Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22, is a great time to celebrate producers that craft wines that are earth friendly. What makes a wine earth friendly? Wines that are produced sustainably, organically, and with low intervention winemaking all fall into this category. But which wines are produced this way? Below are three selections of wineries that focus on producing wine in an earth-focused way.
Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington has been on the forefront of sustainable wineries since its inception. By growing all the fruit they use in their wines, they utilize a wide range of techniques to achieve sustainability. From judicious water usage via high tech water sensors to utilizing compost teas to restore the microbiological and fungal fauna of their soil to keeping habitats alive for beneficial insects, Amavi has a multi-faceted approach for vineyard sustainability. Plus, their wines are delicious.
One of my favorites is the 2021 Amavi Cellars Syrah ($36) with the generous blackberry and sweet vanilla notes perfectly balanced with a smoky, gamey undertone.
Looking for a wine that is crafted sustainably but focuses on utilizing organic grapes? Ridge Vineyards in northern California is one of my picks. Focusing on farming organically is a priority for Ridge who is one of the largest growers of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. But their work doesn’t end at growing organic grapes. They also focus on sustainable winegrowing and are working to decrease their environmental impact by switching to lightweight glass bottles. Well known for their Zinfandels, I adore their splurge worthy 2021 Lytton Springs red wine ($60) which is a balanced Zinfandel blend with rich notes of blackberries and black cherries integrated with cedar, cloves and a hint of coconut.
Minimal intervention wines can vary in how they are made but typically involve limited handling of the wine, natural yeast found in the winery and the surface of the grapes, and little sulfur use prior to bottling. Rogue Vine out of Chile is a strong example of a winery that practices these methods and makes refreshing wines as well. The 2021 Rogue Vine from Itata Valley ($20) is a great option. A blend of Cinsault with a little Pais these two red grapes are lively with red fruited aromas of strawberries and raspberries and a floral lift. Light and bright, this wine has a slight savory edge which makes the wine intriguing. While some minimal intervention wines can come across as too “funky” for my palate, this one is just right combining a savory edge to compliment the red fruit notes.
Wine in its most basic context, is a product of the earth. More and more wineries are realizing the impact of their winegrowing and winemaking activities and are working to make them more closely aligned with the environment. By supporting wineries that focus on wines crafted sustainably, organically and/or with minimal intervention, you, too, can celebrate Earth Day one glass at a time!
Kathryn House McClaskey is the Founder of House of Wine. She can be reached via email at: kat@houseofwineco.com.
