HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYBODY!
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Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Veramonte Organic Wines and Patagonia Provisions
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Art of Earth Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
This isn't my first run-in with Art of the Earth by Mack & Schühle. I reviewed their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo while I was cooking up some burgers and they paired deliciously. These wines here, however, are from Mendoza, Argentina. Like the Montepulciano, they are 100% organic. I'm sure you've guessed that's kind of the point of the brand.
The Chardonnay is 100% unoaked and it's basically a refreshing and citrusy white wine. It could have spent more time aging with the lees to bring out more tropical fruit and Chardonnay character, but honestly I really didn't care. I'm kind of over that analytical stuff when it comes to my own pleasure, and I liked it for what it is. For a $12 unoaked Chard, it gets the job done.
The Chardonnay is 100% unoaked and it's basically a refreshing and citrusy white wine. It could have spent more time aging with the lees to bring out more tropical fruit and Chardonnay character, but honestly I really didn't care. I'm kind of over that analytical stuff when it comes to my own pleasure, and I liked it for what it is. For a $12 unoaked Chard, it gets the job done.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is also unoaked and it's totally solid. This is straight up what you should demand to expect in a Cab at that price range instead of what we're now given. It's got good quality, good structure, current and cherries, and a nice addition of savoriness.
It just looks like these guys are bringing you $12 wines (the hot spot for the average US wine consumer) with some good stuff for the price, while bringing 100% organic in as a bonus. It hits just right: just what you want, right where you want it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Orbelus Orelek Sandanski Misket 2018
This is 100% Sandanski Misket from the Struma River Valley in southwest Bulgaria. It's also biodynamic! Sandanski Misket is a cross variety of Shirka Melnika and Cabernet Sauvignon created in Bulgaria in 1979. Technically this one is dry but it has some sweet aspects to it such as its juiciness, body weight, and thick mouthfeel. There's a lot of lychee nut, so it's reminiscent of Gewurztraminer. There's also pineapple, lime peel, and a little bit of leafiness. Very enjoyable and intriguing! (Wine provided by Kristova Family Partners)
Listen to Mike and Joey talk about it on Grapes & Capes Episode #6!
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Rosé All Day Spritz Rosé + Grapefruit with Bubbles
Okay, I'm going to be blunt: Rosé All Day are not kidding when they say "+ grapefruit" because there's A LOT of grapefruit here. And that wouldn't be a big deal in the middle of July or August when it's hot as hell and if this thing was chilled ice cold, because it would be completely crushable and I would just abuse that 4 pack of cans so easily it's ridiculous. But it's September and starting to get chilly here so you know what I did? I took an inexpensive Cava, that I knew I could trust to provide some wonderful bready yeastiness, and mixed them together. It was pretty damn enjoyable. I'm not even joking. Improvisation!
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Bonterra Boxed Wine ~ Sauvignon Blanc & Rosé
Box wine again??? Don't worry, this is the last one of those for awhile. As much as I love Bonterra, the drop off is pretty noticeable when coming from a bag-in-the-box. Overall yeah, they're better than Peter Vella and Franzia, but still there's not much going on. The Sauvignon Blanc is simply lemon and grapefruit while the Rosé is simply watermelon and strawberry. Their very basic profile is not helped out like it should be by the acidity because that is rather flat. That said, if it's chilled up nice and good I wouldn't say no to drinking it and it's fine for a porch party with a bunch of friends where nobody is going to analyze the crap out of it like I have to.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Natural Origins Boxed Wine ~ Malbec & Cabernet Sauvignon
I know what you're thinking: BOX WINE??? Has Joey lost his mind??? First of all, if you've been a long time follower then you know I'm missing a few screws. Secondly, this is boxed wine made by Domain Bousquet! This winery makes some pretty damn good affordable organic wine from Argentina, and both of these selections are from Mendoza. Not only are they organic but they're also vegan. The Cabernet is a pretty good one for what you expect from boxed Cabernet! It's got some great Cabernet qualities such as cherries, cassis, and chocolate but it's also rich while having soft tannin. Much like Bousquet's regular bottled Malbecs are impressive, so is this boxed one. It's got a great pluminess, juicy blackcurrants, minerality, and a lighter body but stronger tannin than the Cabernet. Both of these are a great deal, but that Malbec is a steal.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Wine Quickie: Bonterra Merlot 2017
Looking to spend $12-$13 on a Merlot? This is where I would be taking you first, because Bonterra year in and year out makes a Merlot that is everything that you want out of the varietal. It's medium bodied and wonderfully lush in mouthfeel. And it's loaded with blackberries, blueberries, plums, cinnamon, vanilla, and cedar. It truly is a prime example of varietal correctness for Merlot and one of the best in its price range.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Wine Quickie: Mas de Cadenet l'Echappée Belle Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018
I really liked this Rosé and my wife liked it even more! It's got a zippy and refreshing personality that just makes me smile. On the nose there's rose petals, grapefruit skin, and Fruity Pebbles; while on the palate there's strawberries, citrus, and peach. The bright acidity gives this fruit-forward rosé a big uplift into happiness, and the long-lasting finish is wonderful. Thumbs up from this guy (and his lady)!
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Wine Quickie: Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosè 2018
This rosè is 45% Cinsault, 45% Grenache, and 10% Vermentino (WTF???). Although it's got a nice nose of raspberry seltzer, lemon, and roses, it kind of falls apart for me on the palate. It's rich with an unbalanced acidity and an unflattering and awkward flavor profile of tart grapefruit, bitter orange, and sweet pear juice. It's well received from other reviewers all across the board, so maybe you'll like it. But it ain't my thing, man.
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Wine Review: Orbelus Melnik 2013
It's the Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! You can read all of the content and reviews from Bulgarian Wine Month under the Bulgaria label.
To read about the fascinating history of Bulgarian wine, check out Bulgaria - Part 1: Three-Thousand Years of Wine History. To learn about the grapes, wine regions and Bulgarian wine's place in the market, read Part 2: The Current State of Bulgarian Wine. And if you'd like to see what Bulgaria's national drink is all about, find out in Part 3: Invincibility of Rakia.
Near the border of Greece in the Struma Valley of the Bulgarian Thracian Lowlands is a town called Melnik, and that town has an indigenous black grape variety named after it that Struma is known for. Even after five years of tasting all of these Bulgarian wines this is the first time that I will actually try a Melnik. As I said a few reviews ago, August is my favorite month on the blog because of stuff like this. Where would I ever come across a Bulgarian Melnik on Cape Cod? Let's waste no further type and start drinkin'!
Orbelus, the producer of this Melnik, was founded in 2000 with the mission to "produce high quality red and white wines in a nature conscious manner, guaranteeing its products’ ecological purity." So, naturally, they are Certified Organic under the laws of Bulgaria.
Orbelus, the producer of this Melnik, was founded in 2000 with the mission to "produce high quality red and white wines in a nature conscious manner, guaranteeing its products’ ecological purity." So, naturally, they are Certified Organic under the laws of Bulgaria.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Wine Quickie: Archer Roose's White & Red Spritz
Spritz is a line of low-alcohol, gluten free (a-duh), vegan, organic, canned sparkling wines by Archer Roose. Say that three times fast. The white, which I actually like, is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia. It's light and crisp and refreshing with flavors of citrus and melon. It's just a non-serious thirst quencher. The red is a Lambrusco with flavors of cherries, blackberries and a chalky minerality. I really didn't like it at all when I first tried it chilled, but throwing some ice in there and stirring it up did make it drinkable. The red isn't for everybody, but I'll pound back one of those whites any day.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
It's time to give in to canned wine! (featuring Santa Julia Chardonnay, Malbec Rosé, and Tintillo)
Canned wine is becoming a big thing and it completely makes sense. It's undeniably the enclosure that keeps wine that you want to drink fresh the freshest. That's how you want your rosé, right? That's how you want your Pinot Grigio, right? Fresh? And it keeps it pretty refreshingly cold in a cooler when you want to do some illegal drinking on the beach. I live on Cape Cod so this is a very important benefit to the product.
But what about red wine that you don't want to chill and chug? Well, first of all, remember that you don't have to drink it from the can. You can pour it into a glass like you do from the bottle.
Furthermore, the key word to the phrase "ages like a fine wine" is fine. The vast majority of wine produced in the world is meant to be consumed within the first 3 to 5 years and then it starts to decline. Canned wine is definitely intended to be consumed young and the container keeps the fruit characteristics fresher and more lively than bottles do.
So the can is perfect for New World reds in the average consumer's price range because those are generally all about the fruit. Pinot Noir specifically has shown great results from being contained in a can, but also Merlot blends seem to work well too. I'm about to try a Malbec Bonarda blend that was actually made with the intention to be chilled, so that works out perfectly for the can as well!
Furthermore, the key word to the phrase "ages like a fine wine" is fine. The vast majority of wine produced in the world is meant to be consumed within the first 3 to 5 years and then it starts to decline. Canned wine is definitely intended to be consumed young and the container keeps the fruit characteristics fresher and more lively than bottles do.So the can is perfect for New World reds in the average consumer's price range because those are generally all about the fruit. Pinot Noir specifically has shown great results from being contained in a can, but also Merlot blends seem to work well too. I'm about to try a Malbec Bonarda blend that was actually made with the intention to be chilled, so that works out perfectly for the can as well!
It's always the young people who start new innovating trends like this, and in this case the young people are very concerned about the current state and future of the environment. Whelp, aluminum is one of the most, if not the most, recyclable materials on the planet with 100% recyclability. Aluminum is also lighter than glass, and that cuts down on carbon emissions during transport. Yes, the environment is absolutely a factor in the canning trend for both wine and craft beer, both in consumer concern and producer concern.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Wine Review: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Extra Dry Organic Prosecco Bio Millesimato
Terre di Marca is a label of Azienda Corvezzo, which is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Terre di Marca label specializes in Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but all wines by Corvezzo are 100% organic. They started the organic conversion in 2010 and completed it in 2017. I'm not going to waste time by going further writing a blurb about them because you have GOT to see their awesome website called The Organic Prosecco (http://www.theorganicprosecco.com). It's got a fun and educational layout to show you how they go about making their wines organically.
This is wine #5 of 5 that I'm reviewing by them leading up to the new year. I've reviewed their 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato, 2017 Pinot Grigio, Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante, Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante, and today it comes to a close with their Prosecco.
The Extra Dry Organic Prosecco Bio Millesimato is 100% Glera from the Cessalto Area, harvested exclusively by hand, soft cold crushed and pressed, and saw carbonation through the Charmat method by spending 60 days in inox tanks.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Wine Review: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante
Terre di Marca is a label of Azienda Corvezzo, which is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Terre di Marca label specializes in Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but all wines by Corvezzo are 100% organic. They started the organic conversion in 2010 and completed it in 2017. I'm not going to waste time by going further writing a blurb about them because you have GOT to see their awesome website called The Organic Prosecco (http://www.theorganicprosecco.com). It's got a fun and educational layout to show you how they go about making their wines organically.
This is wine #4 of 5 that I'm reviewing by them leading up to the new year. I've already reviewed their 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato, 2017 Pinot Grigio, and Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante, and now I'm reviewing their Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante, and then we'll conclude with their Prosecco.
The "Sur lie" wines are produced the way the Italian ancestors made Prosecco (or sparkling wine, really), including the bottle enclosure tied with string. They're both unfiltered and undergoes a natural second fermentation (carbonation) in each individual bottle. Prosecco today is filtered and sees second fermentation in large pressurized stainless steel tanks. The Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante is made from 100% Glera on limestone soil, has a 10.5% ABV, and 0 grams of residual sugar.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Wine Review: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante
Terre di Marca is a label of Azienda Corvezzo, which is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Terre di Marca label specializes in Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but all wines by Corvezzo are 100% organic. They started the organic conversion in 2010 and completed it in 2017. I'm not going to waste time by going further writing a blurb about them because you have GOT to see their awesome website called The Organic Prosecco (http://www.theorganicprosecco.com). It's got a fun and educational layout to show you how they go about making their wines organically.
This is wine #3 of 5 that I'm reviewing by them leading up to the new year. I've already reviewed their 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato and 2017 Pinot Grigio, and now I'm on their by Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante followed by their Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante, and finally their Prosecco.
The "Sur lie" wines are produced the way the Italian ancestors made Prosecco (or sparkling wine, really). They're both unfiltered and undergoes a natural second fermentation (carbonation) in each individual bottle. Prosecco today is filtered and sees second fermentation in large pressurized stainless steel tanks. The Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante is made from 100% Raboso on limestone soil, has a 10.5% ABV, and 0 grams of residual sugar.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Wine Review: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Pinot Grigio 2017
Terre di Marca is a label of Azienda Corvezzo, which is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Terre di Marca label specializes in Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but all wines by Corvezzo are 100% organic. They started the organic conversion in 2010 and completed it in 2017. I'm not going to waste time by going further writing a blurb about them because you have GOT to see their awesome website called The Organic Prosecco (http://www.theorganicprosecco.com). It's got a fun and educational layout to show you how they go about making their wines organically.
This is wine #2 of 5 that I'm reviewing by them leading up to the new year. I started with their 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato and now I'm reviewing the 2017 Pinot Grigio, followed by Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante, Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante, and finally their Prosecco.
The 2017 Pinot Grigio is from the Motta di Livenza area of the Delle Venezie DOC. It's 100% Pinot Grigio harvested exclusively by hand and saw soft cold crushing and pressing. Then a portion of the wine spent some time in oak barrels while the rest spent time in stainless steel. It has a final ABV of 12.5% and will cost you $17.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Wine Review: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Pinot Grigio Ramato 2017
Terre di Marca is a label of Azienda Corvezzo, which is located in the Veneto region of Italy. The Terre di Marca label specializes in Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but all wines by Corvezzo are 100% organic. They started the organic conversion in 2010 and completed it in 2017. I'm not going to waste time by going further writing a blurb about them because you have GOT to see their awesome website called The Organic Prosecco (http://www.theorganicprosecco.com). It's got a fun and educational layout to show you how they go about making their wines organically.
This is wine #1 of 5 that I'm reviewing by them leading up to the new year. I'm starting off here with the 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato, then I'll be reviewing their 2017 Pinot Grigio, Rosé "Sur lie" Frizzante, Prosecco "Sur lie" Frizzante, and finally their Prosecco.
The 2017 Pinot Grigio Ramato is from the Motta di Livenza area of the Delle Venezie DOC. It's 100% Pinot Grigio that spends a brief time with its skins, like a rosé, to give it a copper (romato) color. Grigio means grey in Italian (Gris means grey in French) and the Pinot Grigio / Gris grape is a greyish purple, thus the name, so you can make a rosé-ish wine out of it like this one. It was cold macerated at 0º C for six hours and saw cold crushing and pressing. Then a portion of the wine spent some time in oak barrels while the rest spent time in stainless steel. It has an ABV of 12.5% and will cost you $17.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
September Wine Pick: Proemio Malbec 2017
September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!
With my recent switch to a different place of employment, I was happy to be reconnected with a salesperson whom I hadn't seen in quite awhile at the old place. She represents different wines now, and I was very pleased with the Proemio part of her portfolio. I mean everything was pretty damn delicious. Obviously I wasn't able to bring everything in (I took their entry-level Malbec, Cabernet, and Red Blend, and looking to bring in more in the future) but their wines impressed me enough that I really wanted to dedicate an entire month to this winery. So I asked and she was more than happy to hook me up. Thanks, Wendy! I am so happy to be presenting these wines to my readers for all of September!
I'll get more into the actually winery in the upcoming reviews, but I'm making their entry-level Malbec my Wine Pick of the Month because 1) when the average consumer thinks of Argentinian wine they think of Malbec, 2) it's less expensive than those Alamos and Trapiche Malbecs you can find everywhere, 3) it's superior in quality to them as well and not even a contest, 4) because of all of those things it's a Malbec every wine shop should look into picking up.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Wine Review: Morgan Monterey Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Dan and Donna Lee founded Morgan Winery in 1982 in Santa Lucia Highlands (before it was an AVA). They were named Winery of the Year in 1996, and in 2001 they became the first Certified Organic property in Santa Lucia Highlands. I'll be reviewing three wines by Morgan starting with their 2016 Monterey Sauvignon Blanc, 2015 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah, and 2015 Metallico Un-Oaked Chardonnay.
The 2016 Monterey Sauvignon Blanc is made of 80% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué clone, 14% classic Savignon Blanc, and 6% Semillon. The fruit is drawn from vineyards in Arroyo Seco (mid-Monterey) for bright acidity, and the warmer San Lucas (southern Monterey) for lush fruit. It was tank fermented and then, surprisingly, it saw five months of French oak barrel aging, 5% of it new. The final ABV is 13.5%.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Wine Review: Domaine des Homs Clots de Pals Minervois 2015
March is Languedoc-Roussillon Month on TheWineStalker.net!
This is the second to last wine for Languedoc-Roussillon Month and the last red! OH NO! It's better be good! This fella is from Minervois, which is just north of Corbieres (the previous review was of Domaine Ledogar La Compagnon Corbières 2015). Even with the Mediterranean influence, winters are harsh due to altitude. The AOC was established in 1985 and its red wine must be made of at the least 60% Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre combined, and then can add Carignan and Cinsault.
The 2015 Domaine des Homs Clots de Pals Minervois is 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. A rather simple blend for so many classic and traditional options. However, that can be a good thing. The ABV is 13.5%.
This month I'm taking a tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France from the comfort of my own home! I've got ten wines from the region; six from Roussillon and four from Languedoc. As you probably know, it's been rather difficult to keep this blog going lately so these reviews will be short and sweet.
This is the second to last wine for Languedoc-Roussillon Month and the last red! OH NO! It's better be good! This fella is from Minervois, which is just north of Corbieres (the previous review was of Domaine Ledogar La Compagnon Corbières 2015). Even with the Mediterranean influence, winters are harsh due to altitude. The AOC was established in 1985 and its red wine must be made of at the least 60% Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre combined, and then can add Carignan and Cinsault.
The 2015 Domaine des Homs Clots de Pals Minervois is 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. A rather simple blend for so many classic and traditional options. However, that can be a good thing. The ABV is 13.5%.
