3 easy ways to be a "green" wine shopper

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/tnfUx)
As the world continues to embrace “green” options with growing fervor, many wine drinkers find themselves searching for eco-friendly options in the wine world. While the act of making wine is the result of a perfect harmony between land, climate, and vintner, there is an array of standards for the level of greenness used in production.

Often, going green requires sacrifices for the consumer that can make the option unappealing. This is not the case with these easy options when buying wine.

1. Cork It – While many wine makers are using screw tops and fake, plastic cork  toppers as a means to cut costs, it’s bad for the environment. Cork comes from Cork Oak trees, which only grow in specific Mediterranean climates in Portugal and Spain. The demand for cork keeps these forests regenerating, and the trees don’t even need to be cut down to harvest the cork. They are scraped of their outer layers every nine years. Keeping these forests thriving is crucial, according to Ben Wrigley from Big Green Smile, an online store devoted to selling green products, because “The habitat of the Cork Oak…is a natural habitat for both farmers to graze their sheep and goats as well as for a large variety of insects, birds and mammals including Barbary deer, Europe’s entire population of wintering cranes, and the endangered Iberian lynx.” The way things are going, it’s estimated that within only a few years the wine industry will be dominated by screw tops and plastic cork. Take a stand and choose cork tops when you purchase a bottle of wine.

***Try Dancing Bull Zinfandel, under $10, velvety berry, smooth finish, cork top.

2. Go Organic – Organic wines are made from grapes that are pesticide free, and according to U.S. standards, made without sulfites, a preservative. However, many wines come from the rest of the world where the definition of “organic” remains fluid. Dave McIntyre, from the Washington Post, writes, “European agencies such as Ecocert will certify a wine as organic even if sulfites were added. And many Mediterranean wineries have been farming organically for generations because they don't need chemicals, and don't trumpet that on labels.” Some wineries focus on producing fewer emissions, while others continue to use cork. Nonetheless, any attempts made by wineries to make a cleaner production process and healthier end result are doing their part to be eco-friendly.

***Try Candoni Pinot Grigio, it's under $10, and the only organic-labeled wine sold at Walmart in Crystal Lake. It is organic according to the Organic Agriculture Method if Italy, which means no fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides. However it does have sulfites and Candoni uses fake cork – so take their claims to be good for the earth with a grain of salt. This Pinot Grigio hits you with apple and leaves you with a hint of apricot, good with cheese or seafood.

3. Tote-ally Green – reusable bags are catching on, but we’re still too dependent on plastic bags. Plastic bags take over 1000 years to break down in landfills, when they become particles that pollute waterways. Sure, you can get your wine bottles in paper bags as an alternative, but that’s not as chic as the totes available at bringitinabag.com, where they sell patterned, woven bags with bamboo handles that keep multiple bottles from clanking together. Great for your trips to the liquor store to stock up the wine rack or to give as a gift. Make a green fashion statement.

These three ideas can make “green” wine drinking easy, affordable, and convenient. Whether you hunt for cork tops, drink organic, or tote around a reusable bag, every little bit helps and one person at a time does make a difference.

via 3 easy ways to be a "green" wine shopper.