What is the‘ Green Cork’?
Where to look at Banville & Jones
green cork
What is the‘ Green Cork’?
By Mike Muirhead
What does it mean today to be“ green”? In this column, we will explore what makes wine“ green” and what is being done to reduce the impact that wine production has on the environment.
Many of you have come into Banville & Jones and asked for organic wine, some out of curiosity, some out of environmental concern, and some for health reasons— all great reasons to try organic wine. The truth is, wine has been produced using organic processes for centuries, and it is only in the past 3 decades, with modern technology, advanced agriculture, and a shrinking world market, that organic wine has become big business.
There are many rules— some may say too many— governing the production of organic wine. In order to bear the“ organic” label, wine must be certified by an international governing body such as Ecocert or ISO. This certification indicates that, during the winemaking process, the producer has used no synthetic products( herbicides, pesticides, etc); the level of sulphites have been kept to low or no addition; no synthetic additives have been used, and, in Europe, it also means that no genetically modified organisms were used in the production of grapes( e. g. in grape vines).
These seem like pretty easy rules to follow, but you also have to remember that wine production serves as the livelihood of many people.
Let’ s bring this closer to home. Say you’ re a wheat farmer on the Manitoba prairies and you have a horrible fungal problem that threatens to wipe out your entire crop and income. Are you going to sit back and let the infestation take place, or take action to make sure that your whole year isn’ t a waste? The decision seems obvious.
The same goes for grape growing. For the most part, we are talking about operations that are still family-run businesses that rely on this crop as their livelihood. In order to maintain organic status, they have to complete and maintain standards for 3 years, before being certified. This process comes at a very large cost to the grape grower / winemaker, and if they experience one of those really bad years where they have to spray to save their crop, they have to start all over again.
In future articles, we will discuss the alternatives and enhancements to organic viticulture( sustainable farming, biodynamic, carbon neutral), how these effect the environment, and how winemaking has evolved to be both eco-friendly and damaging to the environment at the same time.
There are several ways in which winemakers can“ go green.” At Banville & Jones, we promote eco-friendly wine made by people who care about the land for future generations of wine and winemakers. �
Where to look at Banville & Jones
We have many wines that are organic, biodynamic, carbon neutral, and we also represent wines from wineries that promote sustainable agriculture. That’ s a lot of words, so we use‘ Eco-Friendly’ to mark them throughout the store. See any of our customer representatives for details on the wines that interest you!
CARBON NEUTRAL: Parducci 2006 Pinot Noir, California, United States – The first in the United States to go neutral! Light and luscious with red strawberry, this Pinot features a touch of spice and a clean finish. – $ 17.99
ORGANIC: Paul Blanck 2006 Riesling AOC Alsace, France – This French organic offering is a fresh, clean, mediumbodied gem! Full of lime and a touch of petrol, with racy acidity and a long, clean finish, it is the perfect pairing for your next spicy Thai meal. – $ 25.99
BIODYNAMIC: Burge Family Winemakers 2004 D & OH Shiraz-Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia – Rated by Robert Parker Jr. as one of the WORLD’ S best wine estates. Big and rich yet subtle and restrained, this wine offers roasted herbs, berries, dusty tannins and beautiful mouth feel. – $ 59.99
38 www. banvilleandjones. com