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Join us on September 13, 2017 at 7:00 for

The National Tasting Project 2017

Wine is healthy. I read that on the interweb. The benefits are backed by countless scientific studies, and one of the reasons that grape wine is still around. For instance, where are lima bean and corn wines? They couldn’t deliver on taste, variety of styles and the benefits.  Grapes do.

Our next tasting, featuring Organic, Biodynamic and Sustainable wine, is a very current subject. Increasingly we’re seeing “healthy” wines in the Fine Wine and Spirits stores, and like every other health food there’s a perception that healthy translates to “bad tasting.” However, there is no reason why a healthier wine should taste worse than a “non-healthy” wine in any way.

Preservative free

Let’s start with the style that tastes most different from mainstream wine: preservative free. While this implies that no preservatives are used in manufacturing this kind of wine, the term “preservative free” refers chiefly to not using sulfur (the world’s oldest preservative) after picking the grapes. However, be aware that you won’t be entirely sulfur-free if you drink preservative free wine. Your stomach produces small amounts of sulfur as a byproduct of digestion in the absence of a lot of oxygen in your belly.

Organic

Organic wine is made from grapes grown in accordance with principles of organic farming, which typically excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. The official certified organic folk tend to get sidelined due to taste stigma, but there’s a secret about organic wine. Most companies (in fact, whole regions) use the organic approach in the vineyard and wine making, but they don’t tell you because it’s a label they don’t want to use! They want you to believe that the vineyard, winery and winemaker are doing their best and not making compromises with claims of organic or preservative free or whatever.

Biodynamic wines

Biodynamics is a complex way of growing wines. It’s similar to organic, but treats soil fertility, plant growth and livestock care as ecologically interrelated systems. At the heart of biodynamic wine is a belief by these companies that the best wines come from the best soils with a balanced environment that gives its share back to nature. Basically, it’s fewer things that end in “cide”.

A glass of wine is a good friend, and it may be a passport to a whole world of experiences, with the labels organic, biodynamic and preservative free a vital part of the experience. Stay thirsty, my friends.

WEDNESDAY, September 13, 2017 at 7:OO

Evergreen Community Center, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES!

The cost for members and guests is $25.

Please reply before September 6, 2017 to:

aws.pittsburgh@gmail.com

Or you may reply to 412-657-0777.

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Dr. Dennis Trumble

1302 Arch St

Pittsburgh PA  15212

Don’t forget to visit the website for directions, useful tips, and recipes.

  

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Green, Greener, Greenest

Being Green

Let’s say you were inspired by the recent posts on Organic, Sustainable and Biodynamic wines.  You go to the Fine Wines and Good Spirits store, and in an environmentally conscious state of mind, you purchase a bottle of organic wine from a producer in Australia.  Are you doing your part for the environment?  Certainly, the wine has no added chemicals, so you must be helping, right?  But, what about that bottle that had to travel 9,614 miles?  What sort of carbon footprint did that create?

It was bad enough feeling guilty every time we took a swig of water from a plastic bottle. But now we also have to express remorse every time we buy wine that weighs too much.  Glass weighs more than cardboard and plastic.  That’s not fake news. It’s a fact.

The most reliable way to minimize wine-related carbon emissions is to avoid bottles that have traveled by air. If possible, choose bottles that spent more time in a boat than in a truck. Since container ships handle most intercontinental wine transport, Americans who live east of Nebraska are better off buying a wine from Bordeaux than one from Sonoma because the California wines would have taken a long overland journey. Magnums are better than standard 750-milliliter bottles, because there’s less packaging per mouthful of wine.

Or, you can avoid the bottle completely. Important people, very important people have told me that wine boxes are here bigly, filling the glasses of oenophiles. But the classic bag-in-box (BIB) model isn’t the only glass-bottle alternative. Wineries have begun using PET plastic wine bottles and Tetra Paks (often used in juice boxes). “Green” is the new “black’!

 The greenest choice is a wine made from organic, biodynamic grapes in BPA-free, BIB containers printed with soy-based inks and sealed with cornstarch. Only a few wineries have come this far, so don’t worry if you can’t find a box of wine with these exact specifications.

BIB packaging has an environmental impact. A BIB uses a plastic bag fitted with a nozzle and nestled inside a cardboard box. Compared to the glass bottle, it is both lighter and more efficiently packed for shipping, which reduces its carbon footprint. The box and plastic bag inside are both recyclable, so long as your area accepts #7 plastic.

That kind of plastic, however, is often made with Bisphenol A (BPA). To make sure the bag is BPA-free, inquire with the winery, or check the label. Each box usually holds three or four traditional 750-milliliter bottles, and its collapsing vacuum bag and airtight nozzle keep wine fresh for up to a month after opening. At the cost equivalent of about $5 a bottle, these wines beat their bottle counterparts for price.

According to a life-cycle inventory of the production, transportation, and post-consumer recycling of Tetra Paks, glass bottles, and PET bottles, delivering 1,000 liters of wine in Tetra Paks uses less energy and produces less greenhouse gas than plastic PET bottles and traditional glass bottles, which produce 922 and 1,926 pounds respectively.

Tetra Paks are made from a composite of paperboard, aluminum, and polyolefin resins, but only the paper portion can be recycled. To find out if Tetra Paks are recyclable where you live, visit

www.recyclecartons.com.

If we want to reduce our carbon footprint from the use of wine bottles, producers everywhere will need to deliver better wine in a box, and make it snappy. Perhaps they will if consumers start to demand that everyday wines that don’t need to age in a bottle be sold in a box. If you’re sorry about the change, squeeze off another well-preserved, affordable, low-carbon serving of boxed wine and mull it over.

Drinking Responsibly

Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wines

One of the biggest misunderstandings of the wine industry is that the fermented grape juice you're drinking isn't just fermented grape juice. Pesticides and fungicides are used on the grape vines, and additives like sulfites and acids are used to balance the flavor and stabilize the wine as it develops in the cellar. As with produce, these added chemicals can make products less healthy and farms less sustainable. But because winemakers aren't required to include such ingredients on their labels, many people are unaware of this.

Our next tasting will be organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines. These three distinct approaches to winemaking all aim to make production more environmentally sound. The sustainable wine industry is booming in Europe, and has recently started to catch on in the United States too, as our National Tasting Project will demonstrate.

Taking an organic, biodynamic or sustainable approach to the winemaking process lets wines reflect the vintage and terroir, but it also makes them less consistent, as if decoding labels wasn't hard enough already. Organic, biodynamic, sustainable and natural wines tend to cost more, too. Vineyards are more vulnerable to bad weather and diseases, and the approved fertilizers and weed killers are more expensive.

With that many variables, a little advice goes a long way when it comes to picking sustainable wines. But a sense of adventure can pay off in unique drinking experiences. So what exactly is the difference between these three designations? And when is it worth it to spend the extra money? We’ve explained the terminology in a previous post so you can decide for yourself.  Here’s a brief reminder of what these types of wine are.

Organic

There are essentially two kinds of organic wine. The first, labeled "made with organically grown grapes," uses 100 percent USDA-certified organic fruit. Once it's pressed and fermenting, however, 72 USDA-approved chemicals may be added. That includes sulfites, small amounts of which occur naturally in all wine and act as a preservative.

Only USDA-certified "organic" wine has no added sulfites, though the other approved chemicals can still be added, to acidify the wine or add sugar.

Buy it if: You're among the 7% of the population that is allergic to sulfites.. Some people report that sulfites, which are banned from use on raw produce, trigger allergic reactions including hives, headaches, and asthma.

Pass if: You're a certification skeptic. The USDA organic label doesn't mean very much. Like in any other job, you need skills and talent to make good wine.

Biodynamic

Though the term "biodynamic" has become trendy in America in the past decade or so, its principles trace back to the Roman Empire. It's almost a religious way of growing grapes. You have to follow the moon. It's a lot of different things you have to respect, and it implies you don't use many chemicals.

Whereas an organic farmer can use organic fertilizer, a biodynamic farmer must improve crop biodiversity and fertilize with compost and manure. Producers are certified by Demeter USA, which only allows up to 100 parts per million of added sulfites.

Buy it if: You're a terroir fan. Biodynamic farming is more sustainable, and therefore results in wines that have fewer chemicals and hold a better expression of the terroir.

Pass if: You're uncomfortable with more progressive approaches to winemaking. When you have to tell someone that they have to bury manure in a cow's horn in your vineyard, they look at you in a weird way.

Natural/Sustainable

Natural/sustainable winemakers are the bohemians of the wine industry. There is no real definition for natural or sustainable wine. Everyone has their own understanding. Generally, it means that you don't use any other chemicals, just grape juice, and you let it ferment. Sulfites are acceptable, though generally kept under 20 or 30 parts per million. (In this sense, both organic and biodynamic wines can be considered natural wines.)

Some natural farmers say the rules of biodynamic farming are unnecessarily restrictive and prefer to change their methods year to year, depending on the season and the nature of the vineyard. As a result, each "natural wine" vintage is unique.

Buy it if: You like surprises. If the varietal lends itself to aging, like Rieslings or Pinot Noirs, natural wines tend to be better with some age.

Pass if: It's a high-stakes evening. Natural winemaking is a newer practice in the United States, so winemakers here still have a lot to learn. In Europe, where the tradition is older, winemakers have more experience making natural wines.

There's a tendency to think of natural and sustainable winemaking as hands-off winemaking, but the opposite is actually true. It takes a lot of hard work and a certain amount of gamesmanship. But when the winemaker pulls it off, the results can be good.

It’s not a total gamble, though. Hand harvesting and whole-cluster fermentation can reduce the need for SO2 when grapes enter the winery. Extended lees contact provides some antioxidant protection during fermentation. Harmful bacteria have a harder time living in stainless steel or concrete than in old oak. Shipping in temperature controlled containers (a fairly common practice) minimizes the risk of spoilage in transit.

If you do take a chance on a conscientiously produced wine, you won't just be looking out for the planet. You'll have a wine that’s a reflection of a unique time and place, and tastes unlike anything else. Sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Organic, Sustainable & Biodynamic Wines

I’ve been seeing more wines labeled “Sustainable”, “Organic” and “Biodynamic.” (And just when I finally learned that Petite Syrah isn’t a tiny Australian wine!) Are any of these wines actually better for the environment? Our next tasting will be the AWS National Tasting Project and it’s based on these types of wines, so, people have been asking me to explain the differences. It’s a good question and one that our members may have answered at our tasting.

We sympathize with your confusion, though. Reading a wine label is about as easy as deciphering a Mayan hieroglyph. Unfortunately, there’s no simple solution for minimizing your eco-footprint. Many factors contribute to an individual bottle’s overall environmental impact, including growing practices, packaging size and type, and shipping distance and method.

With all three types of wine, the goal is the same: to make good wine, that’s derived from good grapes that are grown in good soil and achieved by going back to more traditional methods.

After World War II, scientists were working to improve our lives by inventing things like polyester shirts and TV Dinners. The agricultural industry got artificial fertilizers that promised to be labor-saving, cost-effective and able to produce great results. Routine spraying and additions of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium to vineyards left soil without life and low in nutrients. Microbiologist Claude Bourgignon was quoted as saying that some of the most famous vineyards in Burgundy had less microbiological life than the Sahara because their soils were depleted by the use of chemical fertilizers. Something had to change. Over the last thirty years, new approaches have been adopted for many agricultural crops including wine grapes.

Organic Wine

Organic wine is wine made from grapes grown in vineyards that don’t use synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides.

The idea is that the best grapes possible are used in the manufacture of the wine. The soil is respected and biodiversity of the environment is encouraged. Vines grow in soil rich in worms, insects and bacteria. They grow cover crops of mineral rich plants, herbs and flowers. This results in the soil being full of nutrients and trace elements that the vines can absorb. The vines are also stronger, healthier and more resistant to disease. Natural predators are added to the vineyard like ladybugs to tackle aphid problems, birds to eat spiders or beetles, and chickens from mobile chicken coops placed around the vineyard to eat grubs and vine weevils from the ground.

Vegetarian wine is not necessarily organic. It is wine made without the use of animal products at the fining stage. No egg whites or fish-derived gelatins are used. It is certainly not, as explained to me by an obvious lunatic, "a wine that is not suitable for serving with meat dishes."

Biodynamic Wine

For a vineyard to be considered biodynamic the grower must follow the organic criteria plus some or all of the philosophies first published in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner. At the request of the Austrian farming industry he produced a series of lectures on an ecological and sustainable approach to agriculture that increased soil fertility without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. His idea was to apply a holistic approach to the farm where every organism contributes and has part to play in the "circle of life." The farm should encourage biodiversity, be self-sustainable and resist monoculture through cultivation of a variety of plants (vineyards are normally monocultures as they grow just vines). It combines a planting, sowing, harvesting and pruning regime determined by the position of the sun, moon and planets. This approach, later refined by agriculturalist Maria Thun, provides the basis to modern biodynamics. 

It is the circle of life. Animals eat the plants and plants eat the animals, everything is reduced to its basic carbon state and then rebuilt, it’s a continuous cycle.
~ Alvaro Espinosa, Chilean biodynamic winemaker of Emiliana and Antiyal

Steiner outlined nine preparations (500-508).  These are made from cow manure, quartz (silica) and seven medicinal plants. Some of these materials are first transformed using animal organs as sheaths (the animal organs are not used on the vineyards). Of the nine biodynamic preparations, three are used as sprays (horn manure, horn silica and common horsetail), and the other six are applied to the vineyard via solid compost.

Preparations intended for sprays are mixed with water and go through "vortexing" where the liquid is vigorously stirred in one direction then another for up to an hour before use. This induces thickness to the solution. Although there are some bizarre elements to the whole biodynamic philosophy, most advocates don’t know why or how some of these preparations work; but they claim that they do. Bodies such as Demeter will grant a certificate for those reaching the criteria. Biodynamic growers see the vines as just part of the whole operation. It is very much considered to be a lifestyle choice for themselves, their workers and their livestock.

Things got much easier between myself and my cow when I looked him in the eye and realized he genuinely wanted to help.
~ Bertie Eden, Château Maris, Minervois la Livinière

Rudolf Steiner's Preparations 500-508

• COW MANURE - Preparation 500: Cow manure is buried in cow horns in the soil over winter. The horn is then dug up, and its contents (called horn manure or "500") are then stirred in water and sprayed on the soil in the afternoon. The horn may be re-used as a sheath. Stimulates soil life and root growth.
• QUARTZ - Preparation 501: Ground quartz is buried in cow horns in the soil over summer. The horn is then dug up; its contents (called horn silica or "501") are then stirred in water and sprayed over the vines at daybreak. The horn may be re-used as a sheath. Enhances light metabolism and photosynthesis.
• YARROW - Preparation 502: Yarrow flowers are buried while sheathed in a stag's bladder. This is hung in the summer sun, buried over winter, and then dug up the following spring. The bladder's contents are removed and inserted in the compost (the used bladder is discarded). Encourages uptake of trace elements.
• CHAMOMILE - Preparation 503: German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flowers are sheathed in a cow intestine. This is hung in the summer sun, buried over winter, and then dug up the following spring. The intestine's contents are removed and inserted in the compost (the used intestine is discarded). Stabilizes nitrogen and calcium and enhances soil life.
• NETTLES - Preparation 504: Stinging nettles are buried in the soil (with no animal sheath) in summer, dug up the following autumn, and inserted in the compost. Stabilizes sulfur and stimulates soil health.
• OAK BARK - Preparation 505: Oak bark is sheathed in the skull of a farm animal and buried in a watery environment over winter, then dug up. The skull's contents are removed and inserted in the compost (the used skull is discarded). Provides "healing forces" to prevent disease.
• DANDELION - Preparation 506: Dandelion flowers are buried, sheathed in a cow mesentery (peritoneum). This is hung in the summer sun, buried over winter, and then dug up the following spring. The mesentery's contents are removed and inserted in the compost and the used mesentery is discarded. This stimulates the relationship between silica and potassium so silica can attract "cosmic forces" to the soil.
• VALERIAN - Preparation 507: Valerian flower juice is sprayed over and/or inserted into the compost. Stimulates compost so that phosphorus will be properly used by the soil.
• HORSETAIL - Preparation 508: Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is used to prepare either a fresh tea or a fermented liquid manure; it is then applied either to the vines (as a tea) or to the soil (as a liquid manure). Lessens the effect of fungus.

http://demeter-usa.org/downloads/Demeter-Farm-Standard.pdf

Sustainable (Natural) Wine

This is the tricky one, the controversial one, and the confusing one. There is no official or legal classification or standard set of operating procedures, which makes natural wine hard to define.

Sustainable winemaking is a philosophy and a nose-to-tail approach to producing wine, extending from vineyard to bottling. In general, organic and biodynamic philosophies concentrate on the vineyard (and similar standards of care in the winery), but with natural winemakers stricter, self-imposed standards exist. For example, copper sulfate sprays and cultivated yeasts are never used in natural wine.

The biggest misconception is about sulfur dioxide, which has been used since Roman times as a disinfectant and an antioxidant. It is the only additive used in natural winemaking, and then only in small quantities, and only if the winemaker wants to. By the nature of this philosophy, natural winemakers are small-scale, artisan operations that may risk their entire year’s production by sticking to their principles, following an ancient method that combines care in the vineyard and winery to produce the best product that nature can provide.

So why does it provoke so much criticism? Robert Parker called it "one of the major scams being foisted on the wine public." Is it the lack of rules, even though they are very strict about what can and cannot be done, or the fact that natural winemakers are called a "movement," yet deny such a movement exists? What about the wines themselves?  There are many good natural wines, but there are also cloudy, fizzy, oxidized, and faulty wines.  Both seem to be acceptable to fans of the philosophy. The Kool-Aid drinkers are especially worrying.  A young sommelier quoted that "Lafite-Rothschild is not a real wine because they use sulfur." 

An analogy

1. Go to MacDonald’s and order the Chicken McNuggets.  This is Arbor Mist.
2. Go to Giant Eagle and buy skinless, boneless chicken tenders.  They’ll be wrapped in plastic on a paper tray. The origin, processing procedures, and additives will be unknown. This is bulk wine.
3. Go to Whole Foods and buy the best chicken they have. It will be corn-fed and free-range. This is organic wine.
4. Go to a butcher, the best you can find, and buy his most expensive chicken. It will be corn-fed, free-range, and from a small, local farm. The feet and head will still be attached. This is biodynamic wine.
5. Raise your own chicken, kill it, pluck it and clean it. Then spit-roast it on an open fire. If you have some chicken skills it will taste amazing. If not, you risk salmonella, chewing on feathers and your friends thinking that you’re crazy. But you won't care and will still insist it’s the best chicken ever.  This is natural wine.

Tune into the blog often for more tips, news, and tasting notices!

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