Wine with Leslie: The best organic wines at every price point
Sustainability is mentioned on just about every winery website Picture: Pexels/Pixabay
As the northern hemisphere bakes and forest fires burn up southern Europe, floods have hit China, Kenya, Australia and Bangladesh. Modern industrial farming methods are said to contribute up to 29% of global greenhouse gas emissions and grape growing is often worse than other farming sectors.
CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB
B-Liv is a new Organic range in Spar and Mace created by La Celia from Argentina, a producer that I’ve mentioned often. The winery’s focus is on sustainability through renewable energy, green packaging and organic viticulture. There is a crisp rosé and a fruit-driven fairly typical Cabernet Sauvignon, but I particularly liked the lively citrus zingy green apple fruits in this Sauvignon Blanc.
Ciello Bianco featured here a few weeks ago but the last time I mentioned the Rosso it was a different vintage — the current vintage seems even juicier. From organic Nero d’Avola grapes, ripe red fruits mixed with lightly smoky darker ones and notes of chocolate and liquorice. I drank a bottle of this lightly chilled on a sunny terrace recently and it was perfect.
This was created by La Scuola nel Vigneto, a social-educational project created to promote sustainable Valpolicella winemaking traditions. I love Valpolicella/Bardolino and Corvina-based wines at this time of year— aromas of red cherries with spice notes, rounded and fruit-driven with juicy, red and black fruits — suitable for chilling. The Garganega is similarly crisp and zingy with a lip-smacking freshness.
This wine was originally kept for the family as their ‘house wine’ as it came from grapes picked at the end of the harvest from the cooler slopes and from a co-fermented field blend of grapes. Bright juicy blackberry fruits, supple and lively with a delightful glou-glou (gluggable) character perfect for summer — serve cool. Note the ABV is just 12.5%.
Costières de Nîmes is the most southerly region of the Rhône, not far from where the Rhône meets the sea so think wetlands and Provence-style Garrigue. Gassier are organic pioneers with a deep commitment to sustainability. This is 80% Syrah co-fermented with 20% Grenache and packed with bright plum fruits with black cherry skins and spice notes on the finish serve cool.
Alois Lageder are among Italy’s OG sustainable organic producers who have been biodynamic since the ‘90s. Lagrein is native to the region, a descendent of Teroldego and a cousin of Pinot Noir. Bright berry fruit aromas mixed with red vine liquorice and strawberries ripe red fruits hit the palate first followed by pleasing layers of spice and darker mineral-edged fruits on the finish with pleasing layers and textures.
Tipperary Distillery is firmly focused on terroir especially given that the distillery is located on a family farm that grows its own barley — I’ve praised their whiskies a few times. This gin is made from their own barley but also includes some foraged hawthorn leaves from the hedgerows (but not too many lest that upset the little folk!).
Juniper forward with lemon and spice notes (cardamom and nutmeg I thought) smooth on first sip but lively spice notes kick in quickly on the mid-palate with a pleasing nuttiness (from the hawthorn leaves). The finish is crisp with lingering spice and citrus and its lively character will be dulled by tonic. Gorgeous.
