Luxury Life & Style - (Page 75)

THE CELLAR Sokol Blosser's solar panels pure and simple organic wineS Shine by Bonnie graves Sokol Blosser images courtesy of Doreen J. Wynja. Other I images courtesy of respective wineries. confess that my tasting experience with organic wines can be summarized quite succinctly with “yuck.” It’s important to clarify, though, that this experience has been with wines whose marketing strategy is predicated on having the word “organic” appear prominently on the label. Interestingly, some of the most beloved European wines we’ve been enjoying for years are de facto organic; without access to expensive chemicals or fertilizers, generations of small family growers have been making wine organically for lack of an alternative. Perhaps as a new resident of Topanga, where the patchouli and crystal crowd still dwell, or as a new mom who chooses organic foods and chlorine-free diapers for baby, I thought it was time to revisit the increasingly popular topic of organic wines. It’s the question I arguably answer more than just about any other, save the “what wines taste good for ten bucks?” question that makes my Yahoo blog so popular. First off, a word on semantics: for many years, there were no consistent federal regulations for labeling wines “organic” in the U.S. market. That changed dramatically in late 2002, when the USDA adopted standards that radically impact the ways that both domestic and imported wines can be labeled. Central to these changes are sulfites, and what they do or do not bring to the party in the bottle. Sulfites occur naturally to some degree in all wine, and are also usually added to preserve the shelf life of our precious fermented alex and alison Sokol Blosser March/April 2008 Luxury Life & Style 75

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Luxury Life & Style

Editor's Letter
Carte Blanche
Home
The Arts
Seen in the South Bay
People
Drive
Fashion
Seen in the South Bay
Travel
The Cellar
Dine
Vacation Properties
Coda

Luxury Life & Style

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