I’ve always wondered if you can truly do organic wine. There’s been a lot of debate lately in the news about organics in general and whether or not they are any ‘better’. Well there’s one winery that has been pushing the limits trying to make the most organic wine possible. They are called PureVineWines. They actually prefer a term called Biodynamic wines. Basically they look at the winery as a closed system and don’t bring anything in or out of the winery. So they consider the vines, soil, insects, etc. Obviously they don’t use any pesticides. But in addition they use homeopathic mixtures on the vines and a several other techniques that have been passed down through the generations. And their finished wine contains no sulfates or chemicals. If you didn’t already guess… they are located in Portland, OR. The home of organics foods. So if you have any friends that are into sustainability and organic foods the PureVineWindes Wine Club would be a perfect gift. They’ll receive two great wines every month for around $45 to $55 a month (depending on the wine selection). The founders Andria, Tom, and Joe are definitely creating something unique at PureVineWines.

So let’s have a toast to organic wine,
Wine Club Insider

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After a couple of days in Dundee and Yamhill I decided I need to subscribe to a Portland wine club. The wine there is truly amazing. The first club I found was the Pacific Northwest Wine Club. It’s heavy on Portland wines, but also includes other Northwest greats from Washington to Idaho. They even include some wine from Northwest California. And oh do they have great wines. How is this so? Because of their extensive vetting process. Each year they develop a wine plan of certain varietals for each month. Then samples are requested from all of these wineries and a panel does a blind taste test of all the options. The top rated red and white wines are the ones purchased and presented to wine club members. So there’s no label bias and they’re not pushing the wines they got the best deal on… they only ship what tates the best. Many of us have sampled California wines… isn’t it time we gave the Northwest a try? After my time in Portland I must say there really are some amazing wines waiting to be discovered. Unlike other clubs having multiple types of clubs, at the Pacific Northwest WIne Club it’s simply the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer - nothing more and nothing less.

For Portland locals or those of you visiting Portland I’d recommend the club Portland Uncorked. It’s also a wine club, but not of the usual variety. It’s a 100% free club that’s all about tasting new Portland wines and meeting new people. Everyone gets a member card and will receive notices of where the club is meeting next. I think this is a fabulous idea. I need to find something like this in San Francisco.

Well it’s time for me to signoff for the night. See you next week!

-Wine Club Insider

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Wine Club Insider back with you after a very busy weekend!

On Friday, some friends were passing through town, and stopped for the evening, forcing us to open some wine… I mean, what is a host supposed to do, right?

They were kind enough to bring a couple of bottles with them, as any good guest would, and to my surprise, they were both Petite Syrahs, a favorite of one of the guests.

The first was the 2005 Concannon Petite Syrah, which at less than $10/bottle, is an amazing value. It was also an awesome wine! For me, Petite Syrahs have always been a bit austere to me, but this was pretty soft, while still being dry enough for pleasure’s sake.

The second wine was the Bogle Petite Syrah, which was also tasty, with a nice berry finish. It was also a great value at only $12!

So far, the evening was going well, and to contribute to the festivities, I opened a bottle of 2002 Weston Cabernet Franc from Caldwell, Idaho… yes, you read that correctly, Idaho.

I love Cab Francs, as many of you know, but with its affordable price tag, this was a very pleasant surprise!

It was a robust, well crafted wine with hints of cherry and chocolate. Even though it was from Idaho, the winery uses Columbia Valley fruit, and, as is the case with several of the Columbia Valley Can Francs, this was a pretty hefty wine.

We finished the evening with a nice Gold Digger Cellars Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, which is just a gem of a wine… sweet, but not cloying, refreshing, and very much like fresh apples, to my mind. We enjoyed it with some fresh Havarti cheese, and it was the perfect end to a great evening.

The weather is turning for the better, spring has sprung (I’m getting to play golf today before going to dinner at Beverley’s in the Coeur d’ Alene Resort, which features one of the world’s finest wine lists!) and it’s time to get out with friends, enjoy some great wine and celebrate life… see you there!

Cheers!

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back again…

Maybe spring is finally on it’s way, though the only real clue is that it’s raining a ton, instead of snowing…

One of the neat things about this time of year is that the “young” wine - the fresh whites and fruity wines from the ‘08 vintage are starting to come out, and of course, you can always buy the futures in the Grand Crus for the next few years…

Another cool trend we’re starting to see is an - admittedly slight - shift toward being a greener industry…

For example, Boisset, the second-largest producer of Beaujolais Nouveau, bottled its entire 2008 harvest in plastic bottles.

The lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles drastically cut shipping costs without affecting the young Gamay wine inside and created packaging that was “absolutely recyclable,” according to a company spokesman.

Now, there are certainly other (myself included) that don’t think the wine industry has developed more than a green tint yet, despite the rise in the number of biodynamic and organic wineries internationally.

PET bottles are only at the very leading edge, but there are huge hurdles still left to climb, including the wineries shipping their wines in wooden crates. The number of wooden crates that are opened at warehouses and stores is incredible. Some of them weigh nine pounds, just for the case!. If they were serious about the green trend, the wineries would forget the wood and ship in recycled corrugated cardboard.

This isn’t even touching the entire cork issue, which is going to come to a head soon as supply and disease (not to mention the improving effectiveness of synthetic cork and screw caps, which are making huge inroads, even in higher end Australian wines).

I’m optimistic that our indusrty will start developing a cure to the serious case of “traditionitis” they are suffering from (mind you, it is brought on by us, the consumers!) and get on the environmentally friendlier bandwagon…

Yes, we may have to get used to our favorite vino coming in a plastic bottle (I can deal with that easily) and using a screw cap (a tougher sell for many, despite the inevitable “corking” that is going to occur in your bottles), and know that we are doing our part… a great excuse to drink more wine, if you ask me!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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