Thankfully for the planet and future life on earth we've come a long way since auto-industry magnate Lee Iaccoca uttered that immortal phrase way back when. As we each try to make our own small contribution to the greater good, what better moment than Earth Day to glimpse an alternative wine-package of tomorrow and beyond?

YELLOW and BLUE MALBEC; YELLOW and BLUE TORRONTES

ONE LITER TETRAPAK ----$9.99

Two years ago, I met a gentleman named Matt Cain at a Kermit Lynch Portfolio tasting in New York City. We talked a bit, he showed me a couple of Corsican wines I brought in to the store, and, as Matt was baesd in Pennsylvania, promptly forgot about him. Fast-forward about one year: my friend and Vin Divino rep Marty McCabe mentions Mr.Cain and a new project of his--a bag-in-the-box wine from Argentina that's organic to boot. Respecting both Marty's taste and Matt's Corsican tip, I made a mental note to check these wines out when they hit the market. And now they're here.

The Malbec is a great deal...it's hand-harvested, unoaked; has the spicy,dark-berry, pl ummy flavors that have made Malbec all the rage the past few months, and it's cultivated organically . The Torrontes (a grape that's a cross of Muscat of Alexandria and the local Criolla Chica) is a perfumy, off-dry, crisp white wine grown primarily in the high-elevation, acid-preserving climate of Salta near the Bolivian border. It too is made from organically-grown grapes. Delicious.

Both of these wines are packaged in a TetraPak. Looks like a juice box, holds a full liter of wine (about 8 oz. more than a standard 750 ml bottle), is 94% wine/ 6% packaging (a full wine bottle is 55% wine/ 45% packaging), and takes up 30 TIMES LESS the amount of space in a landfill than ONE glass bottle!
It's time to think INSIDE the box.

Organic wine is either"100% organic"(no ADDED sulfites), "organic" (95% sourced from certified organic and up to an additional 100 parts per million of sulfur dioxide), or by far the most common, "Made with organic grapes" (70% organically sourced with any amount of sulfur dioxide added).

Biodynamic wine is produced by farming techniques that utilize the vineyard's natural resources to cultivate the highest quality grapes possible. It's beyond the scope of this blurb to go into the techniques practiced but basically it's a form of extreme organic viticulture that utilizes cosmic cycles, Earth rhythms, and specifically timed natural sprays and composts.

The overriding principle we should take from all of this is that organic growers take the approach of "Prevention rather than the Cure". A good thing in my opinion.

In order to highlight an ongoing selection of these wines, there will now be a rack in the front display of the store (Weymouth) strictly devoted to organic/biodynamic/sustainable offerings. They won't prevent headaches if you drink too much of them, aren't properly hydrated, or aren't having a bite to eat with them but you WILL discover a lot of artisanally crafted, non-manipulated, top-notch offerings.
In addtion to the featured wines, we'll be running a sale on organic beers and ales for Earth Day (This Wednesday April 22).

Peak Organic...Amber, IPA, Nut Brown, Pale Ale...6 packs $7.99 + deposit; Seasonal 22 oz. $4.25 + deposit; Seasonal 4 pack $6.79 + deposit; and Variety 12 pack $14.99 + deposit.

Samuel Smith Organic Cider and Organic Lager; 18 oz. $3.25 + deposit

Wolavers Brown Ale, IPA, and Pale Ale 6 packs $7.99 + deposit; Variety 12 packs $13.99 + deposit.

A long read but thanks for making it this far. To end on a light note: another quote on the environment, this time from former VP Dan Quayle..."It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water

that are doing it."

Until the Riesling, Rhone, and Rose Tasting,
Joe