Friday, April 30, 2010
Organic Moon Beer in Spain
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bodegas Los Pinos: First Organic Vineyard in Valencia
In Fontanars dels Alforins about two miles from the organic vineyard Bodegas Los Frailes, is the Bodegas Los Pinos, an organic vineyard on almost one hundred and fifty acres. Farmed since 1863, the land has been organically cultivated since 1990, and was the first organic vineyard in Valencia.
Bodegas Los Pinos make eight wines, a number of which have won international awards. White Salvatge and White Barrique are both made with Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel Petit Grain grapes. Their Rose Salvatge is made with 100% Grenache grapes. Their five red wines (vino tinto) are Red Salvatge made with Monastrell and Cabernet Franc grapes; Red Barrique made with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; Red Crianza made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Monastrell; Olaechea Crianza made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Monastrell; Reserva made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc; and Los Pinos 0% made with Garnacha, Monastrell and Syrah with no sulphites and with indigenous yeasts.
You can visit the vineyard and the beautiful surroundings referred to as the "Tuscany of Spain" which lies about sixty-five miles southwest of Valencia city.
Bodegas Los Pinos, Casa Los Pinos, 46635 Fontanares (Valencia); Tel: 962 222 090; Email: bodegaslospinos@bodegaslospinos.com; Web: www.bodegaslospinos.com
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bodegas Enguera - Organic Wines from the "Tuscany of Spain"
Bodegas Enguera is a relatively new winery, founded in 1999, with almost four hundred acres of vineyards spread over two areas – one in Fontanars dels Alforins and the other in Enguera, both about an hour southwest of Valencia city in the province of Valencia. While Bodegas Enguera practices organic agriculture in their vineyards only two of their eleven wines are certified organic – the Benali made with Monastrell and Syrah grapes and the Cañada Negra made with Tempranillo and Syrah grapes. Cañada Negra won a medal at the annual organic wine show in France this year –Millesime-Bio 2010. Other grape varieties grown are Garnacha Tintorera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Verdil, a local white variety specific to the Alforins valley, an area referred to as the “Tuscany of Spain.”
Bodegas Enguera is one of eight wineries in the Valencia region that contribute to the making of a special wine called Junts. The proceeds from this wine go to support the aid work in India of La Fundación Vicente Ferrer. The Junts label says, “40% Solidaridad, 40% Ilusion, y 20% Amistad.” Translated this means 40% Solidarity, 40% Hope, 20% Friendship. See the blogs posts for Aranleon and Bodegas des Frailes for other contributing organic wineries.
You can visit Bodegas Enguera Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 am to 1:00pm/4:00 to 6:00 pm, Wednesdays only in the morning, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Bodegas Enguera, Carretera CV-590, Km 51.5, 46810 Enguera, Valencia; Tel: 961 364 166; Email: bodega@pppardo.com; Web: www.bodegasenguera.com
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Passionate e Organic in Italia
Mattia Barzaghi, a passionate and dedicated viticulturist and vintner, makes six organic wines and one brandy on two-hundred and fifty protected acres tucked away a few kilometers from San Gimignano in glorious Tuscany. The grapes, hand-harvested, are Vernaccia- a grape unique to the San Gimignano area and grown there for hundreds of years- and Sangiovese an ancient Italian variety.
Of the six wines Mattia carefully crafts, four are DOCG certified meaning that the wines are made by a special process and have passed a chemical and taste review. These wines are:
Impronta – Vernaccia de San Gimignano
Zeta - Vernaccia de San Gimignano
Cassandra - Vernaccia de San Gimignano Reserva
Zingaro- Chianti
Two of the six wines are designated as IGT, certifying that at least 85% of the grapes used are grown locally/regionally, which of course they are because Mattia only uses grapes from his organic vineyard in his wines. Mattia’s IGT designated wines are Sorriso – Rosato di Toscana and Sciamano – Sangiovese.
Mattia also makes a grappa –a brandy made from the pomace (skins, seeds & stems) of the grapes. He calls this Firefly – grappa di Sangiovese.
Mattia’s wines are filled with his passion and care that he takes in managing the terroir of his vineyards and farm. For a complete experience you can stay at Il Caggio, the rural eco- accommodation Mattia runs with his artist wife Cassandra, where you can rent one of four holiday apartments, drink Mattia’s wine, and eat the organic food produced on the farm including olives, jams and meats. Cassandra designs the labels for the wines and her art studio can be found in the town of San Gimignano.
For anyone traveling to Tuscany- this is an experience not to be missed!
Il Caggio, Azienda Agricola Zeta project di Mattia Barzaghi, Localita San Donato, 13, 53037 San Gimignano, ITALY; Tel: 577 941 501; Email: info@mattiabarzaghi.com
Monday, December 21, 2009
Laudum Eco Wine from Alicante
Laudum (meaning award in Latin) Nature is an organic wine produced by the Bodegas Bocopa, an association of seven bodegas in the Alicante region. Laudum Nature is made with manually harvested Monastrell, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes producing a dry red wine. Produced since 1998, Laudum Nature was the first organic wine in Alicante. They have 800 acres certified organic by the Comite De Agricultura Ecologica De La Comunidad Valenciana and the wine is considered of the Alicante D.O.
Laudum Nature is a deep cherry red wine and can be found very inexpensively in the wine sections of El Cort Ingles stores (2.99/bottle). The town of Petrer is just over twenty miles northwest of the sun-drenched city of Alicante, and almost ninety miles southwest of Valencia city. You can visit the winery by appointment.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Envinarte - An Artful Wine Store in Valencia Spain
At the artfully stocked wine store, Envinarte, you will find lovely and passionate owner, Teresa Almeida. Teresa knows the history and taste of every wine in her store. She eloquently talks about her wine philosophy (in either Spanish or English). She is deeply aware of the enormous amount of work and spirit that goes into winemaking. She never says she doesn’t like a wine, but rather looks at wines as if they are art – which she believes they are.
Art and wine are subjective and so a person’s response to a wine is individual and depends on the moment in which they are experiencing it. Teresa discusses wines not in terms of liking or disliking, but rather what wines she finds interesting and compelling, understanding that these might change for her depending upon vintage and when and where she is tasting the wine.
Envinarte sells both organic and conventional wines, with an emphasis on Spanish brands. It is a lovely little store in the old part of Valencia near the Plaza de Virgen and up the street from the Serranos Towers (Torres de Serranos), remnants of Valencia’s old walled city. Envinarte, c/ Serranos 6, 46003 Valencia; Tel: 963 913 930; www.envinarte.es; open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 2:30 om/5:30 to 9:00 pm.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Natural Wines in Paris
The small, atmospheric La Cremerie between Boulevard St. Germain and the Luxembourg Gardens is a wine store and bar specializing in natural and local French wines. Housed in an old 1880 creamery - hence the name - it has been a wine store for sixty years. La Cremerie, 9, rue des Quatre Vents, 75006 Paris; Tel: 01 43 549 930; Web site: http://www.lacremerie.fr; Metro: Odeon; open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm with special times for tastings.
More Than Organic, a site dedicated to information about natural wines from France including history, laws and distinctions, has links to what they consider to be the best Cavistes in Paris specializing in natural wines - so carry on in Paris with interesting natural wines at your fingertips.
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