Red, White Or Green?
As today is Earth Day, I’ve been inundated with eco-friendly messages on TV, in the newspaper, on the internet and on the radio. And while this morning’s blog discussed one store and winemaker’s eco-friendly program, I know there are a lot of other wineries, vineyards and wine retailers doing their part for the planet.
If you’re like me, you’re still trying to wrap your head around the whole ‘green’ thing. I mean, I have fluorescent bulbs at home, and I’ve got a bundle of re-useable grocery bags. But when it comes to wine, I’m still too busy choosing between white and red to think green.
So in honor of Earth Day, I compiled a couple of weblinks that we can all look at to shed some light on the subject.
Definitions… this article at The Washington Post is a good read, and clears the air on the difference between Sustainable vs. Organic vs. Bio-dynamic.
Choices… This list of inexpensive eco-friendly wines at Sprig.com is a good place to start as you seek out wines that are officially ‘green’.
Party on… Wine Enthusiast Magazine published this article that has step-by-step instructions on how to throw a ‘green wine party’ in an effort to educate you and your friends in the art of eco-friendly eating, drinking and entertaining.
More Choices… The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance has this list of California wineries and vineyards that are participating in their program to work towards achieving the vision: “…long-term sustainability of the California wine community…”
It seems as though it’s just a matter of time before every bottle of wine on the shelf is green, which in turn will ensure that healthy grapes keep on growing. Sounds good to me.
With soooo many great wineries to choose from that either practice organic, bio-dynamic, or sustainable farming methods, shouldn’t we as consumers send a message to other winemakers who haven’t jumped on the band wagon yet that they need to wake up and smell the compost. With all of today’s technological advances that has truly made winemaking a science, it starts as we know from the terroir. Good soil/environment yeilds good fruit. Most notable vintners for the most part are smart enough to know this obvious concept but I think it can go even further. How do they ship their product to market, what type of packaging do they use, where do they get their energy from, do they support any environmental organizations, in other words, what carbon footprint do they leave behind. Make a conscious decision next time you buy that bottle of wine.