SustainLane - Wine Not? It's Green

April 2008
Edition 47

Greetings!

We all know the health impact of wine (enough with the studies people, we get it already), but what about the environmental impact?

The more we look into what makes wine "green," the harder it becomes to find an answer. Should we drink wine certified as sustainable, organic, or biodynamic? When is local wine better for the earth than organic wine? And most importantly, which eco-wines taste the best? In other words, when it comes to wine, where's the tipping point?

Regardless of how you personally answer these questions, the SustainLane community has plenty of delicious "green" wine to recommend. See which organic wine Pamela L. says is an adventure in every bottle, what biodynamic winery Mary V. visits at least once a year, and why Jenn A. loves drinking wine on "doctors orders."

Don't forget to check out our Green Video of the Week, and read up on all the latest sustainable wine news in our In the News section.

Share Green Knowledge - Win A Solar Backpack

We made a list of the 100 most searched items on SustainLane.com. People on the internet want to know more about the "green cred" of these products, and we thought you should have the chance to share your knowledge.

If educating the masses isn't incentive enough, every review you write before the April 10th deadline counts as one entry in a raffle for some great prizes. One Grand Prize winner will receive a free Voltaic Solar Backpack, and ten runners-up will each get a SustainLane tote-bag and t-shirt. Just follow the link below to see a complete listing of the contest rules and all 100 products. Good luck, and happy reviewing!

SustainLane Solar Backpack Giveaway

Featured Review: Frey's Natural White Table Wine

Organic wine doesn't have the best reputation - many wine lovers can't forgive the overpriced, outclassed wines they sampled when organic wines first hit shelves. Read on to see why Pamela L. says Frey's all natural white table wine has the taste, the price and the green cred to bring any wine lover over to the organic side.

Click for Natural White Table Wine by Frey

Hooray For Frey!

"What a joy to discover a wine that doesn't make me feel bad... Now that I have discovered the Frey Natural White, with no added sulfites and a great taste, I can enjoy wine the way it was meant to be. Interestingly enough...." click here to read more

Have you ever had Frey's Natural White Table Wine? How about a different Frey Wine? Write a review at Sustainlane.com and share!

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Does Organic Wine Taste Better?

The bottom line: organic wine must taste good or people won't drink it. However, there are many points of contention regarding organic wine. Some experts think using organic grapes should be sufficient for an organic certification; others say that an organic label should bar vintners from adding natural preservatives like sulfites as well. Will a lack of sulfites have an impact on the taste of a wine in the long run? Check out the links below to read both sides of this debate and weigh in with your own opinion at SustainLane.com!

We think organic wines tastes better than regular wine!

We love organic grapes, but leave our sulfites!

What do SustainLaner's think? Click and find out!

Featured Business: Benziger Winery

Biodynamic wineries do more than avoid pesticides - they treat their entire winery as a holistic organism (for more information on biodynamics click here). Keep reading to see why Mary V. loves Benziger's wines, and all the quirks that help make it.

Click for Benziger Winery

Drink more Biodynamic Wine

"I'm a member of Benziger and enjoy visiting their vineyard a few times a year to enjoy their wonderful wines, especially their Biodynamic Wines. They have an insectory to attract good insects, and a wine cave that keeps the wine barrels at a constant temperature to avoid air conditioning. I enjoy..." click here to read more

Have you tried Benziger Wines? How about a different biodynamic wine? Write a review at SustainLane.com and tell everyone what you think!

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Attention Vegetarians!

Did you know that many animal-derived ingredients are used for processing wine? Most vintners say these are filtered out before the wine is sold, but for those dedicated to a diet free of animal products, the use of these ingredients is unacceptable. Wine, as well as beer, is often treated with "fining" agents to remove sediment and improve clarity or adjust the flavor or aroma. Common fining agents include egg whites, casein, animal-derived gelatin and fish-derived isinglass. There are plenty of acceptable alternatives such as Irish Moss, pectin, minerals and yeast. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources out there - and many biodynamic wines do not use animal-derived ingredients.

The Vegan Wine Guide provides answers to all your questions and a large catalog of vegan wines.

Staff Pick: Dr. L Riesling

Anyone who says Germans only know beer don't know what they are talking about (Germans clearly know cars as well). Seriously though, keep reading to see exactly what it is about Dr. L's Riesling that gets our site producer Jenn A. so excited about this German import.

Click here for Dr L Riesling

Hilarious, Useful, Fun

"If you're looking for a delicious organic wine that won't break the bank or if you have an aversion to white wines because you don't like cheap chardonnay that's been foisted upon you in art gallery receptions and weddings, look no further than...." click here to read more

Have you tried Dr. L's Riesling? How about a different organic import? Write a review at SustainLane.com and mouth off!

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Green Wine in the News

It's extremely difficult to judge a wine's environmental footprint - even the experts can't agree on the best way to do it. Check out the articles below to make sure that whatever wine choice you end up making, it's an informed one.

More diseases wine apparently cures.

Is it possible that organic wine won't give you a hangover?

ENS discusses some of the chemicals you might find in non-organic wine.

Did you know that if you live east of Ohio it makes more environmental sense to buy wine from Bordeaux than from Napa Valley? Click here to find out why!

Wine in paper bottles?!?

How some wineries are using a wine byproduct to produce energy.

In the mood for DIY wine? Mother Earth News explains how to make your own!

Thoughts about these headlines? Email us at community@sustainlane.com and let us know!

Green Video of the Week

WARNING: THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE.

You had plenty of those yesterday. No, this is just your average, run-of-the-mill joke (we still think it's pretty funny). Check out this video to see firsthand some of the dangers of drinking "green" wine.

Like this week's green video? Have any ideas for next week? (the topic is "Green Shoes") Please e-mail us at community@sustainlane.com and let us know!

Upcoming Events

The Dream Reborn
Join us on the 40th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. A bullet killed the dreamer, but not the dream. Together, we will create ecological solutions to heal the earth while bringing jobs, justice, wealth and health to all our communities.
April 4 - 6
Memphis TN
dreamreborn.org

Go Green! Career Fair
The Go Green! Career Fair will focus on clean, green, responsible, and sustainable companies and organizations. This fair showcases entrepreneurial social sector organizations, social enterprises, and larger private sector companies that are pursuing sustainability.
April 10
Stanford, CA
justmeans.com

Green Festival Seattle
The largest green event in the country hits Seattle for the first time!
April 12 - 13
Seattle, WA
greenfestivals.org

Earth Day Food and Wine Festival
The Earth Day Food & Wine Festival is an intimate celebration featuring earth friendly cuisine, sustainably produced wines, live entertainment and educational exhibits highlighting innovative products.
April 19
Santa Margarita, CA
vineyardteam.org

EcoCity 2008 World Summit
Convening an international community of inspired change-makers; courageous individuals who are addressing problems of the world's environment with thoughtful long-range solutions that are truly sustainable, ecologically healthy and socially just.
April 22 - 26
San Francisco, CA
ecocityworldsummit.org

SVA EarthVision Summit
A chance for students to join forces with other young conservation leaders from around the nation, craft new solutions to key environmental issues, and launch action-oriented conservation strategies to support our planet.
April 24 - 27
Washington, DC
thesca.org

All Things Organic
An event focused exclusively on organic products--all products on display must be certified organic, made with certified organic ingredients or be approved for use in organic products.
April 27 - 29
Chicago, IL
organicexpo.com