Thursday, June 17th:

As an Eco-Friendly store, it can often be difficult to find a value priced wine.  Something you can just sit out during a party and not worry about.  It can be difficult, but not impossible.  Today I tasted some wonderful value wines with Brad Beavers with Country Vintner.  Agriverde, “Piane di Maggio” Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abrusso from Italy.  Agriverde is a large organic co-op, (can I get a high five from my tree huggers), in the Abruzzo region of Italy.  Founded in 1830, the winery went GREEN two centuries and has expanded to become an organic farming business, now run by Giannicola Di Carlo. Agriverde’s mission is to produce superior wines preserving what they inherited from Nature, in order to hand it down to future generations. They have respect for Nature and Man, and they state this is why the property is all organic farming and biodynamic.

The winery was designed and built using biotechnical and bioarchitecture principles in order to be in perfect harmony with the land. All the rooms have been built with eco-friendly materials, electrical installations have been screened against magnetic fields, flooring and passages have been assembled with natural glues, everything has been done accordingly to the philosophy of AGRIVERDE. Living in perfect harmony with the landscape, the shapes of the winery building conjure up the Sky, the Earth and the Sea, because that is where AGRIVERDE is located; cradled in the gentle rolling hills, between the Adriatic Sea and Mount Majella.

All the grapes are harvested by hand to ensure that only the best bunches are picked. They prefer hi-tech in the wine cellars to ensure they have complete control over all production phases. Quality is the overriding philosophy for each and every bottle.

2008, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo: This white is ready to hitch a ride to the coast.  It’s ready to get its groove on at a beach party.  Intense and delicate, with white flower and orange zest aromas. Medium bodied and dry with a very good acidity, it leaves a pleasant citrus note on the back of the palate. A wonderful white to serve with shellfish, grilled white fish, salads and great conversation with someone you love.  Certified Organic and Biodynamic.  1.5 Liter bottles $14.99 and 750’s $8.99

2008, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: This 100% Montepulcino reaches out grabs you buy the collar and screams, “Just try not to drink me today”.  It is a value wine with an attitude.  Ripe, black cherry and plum flavors, dry but supple finish.  A great choice, for Italian food, grilled chicken, burgers and vegetarian cuisine.  The best part is this fun red is available in bothe traditional 750 ml bottles and Magnums.  Certified Organic and Biodynamic. 1.5 Liter bottles $16.99 and 750’s $8.99

Tuesday, June 8th:

I love wine, great wine is always better and if the package matches the product, that’s an added bonus. Today, my rep for Tryon Distributing stopped by with a great wine with an awesome package. The 2009 Lapierre, Raisin Gaulois, is a 100% gamey wine, farmed biodynamically by Marcel Lapierre. Yummy with spicy black cherry and subtle dusty earth aromas. Medium bodied with juicy but not over-extracted flavors. The finish lingers with more cherry and nutty earth notes. This wine can recline outside on a hot day and then come inside to relax with family. Since the vineyards are just outside of Beaujolais, they can't use the Beaujolais appellation, it's just listed as Vin De France.

Marcel Lapierre is a gifted winemaker and viticulturist. His estate is located in the northern hills of Beaujolais in the pastoral village of Villié-Morgon. This is one of the ten cru villages permitted to print its name on the bottle, and also considered home of one of the best wines in Beaujolais. Lapierre is also the founding father of a group of groundbreaking and sometimes controversial winemakers known in the US as the Gang of Four.

This group strives to make wines as naturally as possible, in the vineyard and in the winery.  Lapierre’s vines average 45 years of age, and his grapes are always picked at the latest possible moment in order to obtain the ripest possible fruit. No pesticides or chemicals are used in the vineyards and no sulfur or yeast is added during fermentation. The resulting wines are pure and fruity, not overly alcoholic, and always a pleasure to drink.

This wine is one of the reasons I opened an eco-friendly wine store. I want to prove to people that there are not just good, but great natural wines available.

2009 Lapierre, Raisin Gaulois, Vin de France will be in stock by June 17^th. $13.50

What do others have to say about Lapierre.

“Nobody’s wines taste like Marcel Lapierre’s. He is the source of a whole new school of winemaking, turning the hands of time back to wine the way Mother Nature envisioned it. Tasting it can change the way you taste wine.”

-          Kermit Lynch (French wine importer and author)

“Lapierre says ‘Every vigneron wants to work like this in his heart of hearts. But you have to be brave and it can be expensive. Modern enologists are against the whole thing because it is risky, but for me it’s the most natural way of doing things.’”-          Saveur Magazine

Amie Fields, with Vintners Select Wine Company stopped by around 4ish today. Also with a number of other wines, she brought a lovely bottle of 2008 Pavi, Pinot Grigio. Cerified organic and 100% Pinot Grigio. Whole cluster Pressed, 100% Tank Fermented, Aged Surlie for three months, no Malolactic Fermentation.  This is a grown up white, with a little attitude and a lot of presence. Pinot Grigio might be an Italian variety, but this bottle is a Valley Girls through and through. The 2008 Pavi, Pinot Grigio is weighty on the palate, with a robust feel. Plenty of varietal character, resulting in a perfect balance of acidity and citrus flavors.  Aromas of orange blossom, lemon, pear and pineapple flavors. Balanced and refreshing a perfect pairing with cheeses, light summer pastas, spicy Asian dishes or seafood. I think I might have sushi tonight.

2008 Pavi, Pinot Grigio will be in-stock by June 17^th. $18.99