Organic Wines - Foodie Ambrosia

Here's a question - what does a foodie bring to a guest's house for dinner?

Organic wine, silly.

Having a pesticide free, all natural wine is a foodie's idea of the perfect drink. According to some it has a sweeter, purer taste with no lingering bitterness or funny "chemical" aftertaste, As with any other organic product it is truer in flavor than a regular wine would be.

What exactly is an "organic" wine? As per the USDA it's technically the grapes that are organic not the finished product. It also means that the fruit has been grown without using the conventional pesticides as well as petroleum and sewerage sludge based fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Basically it's how our ancestors grew their grapes. Early vintners only used manure from their farms and allowed all sorts of insects to live on the vines. Organic vineyards also have biodiversity meaning that other plants are allowed to grow alongside the grapes. Vintners allow weeds that are eventually pulled out by hand as to opposed to being eradicated by chemical based weed killers. Other methods may include letting armies of ladybugs and lacewings out on the vines to kills predator bugs, plants or fungus.

For you newbies looking at your first bottle , remember that the label may say one of three things: 100% organic, organic or made from organic grapes. The first signifies that the wine is indeed purely organic and that no sulfites have been added. Organic means that 95% of the final product is made from certified organic sources while having 5ppm (parts per million) of sulfites. If your wine claims to have been made from organic grapes then only 70% of it is organic. It also has sulfur dioxide added to it.

Where can you buy organic wines? Most big liquor stores today carry a full range but if you're still having trouble then search the web. There are several fine organic wine companies that produce everything form Cabernet to Champagnes. Organic wineries will also offer other fruit wines made with blueberries, strawberries or melons as their base. If you're new to the experience then I recommend sticking with the traditional wines you 're familiar with like dry whites and reds.

There's nothing like a wine that is organic. Some wines are good for you and having them made as they were centuries ago is even better. It's one more step towards a healthier and flavorful life style.