Eco-Friendly Wines - Wine of the Week

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Apr 20th 2010 @ 4:00PM

We're seeing more and more wineries moves towards sustainable practices, whether it's growing grapes organically, or having Fair-Trade regulated wages for workers or sustainable mantras on the business side. Some wineries are even practicing biodynamic methods in the vineyard, where farming occurs in concert with the cycles of the moon -- considered a step above and beyond organic farming. The message is, consumers want greener goods.

Seven of our favorite eco-friendly wines:

2008 Parducci Sustainable White Wine Mendocino County ($11)
Parducci walks the green talk from a lot of different angles, from its 100-percent green-power supply to sustainable grape farming to earth-friendly packaging. The wine has a nice, medium body with complexity and a floral nose to kick off the palate.

In celebration of Earth Day this week, more picks after the jump.

2008 One World Shiraz, Koopmanskloof, South Africa ($13)
Notes of plums and raspberries dance on your palate, with an undercurrent of spices, winding into a long finish. This wine is certified Fair Trade by Transfair USA, which is a governing body based in California making sure that certain policies are in place – above all, that workers are paid a living wage – before these products are marketed as such in the U.S.

2008 Lamura Natura Sicilia Bianco di Sicilia ($15)
Made with organically-grown, indigenous Catarratto white-wine grapes, this is a crisp white wine with a floral nose and tropical-fruit notes, on the backdrop of an extremely balanced palate.

Pommery "Pop Earth" NV Champagne ($55)
Not only are the grapes farmed sustainably, this is the first Champagne house to obtain two crucial eco-friendly certifications (ISO 14001 and 9001) related to business practices. Each wine label is printed with water-soluble inks and born out of recycled paper. And a lighter glass bottle was used to cut down on VOC emissions. This is a refreshing, crisp bubbly with a beautiful golden hue in the glass and a bite of stone fruit on the finish.

Stellar Winery Live-A-Little Really Ravishing Red Fair Trade/Organic, South Africa ($14)
Fair Trade and organic Shiraz grapes go into this red wine, which has overall notes of tart, red fruit (particularly raspberries) and is more on the sweeter than the drier side, although there is a nice earthy accent throughout and a long finish. Also, no sulphur dioxide was used during the winemaking process.

2006 Parducci Sustainable Red Wine Mendocino County ($12)
Dried-cherry flavors drive this wine into a soft finish. Elements of spice and ripe fruit are in this wine, making it approachable for new wine drinkers but also complex for those looking for more oomph. Aged in a combination of redwood and oak barrels, this red-blend wine is also a great value for the price.

2007 Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyard Pinot Noir La Encantada Santa Rita Hills, California ($36)
Well worth the splurge, this Pinot comes from an appellation (Santa Rita Hills), and a winery, putting out award-winning Pinots year after year. This Pinot -- which contains two clones: Swan and 667 -- is no exception. Plus, the winery owners are passionate about growing grapes sustainably and market the wines as such. Smoky, plum notes are on the nose and the palate, overall, is flawless with violet, cherry and raspberry notes. The tart finish is a pleasant surprise.

Filed Under: Reviews, Drinks
Tags: eco-friendly wines, fair trade wine, organic wine, sustainable wine, sustainable wineries