-
Nov 8, 2007 2:24 pm US/Eastern
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Enviro-Friendly Wines Growing In Popularity
by Paula Ebben
(WBZ)
The wine industry is taking organic to a whole new level, marketing wines that are more environmentally friendly than ever before. These wines are labeled "sustainable" or "biodynamic."
It's a growing trend as local merchants see higher and higher demand for products with a low environmental impact. At Shubie's liquor store in Marblehead, they now mark bottles as "Green" to help shoppers.
"Consumers were asking so much about this sort of thing, we wanted to highlight everything that we've got that's environmentally friendly," said owner George Shubie.
"People are interested in knowing that what they're drinking has been grown in some way that's friendly to the environment, that isn't destructive," said Ray Isle of Food & Wine magazine.
Organic wines are made using grapes grown without using chemicals. Sustainable wines take a broader view of the environment. But while organic wines are certified by the government, there are no standards for sustainable wine.
"It's much more of a philosophy than a regulated thing. There's no government agency, including the FDA, that's looking over sustainability and saying you can or can't label your wine," Isle explained.
There are usually some common practices at sustainable vineyards, such as composting, using renewable energy, and conserving water.
"What we've done is come up with a system where all the water that's used in the cellar is treated and recycled and stored in an irrigation pond," said Doug Shafer of Shafer Winery.
Shafer's vineyard doesn't use chemical fertilizers. Birds like owls and hawks are attracted to hunt rodents. And instead of using insecticides, Shafer fights bugs with bugs.
"We've provided a habitat for the good bugs like lady bugs and wasps that eat some of the bad bugs," Shafer said.
Consumers like Kate Brooks like the option. Brooks buys organic food and recycles in her home. For her, these wines make sense.
"It really does fit with how I try to live the rest of my life you know, lessening my footprint overall," she said. "I know with food, if you grown things in a more sustainable way, they actually tend to taste better and so I think that can be the case with wine too."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)