liz's blog

I am an avid red wine drinker.  Lately I've been thinking about taking my wine drinking to a greener level, but it's a bit overwhelming as there are a lot of factors to consider.

To start with, what's the difference between USDA certified organic and plain old organic on the labels?  To be USDA certified organic, a vineyard must grow its grapes without using any chemicals or artificial fertilizers.  Also USDA certified organic wine cannot have any sulfites added.  (Don't misinterpret this, though.  These wines will still contain some sulfites, as they naturally occur in wine.)  A wine labelled simply organic means that at least 70% of its contents are organic.

However, being a greener wine consumer is not necessarily synonomous with being an organic wine drinker.  Sustainability is another factor to consider.  What is the vineyard doing to make a less significant impact on the earth?  Are they taking measures to reduce erosion?  How about water consumption?  Do they only run sprinklers when absolutely necessary or is their system automatic?  What methods do they use of reducing pests?

Another way to green your wine consumption is to take a look at where your wine originates.  DrVino.com identifies and explains a "green line" that runs down the center of Ohio.  

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I've been a food snob for about the past 10 years.

I still vividly remember the Wednesday (I think?) mornings I'd go to the outdoor farmer's market with my grandmother and mother in the days before I started preschool.  It was those memories that drove me, nearly 17 years later, back to Soulard Market.  I was immediately taken with the chaotic, dim, random atmosphere; it was only after I got back home and started cooking that I was taken with the absolute taste difference between the fresh spinach I'd gotten there and the "fresh" spinach I'd been buying at the local grocery store.  Since that day, I've never looked back.... read more