“Organic wines are on the rise. This is an $18 billion industry that’s on the rise.”
In California alone there are now some 12,000 acres of vineyards (almost 5% of the states total) certified by third party organizations like California Certified Organic Farms (CCOF); and there are nineteen wineries certified as producers of Organic Wines (i.e. wines farmed organically and vinified without additional sulfites). It is also worth noting that over 90% of vineyards up and down the West Coast are farmed sustainably, without any certification. The days of routine, rampant use of chemicals are long gone, and practices like cover cropping to establish organic mulching and foster beneficial insects, and canopy management to minimize mildewing and other diseases, have become pretty much standard practice in the U.S. and around the world.
While prestigious, longtime organic producers like Napa Valleys Frogs Leap, Domaine Ostertag in France and Alois Lageder in Italy have never aspired to save the world agendas, the reasons to drink their wine are ultimately the same as that of any other wine: grapes from clean, healthy vines also make some of the worlds finest, most distinctive wines.
There are hundreds of certified organic wines to choose from, although you often have to look on the back labels to see the designations. Here are twenty delicious organic wines, all retailing between $9 and $18, and available in stores near you.
Organic White Wines
2007 Frogs Leap, Rutherford/Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc (California; made from organic grapes) – Crystal clear, fresh, green melon aroma with herby, grassy undertones; lemony crisp entry, become round, soft, long and slender in the middle, finishing with a light lemon and honeydew fruitiness.
2007 Holmes, Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand; organic grapes) – Classic New Zealand nose green herby, slightly peppery, and grapefruity fresh followed by crisp, fine, silky, lemony dry and refreshing flavors.