Eco Friendly Wines to Toast Earth Hour
We’ve got to scurry to get this out: later this evening we’ll be powering down for Earth Hour.
It’s always an interesting, refreshing and somewhat scary 60 minutes. What are we going to do for an entire hour without power? Talk to each other? Well, we’ve always got the safety net of smart phones and social media to fill the darkened void, and, of course, there’s always booze.
But it seems like we can’t just crack open any old bottle for this most eco-friendly night. Instead, some advanced planning has to happen here -much like Earth Hour itself. It seems only right to toast Mother Earth with a green wine worthy of this kind of celebration. Keep in mind, many, many, many wineries take advantage of sustainable practices, though they may not advertise it, so a little research will go a long way to see if your favourite vintner goes au natural.
And in the meantime, if you, like us, are trying to get your eco-friendly wines in order for 60 silent minutes with nothing to do but hang with the ones you love – or maybe even those you don’t really care for at all – here are few wines to make the most of the hour.
Featherstone “Black Sheep” Riesling, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 2012
$16.95 Vintages 80234
Featherstone has been insecticide free since 1999, and practices eco-friendly techniques like allowing sheep to roam the vineyards for natural fertilizer. Owners also bought a recycle sprayer that captures and reuses any spray that doesn’t stick to the vine. We love the Black Sheep Riesling for it’s lip smacking acidity and zesty citrus flavours and fine undertone if minerality. We’ll be sipping on this with a cheese plate filled with triple creme cheeses and rich terrines.
Flatrock Cellars “Unplugged” Chardonnay, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario 2012
$17.15 Vintages 68015
Flat Rock Cellars takes advantage of what Mother Earth gives it, using natural landscaping for ecology, nearly wall-to-wall windows for natural lighting, gravity flow for wine production, and an underground cellar for organic cooling and humidity and control, all of which reduces the winery’s energy consumption. The winery focuses primarily on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling with a little bit of Gewurtztraminer. We love the Unplugged Chardonnay for it’s easy drinking style perfect for spring time sipping (it is spring, right?). With aromas and flavours of ripe peach, fresh pear and sweet orange citrus, with a vibrant acidity, we enjoy this with no-cook soups like ceviche and fresh herb salads.
Rosehall Run “Cuvée County” Pinot Gris,VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario 2012
$21.95 rosehallrun.com
One of Prince Edward County’s most prolific wineries, Rosehall Run owner and winemaker Dan Sullivan, works to keep his vineyards as eco-friendly as possible, using an early detection method for pests in order to stop problems before they start, therefore mitigating spraying. We think Pinot Gris is one of PEC’s best kept secrets and love the bright citrus and stone fruit flavours of Rosehall’s Pinot Gris. The telltale limestone minerality comes through in the glass for a fresh, elegant wine to enjoy with grilled halibut or roast pork loin with peach salsa.
Stratus Red, VQA Niagara on the Lake, Ontario 2009
$44.20 Vintages 131037
Stratus started with its eye on sustainability, becoming the first LEED certified winery in the world. Using everything from gravity flow to organic vineyard practices to geothermal heating and cooling, Stratus is as eco-friendly as it is beautiful. And it has quite the cult following, often with wines selling out so quickly, we find if we’re wondering if we should pick up an extra bottle or two, the answer is usually yes – or it’ll be gone. Stratus Red is a Bordeaux blend – this vintage primarily Cabernet Franc, a grape we find does particularly well in Niagara. This wine is both elegant and masculine with dark fruit, spice and a bitter chocolate finish, this would be lovely with rib eye steaks – cooked over open flame on the BBQ.
Malivoire Gamay, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 2012
$17.95 Vintages 591313
Malivoire, which uses a lady bug as its mascot, holds sustainability as paramount. From light weight machinery, to purchasing corks and other materials from sustainable suppliers, to its facilities being built for minimum energy consumption, Malivoire keeps the environment in the forefront of its practices. This Gamay is one of go-tos that we almost always have on hand. With bright fruit flavours, low tannins and fresh acidity this is a great sipper for charcuterie boards or even firm fish like tuna or salmon.