Okay, I am going to begin by stating: I don’t observe Earth Day, even as a tree and animal loving yogi…I have serious qualms with the founder of this “day,” which I am not going to delve into at this time. Suffice it to say, I have been recycling since I was a teen, using reusable bags since I was 22 (I am 50 now), and trying to support sustainably farmed (and local) farmers for my food and wine. My anniversary happens to fall in between the marijuana party day (4/20) and Earth Day, so it is always a challenge to avoid both and celebrate my BFF in the world…that is soon going to be remedied. More on that in another blog post. So, with that out there now…let’s get to discussing some wine!
This week, in honor of Earth Day (I may not observe it but plenty of folks do! No judgement from this Wine Yogi), The Wine Gallery will be joining in on a Zoom call with some local wine experts and natural/organic and sustainably farmed wine makers to discuss and highlight the exciting and exponentially growing (isn’t it nice to use this term in a non-Covid way?) world of Earth friendly wines. The Zoom call will happen at 5pm Mountain, and if I wasn’t returning from my 20th anniversary celebration, I would totally be tuning in at that time!
Of course, the friendly folks at The Wine Gallery shared with me their favorite natural wine, a gorgeous little ancient varietal (Slarina) from the Piedmont in Italy (the violet on the nose reminds me of a softer Nebbiolo). On the verge of extinction, the wine maker (Fabrizio) knew he had to save this wine and that the rolling hills of the Piedmont, with its early morning, cool fog and hot summer afternoons, would be perfect for this grape. His wines are organically produced, unfined, unfiltered, with minimal sulfites. Why should you care about those things? If you are one who suffers headaches or feel poorly after consuming wine, especially red wine, give this delicious Rosso a try. It is balanced between tannins and acidity, has a lovely violet note on the nose with rose petals and almond cherries on the palette. Would be a great pairing with a wild game salumi plate or pan seared duck breast.
There are a number of reasons to seek out these natural/organic and sustainably farmed wines, beyond the environmental reasons. I love them for their simplicity in terms of production…the minimal contact allows the fruit to remain true to its destiny. But I also love them for how they interact with my own being…minimal production and alterations means a wine as close to its naturally occurring state as possible. That makes it easier on my body and easily paired with whatever is on my plate.
As always, if you have questions or want to discuss some other natural/organic wine options, please feel free to connect with me here, or on my website, iamthewineyogi.com, social media, or at The Wine Gallery!
Until next time,
Cheers and Namaste,
twy
the wine yogi 