Back in the day – a decade ago, actually, when I was first getting into wine seriously, few producers made wine from organic grapes. I’d wander around the Pennsylvania state store in a futile search for these wines before finally having to flag down a sales assistant to help me.
Organic wine is now a $54.5 million industry in the United States and it’s growing faster than total table wine (25% vs 14%). According to the IWSR, the leading source of data and intelligence on the alcoholic beverage market, the organic wine category is expected to grow to over $1 billion by 2024.
Intuitively, I know this to be true because wines made from organic grapes are no longer difficult to find in stores or online. Some wines are made from certified organic grapes. In some places, especially in Europe, vineyard managers farm organically – that is, without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides – but do not have certification.
Organic is catching on, and that’s a good thing for healthy soils and the humans who consume products derived from them. In #OrganicSeptember, the time seems right for the Wine Pairing Weekend crew to #PourOrganic and pay homage to wineries that support biodiversity and wildlife by farming organically. If you’re reading this post in time, I hope you’ll be able to join us Saturday 9/11 at 8 am PT/11 am ET for a Twitter chat about organic wine. Simply follow the #winePW hashtag.
Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own.
Two countries, two pioneers, two Chardonnay wines
Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1993 by the giant Concha y Toro producer. The name “Cono Sur” refers to the company’s geographic position in South America’s southern cone, with Chile on the western edge.
Cono Sur farms over 700 acres organically and is Chile’s first winery to receive organic certification. The winery is also a Certified B Corporation, a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment.
A tech sheet was not provided for the 2020 Cono Sur Organico Chardonnay, but 85% of the grapes in their 2019 Chardonnay were grown in the San Antonio Valley. Aged six to 12 months in stainless-steel tanks, the wine is vegan, which means it was fined (clarified) using a clay such as bentonite instead of an animal-based fining agent, and slightly off dry. The bottle label is made from recycled paper.
- My tasting notes: Pale greenish yellow in color. Aromas of citrus and tree fruit (apple and pear) and lemongrass lead into a slightly tart, medium-acid palate, with grapefruit upfront and then melon on a medium finish. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $11.99. This was the spouse’s favorite of the two wines.
Based in Mendocino, northern California, Bonterra Vineyards embraced organic farming practices for grapevines beginning in 1987. The first Bonterra wines, produced at Fetzer winery and bearing the phrase “made with organic grapes,” debuted in 1993.
Across Bonterra’s 1,000 acres of certified organic estate vineyards, the vineyard team applies compost, cultivates cover crops and implements reduced tillage regimes to enhance insect and wildlife life. Nearly 50% of the land is left in its natural state.
In addition to wines made from organically farmed grapes, Bonterra offers select estate-farmed offerings from certified Biodynamic® grapes.
Winemaker Jeff Cihocki blends certified organically grown grapes from throughout California, including a large portion from their own organically farmed estate vineyards in Mendocino, for his 2020 Bonterra Chardonnay.
Seventy percent of the grapes are fermented in oak. The balance goes into stainless-steel tanks to ferment. Oak-fermented wines undergo a secondary malolactic fermentation to add richness and a creamy texture on the palate. The wine is then aged for six months, some in stainless-steel tank and some in new and neutral medium-toast American oak barrels.
- My tasting notes: Bright yellow, almost gold in color. On the nose, I get pineapple and Honeycrisp apples with an herby note I can’t quite define. A soft, round mouthfeel with pineapple and a squeeze of lemon on the palate. Medium acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $14. I preferred this lightly oaked Bonterra. Both wines are pleasant, though, good value for price and readily available.
Moving toward a plant-based diet
“The single biggest step that will significantly reduce our environmental impact of the food we eat and grow is to ensure that we consume more plant-based proteins within our diets,” Mark Driscoll, a sustainability expert and founder of the consultancy Tasting the Future, told HuffPost [July 2021]. “Our food system contributes up to 34% of global human-made greenhouse gas emissions, uses 70% of all freshwater and has been the main driver behind the loss of 60% of our biodiversity over the last 40 years. Conversion of protein from feed crops into animal protein for human consumption is inherently resource-inefficient.”
How does one disagree when the data is so obvious? But give up burgers, steaks, chicken and fish? Right now, anyway, my approach is to reduce meat consumption and eat sustainably, that is, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and eggs, local and organic produce. But ask me in five or 10 years and my habits may have changed. Tofu, beans and lentils are gaining on animal protein in our house.
For #SeptemberOrganic month and these wines, I was committed to a planet-conscious pairing. So I went with vegan black bean burgers (made with organic black beans) from The Spruce Eats. Note: These burgers are vegan but not gluten-free. In fact, the recipe calls for two slices of crumpled bread and 6 tbsp. of flour. Yikes! I cut the flour by a third, and the spouse and I used only half a bun each per serving. Plating the burger without the bun would work just as well.
These burgers are like a blank slate that you can customize any way you choose by adding your own favorite spices or toppings. I enjoyed mine with an organic Heirloom tomato slice and Siracha. The spouse preferred country Dijon mustard on his burger. Tip: Sauté the onion slices to bring out their sweetness. Yummy when paired with both wines, and no, we didn’t miss the meat.
Many of the bloggers in our group also received samples. Read what they have to say and check out other organic wines, too. Here’s the full list:
- Robin Bell Renken brings Organic Wine – Sustainability and Beyond (Plus Recommendations and Pairings to Crushed Grape Chronicles
- Camilla Mann suggests Sustainably Sourced Seafood + Organic Wines: Rock Crab Claw Crêpes with Bonterra’s 2020 Chardonnay on Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
- Wendy Klik is Drinking and Dining Sustainably and Organically on A Day in the Life on the Farm.
- Terri Oliver Steffes sees Slow Wines and Organic Farming with Lettuce Grow at Our Good Life
- Nicole Ruiz Hudson presents a Chardonnay and Chicken Showdown: Chile vs. California on Somm’s Table
- David Crowley offers an Organic Wine Pairing with Veggie Burgers on Cooking Chat
- Linda Whipple suggests Vegan Black Bean Burgers and Organic Wine: a Planet-Conscious Pairing on My Full Wine Glass
- Cynthia and Pierre Ly present Mystery Organic Wine “Le Vendangeur Masqué” with Crêpes Dinner and Economics on Traveling Wine Profs
- Jennifer Gentile Martin considers Organic Wines with Pasta and Shrimp on Vino Travels
- Pinny Tam goes with Organic White Wines: Bonterra Chardonnay, Cono Sur Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc Paired With Asian Vegan Dishes on Chinese Food and Wine Pairings
- Martin Redmond offers Sustainable Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Paired with White Pizza on ENFYLZ Wine Blog.
- On Wine Predator, Sue Hill and Gwendolyn Alley have AmByth’s Natural Wines, Biodynamic Farming for the Future.
I try to serve my family at least one plant based dinner a week and often try to sneak in more plant based recipes but my husband balks at it. He is getting better though and I can serve up some Vegetarian options without too much complaint.
My husband is plant-based during the week. So we are definitely eating less animal protein. And there are so many better options than when I was a vegetarian two decades ago. Your burgers look tasty.
I only (relatively) recently learned about the impact of consuming animal protein on carbon emissions. Having said, that I decided to significantly cut my meat consumption a few years ago for health reasons. Nice to know it helps the planet too. I’m inspired to do more. Thanks for sharing Linda, wonderful read!
Super interesting, Linda! These are wines that show it doesn’t have to be expensive. We need to try this black bean burgers! We love black beans but have yet to make burgers with them.
We have been eating more and more plant based. We find we don’t miss the meat so we are incorporating more and more vegetables.
I love that you went with a plant based pairing! I’d wanted to go vegetarian but heard that would be too limiting to be a focus; we did a little bit of local wild tuna with a plant based menu of ingredients we grew!
Great idea to share a plant-based pairing. I’m definitely an omnivore and eat meat of all types, but this is good inspo for som edelicious meatless eating with lovely wines to boot!
Im slowly trying to reduce our red meat intake with at least one fish per week, but with the males in the house including 2 little boys no one will bite on the beans and veggie switch. I’m not at Thebes point yet I, ready to make multiple meals after a long day.