Yesterday, the European Union published a press release saying it had reached agreement on rules governing organic wine, meaning that instead of just saying "made with organic grapes," wines made under these rules will now be able to bear the official appellation of "organic wine" on their labels. Starting with
Editors' note: To close 2011, Palate Press: The online wine magazine will be featuring some of our top stories from the past year. Our fifth piece comes from columnist W. Blake Gray, exploring the idiosyncrasies of how the wine world defines sustainability. Two Central Coast vintners walked through a pristine-looking vineyard last
Two Central Coast vintners walked through a pristine-looking vineyard last fall—it had no cover crop, a usual sign of organic or biodynamic farming—explaining why they use herbicides. "We need to do it to keep our business sustainable," one said. The-read more-
First you catch the mouse that’s made a home in your vineyard. Next you skin him, discard the body, and burn the flesh into a wee pile of ashes. Then, when Venus is in the constellation Scorpius, you scatter the ashes-read more-