Top Scores for Organic Wines in Wine & Spirits Magazine

This month's issue of Wine & Spirits magazine's new releases section features these organically grown wines:

94 Points

Storybook Mountain, Zinfandel, Eastern Exposures ($48)

93 Points

Qupe, Syrah - Sawyer Lindquist ($35)

92 Points

Qupe, Grenache - Sawyer Lindquist 2011 ($35)

Marimar Estate, Pinot Noir, 2009, Sonoma Coast Chico's Run ($48)

91 Points

Frog's Leap, Zinfandel ($30) BEST BUY

90 Points

Flora Springs, Trilogy ($75)

Qupe, Syrah - Purisima Mountain ($35)

88 Points

Beckmen Vineyards, Cuvee le Bec ($18)

Enjoy.

Coming to Your Town: MUST SEE MOVIE Symphony of the Soil in Theatrical Release

You may recall my mentioning that my friends made the film Symphony of the Soil...which I have been enthusiastically telling people about since it first came out in 2012. Well, now it's about to hit the theaters - giving you a chance to see what all the fuss is about!



Here's the schedule of screenings (below).

For more info and to join the email list, go to www.symphonyofthesoil.com. There is a detailed and continuously updated calendar of screenings here.

The film will screen in Chicago and New York in addition to the local screenings below.

BAY AREA SCREENINGS

• San Rafael - Sept. 27-Oct. 2
• San Francisco - Roxie - one night only - Sept. 28
• Bioneers (for conference attendees only): Oct. 18
• Oakland; New Parkway, Oct. 22

NAPA SCREENING, OCT. 2

I will be going to the Oct. 2 show at the 400 seat Napa Opera House where Demeter will be co-hosting a Biodynamic® wine tasting at the show. Join us there! Filmaker Deborah Garcia, U.C. Berkeley microbial biologist Dr. Ignacio Chapel and winemaker John Williams of Frog's Leap will all be there.
 You can buy tickets online now.

Warning: seeing this film could endanger your ability to drink or eat food from poorly treated soils... i.e. anything not organic or Biodynamic...as it so makes the case for how well we need to treat our soils. It's a great and engaging upper of a movie as well.

Decanter's Tasting Panel's High Scoring Napa Cabs: The Organic Among Them

Decanter, the international wine magazine based in the UK, published its list of top 2009 Napa and Sonoma cabs today, including among its 18 top picks three from producers with certified organic vineyards. It's nice to see Oakville Ranch getting some acclaim alongside established superstars.

Here are their organic selections:

Oakville Ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon, 95 pts., $82, SOLD OUT
This hidden gem up on the eastern hills of Oakville (I visited recently and it's featured in my forthcoming Napa app)...limited production. The 2008 is still available. Take a trip there - the vineyard is among the most beautiful I have seen in Napa. Shelia Gentry is the marketing person and leads vineyard tours and tastings. Incredible views! Be prepared to buy - it's pretty much the only place you can get their wines.

Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, 90+ pts., $165
A perennial favorite with critics.

Staglin Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, 92 pts., $185
Also a perennial critics pick.

 

SALE: In Celebration of the Harvest: Qupe's Grenache and Rose on Sale

When Biodynamic® (and organically grown) wines go on sale, I take (and give) notice. Qupe is one of the top Rhone producers and their sales make buying their wine direct from the winery on par with dealing with retailers. Which means more of the profits go to the winemakers and less to the middle-people.

So support your eco-system heroes (they don't use pesticides, herbicides, and hydroponics to grow grapes) and give them your wine dollars. I can heartily recommend both of these wines - their Grenache and their sister label Verdad's Grenache Rose - as they are among my staple recommendations. They're each on sale for 25% off, making the $35 Grenache now $26.25 a bottle and the Rose $13.50 (down from $18).

Let's get ourselves out of being prisoners of the chemical-industrial-wine complex that surrounds us along our freeways and in the aisles of our supermarkets. Give the winemakers your money!

Order wine here: www.qupe.com.

Trendspotting: Chefs Becoming Vintners

In researching my new app on BD wines (made from Biodynamic® vineyards and/or wine processing standards), I've come across two stories of chefs moving to the countryside with their spouses to start vineyard/farms.

One is Big Farm Table in Oregon. The other is Shinn Estate on Long Island's north fork.

See more about life at Big Table Farm here: