Dressner) will go to Partners-in-Health “breaking the cycle of poverty and disease in Haiti and 11 countries around the world.” (For more information or to contribute directly, go to www.pih.org) Admission is $20, cash or check at the door. No sign-up sheet this year so come anytime, but we would advise arriving between 1:00 and 2:00 or between 3:30 and 4:00.
Natural viticulture, hand harvesting, low yields, wild yeasts, non-interventionist winemakng, and, most importantly, enjoyment, are the “principles” of Louis/Dressner. These growers are a unique and fascinating group committed to the natural expression of their terroirs and culture through honest, traditional wines. Here’s the list of vignerons attending:
Domaine de la Pépière, Muscadet; Domaine Luneau-Papin, Muscadet; Domaine Bernard Baudry, Chinon; Domaine du Closel, Savennières; Domaine François Pinon, Vouvray; Domaine des Terres Dorées, Beaujolais; Domain Franck Peillot, Savoie; Domaine Eric Texier, Rhone; Montesecondo, Tuscany; Weingut Knebel; Weingut Immich-Baterieberg; Weingut Clemens Busch and Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht.
And we’ll be pouring wines from these outstanding domains as well: La Sansonnière, Anjou; Noella Morantin, Touraine; Tue-Boeuf, Touraine; Puzelat-Bonhomme, Touraine; Les Vin Contés, Touraine; Michel Augé, Touraine; Laurent Barth, Alsace; Claude Maréchal, Burgundy; Paul Pernot, Burgundy; Jean Manciat, Macon; Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie; Desvignes, Morgon; Georges Descombes, Morgon; Lard des Choix, Ardeche; Marcel Richaud, Rhone; Oratoire Saint-Martin, Cairanne; Hauvette, Provence; Mas Chimères, Languedoc; Domaine du Possible, Roussillon; Nusserhof, alto Adige; Monte dall’Ora, Valpolicella; Bera, Piedmont; Cascina Tavijn, Piedmont; Ca de Noci, Emilia-Romagna; Graciano, Emilia-Romagna; Sanguineto, Montalcino; Guttarolo, Puglia; Del Prete, Puglia; Romeo del Castello, Sicily; De Bartoli, Sicily. Wow, what a list, see you on the 22nd!
From Beverage Media:
According to Michael Degen, Executive Director Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and Director of ProWein, “The numbers of organic producers have grown substantially over the years and this year some 250 exhibitors declare to have a specific focus on the category.” ProWein will feature a special section in Hall 6 titled “World of Organic Wine” featuring participants from Switzerland, South Africa, Bulgaria, Australia, France and Italy. Additionally there will be a “Top 100” tasting zone of award winning international organic wines. And of course many other producers in Hall 6 and other halls will be offering organic, sustainable and biodynamically produced wines as part of their portfolio, including a wide array from Wines of Chile.
The biodynamic sub-category has grabbed a lot of attention with passionate proponents adopting the controversial production system devised and introduced in Austria by Rudolph Steiner. The primary certification organization, Demeter, will have a booth at the trade fair along with seminars on the program. Also in attendance will be Ecovin, Respekt, Fepeco (Spain) and CCE (Croatia). Demeter is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2014 with a variety of seminars and special tastings listed on the ProWein website.
