DYNAMIC was a wake up call for me. The "aha" was in the contrast of years of wine that lacked a level of vitality that could impart a significant sense of nourishment. For you foodies out there, when I talk about nourishing wine I do not mean "Umami" - a flavor sometimes associated with savory comfort food. There is a lot of comfort food we eat that does not feel nourishing: insert your favorite fast-food sin here. Nourishing food may not necessarily taste good - it feels good while you're consuming it and conveys a sense of having done something good for your body and perhaps even your whole being. Of course nourishing wine has to taste good if I'm going to drink it.
Consider it a given that the wines listed here are well made and worth drinking regardless of their nourishing quality or sustainable farming practices. Two are "new world style California wines" which are not really my favorite region/style to drink. Give me the boque of Bourdeux or the dried brush/tabacco of an obscure Italian varietal any day. When I feed my family dinner every night, nourishing quaffable wines are the ones I want. I found three inexpensive nourishing wines worth checking out - each hovering around 10$ a bottle. All of the vintners have paid acute attention to how they grow their fruit, all are proportedly involved in sustainable winemaking practices.
Why is drinking nourishing wine important? I'm not telling you there is any scientific basis to these wines being especially good for your health to consume. DYNAMIC is a certified biodynamic wine grown by people who really know what they're doing (see a brief video here with some information about Ceagos biodynamic wine making practices). This wine convinced me that biodynamic was not only a smarter way to raise grapes, it could also produce a better wine - one with unique, desirable qualities.
A note about tasting wines. As sommelier students we were trained not to swallow when assessing wines. In order to judge the nourishing rating of these wines I drank each one down to the last drop! Wine really needs to slide ALLLLL the way down to reveal its nourishing qualities. Its not only about how it tastes but also about how it makes you feel. I hope you get a chance to try these - email me and let me know if you do - especially if you find a cache of DYNAMIC RTW! Tim Flynn Certified Sommelier. Learn about my journey as a sommelier: The Opposit of Wine: From wine dunce to Certified Sommelier in just 17 short weeks!.
DYNAMIC RTW - Ceago Vinegarden, 2007 - Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah - Mendocino - this is one that set the bar for me. When I picked up this bottle at Trader Joes I was a little dubious. Low priced California certified organic or biodynamic wines have not
always delivered a well rounded experience when I've tried them. Of course it doesn't hurt that its owner is Jim Fetzer of Fetzer wines - check out Ceago Vinegarden. This is a BIG but well balanced red table wine - bright strong fruit. Rasberry on the nose, tart black cherry. Currant mixed with mild, dry herbaceous tobacco. You can tell this was made by a South American vintner - it almost drinks like a very graceful malbec. Enjoy with bbq, some mediteranian dishes (not too spicey) and (strangely enough) mild nightshade dishes like eggplant parmesean and lasagna.Ceago sells this label exclusively to Trader Joe's - if you can still find it buy it! I was only able to find it at one of three TJs near me. Ceago has many other significant offerings - consider joining their wine club.
Since this set the bar it has to receive a 5/5 on the nourishing scale - MMMMM. A true feel-good wine!
Tapiz - Malbec - 2008 - Agentina/Medoza - produced by Fincas Patagonicas. Though the clerk at Bev Mo had no idea what biodynamic was she did steer me to this Malbec, an exceptional wine for its low price.
Fincas is proportedly working on organic certification for at least some of their grapes. The Bev Mo staff is well informed on this producer as Bev Mo has a business relationship with Fincas. Some of you will recognize the name Fincas from past awards for their Malbec's.This was the best Malbec I'd tasted in some time - truly exceptional for its low price. I found the nose to be especially unique - the scent of lilac hidden inside an old cedar chest. LOTS of wonderful mushroom/fungus and even a little cumin. Ripe round fruit and only a little of the rough black tea you might expect from a Malbec. Let breath for twenty minutes - don’t drink this if you’re looking for a low alcohol wine. Its unusual that a malbec for this price would have such gentle barnyard qualities. Enjoy with rich mushroom dishes, beef or lamb stew. It can handle a little spice despite its high alcohol. I like it with chicken, tomatoe based seafood/soup. This wine can fill you up quickly!
4/5 on the nourishing scale - MMMM
Sustainable Red - 2005 - RTW (grapes not listed) - Parducci (family vineyards) - Mendocino. The labeling is interesting on this wine. Supposedly all grapes come from family farms using sustainable practices. Judging from the wine I believe them, but it seems to me this is difficult to veryify and quantify.
Since the grapes are presumably from Mendocino do they use rain catchment? Whats their composting practice like? They are a carbon neutral winery, utilizing solar energy. Lets hope we get more detail and more innovation from Parducci in the future.Smelling this is like walking through your grandmothers attic with a blindfold on. Heaps of floral mixed with dust and dry mushroom compost (I know exactly what that smells like as I just spread a truckload out on our land!) Very quaffable - almost as quick to go as a light rose´. Good with appetizers - mild italian meats and cheeses (no blue cheese for this wine). Enjoy with pork - esp moist pork roast, grilled hamberger or chicken, or a mild putanesca. This is a good choice for a palate that doesn’t want to be challenged by rough flavors or overwhelming fruit. Leave open for a least 1/2 hour if you really want to enjoy the nose on this.
3/5 on the nourishing scale - MMM
another great link about biodynamic by Robert Sinskey. Thanks Ian!
