My mother is visiting.  We are both wine drinkers, though not particularly snobby connoisseurs.  (Personally, my palate has developed to the point where I can no longer stomach Franzia, but still appreciate a good bottle of 3 Buch Chuck.)  I’ve come across the Organic Wine Exchange, but don’t know much about the sustainability options for wine.  Then yesterday, shopping in our local Whole Foods, we found a section called “environmentally-friendly wines.”  We bought 4!

Two of them, Earthstone’s 2009 Merlot Sonoma County, and Parducci’s 2008 Mendocino Country Sustainable Red, are from wineries that participate in theCalifornia Sustainable Winegrowing Program.  The 2010 Tilia Merlot is sustainably farmed in Mendoza, Argentina, and the 2009 Piccolo Fiore Rosso Di Sicilia was made with sustainable practices on the hillsides of Sicily.

In their own words:

Earthstone: “Sustainable Practices: Sustainable farmed vineyards.  Produced in a solar powered, carbon neutral winery.”

Parducci: “Locally owned and operated, Grapes from family farms, Sustainable farming practices, 100% green power, Earth-friendly packaging, Carbon neutral” (Also has a “climate action leader” badge)

Tilia: “Tilia, the Latin name for Linden, is a traditional tree in Mendoza whose flowers are used to make a relaxing herbal tea, enjoyed after a long day’s work among the vines.  Tilia is sourced from sustainably farmed family vineyards in the Eastern and Southern regions of Mendoza.”

Piccolo Fiore:  “Trusted viticulture practices minimize environmental impact by promoting healthy soils and conserving water. Please recycle.”

So far we’ve only tried the last one, which is lovely and light.  Got recommendations for sustainable wines you enjoy? Leave a comment!

Posted by Heartsleeves in Sustainability