the WINE GUY
So I’m a little late to the celebration, but happy belated 47th Earth Day!
Anyway, every day offers opportunity to give thanks to the amazing bounty enabled by the graces of planet Earth; it’s not like this should be celebrated only one day a year!
This is particularly poignant when considering a topic like wine. Grapes wouldn’t grow without sunlight, water and soil-bound nutrients. In short, ingredients provided free of charge by planet Earth. That said, humans can (and often do) complicate the process, though when it comes to wine, a growing cache of consumers are looking to get back to basics. Whether that means seeking out certified organic wines or minimal interventionist winemaking, the options are increasing — including these three bottles.
THE SWIRL: B.C. Cider Week
Without a doubt, we are witnessing a significant increase in interest for craft cider. See (and taste) for yourself what all the fuss is about at the upcoming third annual B.C. Cider Week, which features a number of cidercentric tastings and events running from April 28 to May 7 on the mainland and Vancouver Island. B.C. Cider Week is presented by the Northwest Cider Association and local B.C. cider producers, and for complete details head to bcciderweek.com.
Bonterra 2015 Chardonnay, California ($17.49 limited time offer until April 29, #342436)
Bonterra is a pioneer. This Mendocino County producer has farmed their vineyards organically since 1987, well before the idea went mainstream. The winery explains that “organic grapes produce the purest expressions of the varietals and land on which they are farmed.” Their latest vintage of Chardonnay pours a bright light golden and shows gregarious ripe apple and citrus aromas backed by a kiss of buttery oak and a lingering toasty finish. Bottom line: B, Comfortably quaffable
CUMA 2016 Organic Malbec, Argentina ($12.49, #885418)
Another certified organic wine, this time from the southern hemisphere, CUMA heads to high-altitude vineyards in the Cafayate region of Salta in northwestern Argentina to source their organic Malbec. This is a seriously juicy red, marked by exuberant rich dark fruit and savoury herbs before a sweet, balanced but fresh finish rounds out affairs. Is it too early in this dreary year for a barbecue wine? Because this red is ready for the grill, whether it’s burgers or grilled vegetables.
Bottom line: B, Juicy, organic Malbec
Pierre Olivier Bonhomme 2015 Le Tel Quel, France (around $23, #530568)
Finally, it’s over to France for the quirky Le Tel Quel. There’s no markings of organic on this more esoteric blend of grapes (Grolleau, Gamay, and Pineau d’Aunis), but wine grower Pierre Olivier Bonhomme is a fixture of the Loire Valley natural wine community, a group committed to organic farming and minimal intervention in the winery. In the glass, Le Tel Quel presents unabashedly as funk and bramble, with herbs and berry flavours complementing a fresh but funky, nicely balanced food-friendly red.
Bottom line: A-, Major soif factor