Wednesday Wines – Episode 248 – Organic Announcement Week
Long Live Organic!
Last week, after a lot of trial and tribulation, my alcohol-free business, Jukes Cordialities, was awarded Organic Certification. We have been making drinks for over five years, and during this period, we have been operating at what I call ‘near-organic’ status. With over 100 ingredients going into Jukes drinks, maintaining year-round supplies of every ingredient with accompanying organic credentials has been a significant challenge. We have now done so, and for the last few months, we have been wholly organic. Thanks to my Head of Production, Melania Borgia, and the team for getting us to this auspicious moment. Alongside our all-natural, vegan and Halal accreditation, we can now add organic, and this opens us up to a new and fascinating raft of customers. Our packaging has been updated and will reflect this status, too. It makes me so proud that we have surpassed this hurdle, which bodes well for the future. While Jukes has only recently gained organic certification, this week’s wines are all organic experts, and they come from the most important organic wine specialist of all, Vintage Roots.
I first met Neil Palmer and Lance Pigott in the late Eighties, soon after they opened Vintage Roots. I am thrilled to report that these two chaps are still at the helm of this terrific business today! While Jukes is a newcomer to this art, these guys have been banging the drum for decades, and I take my hat off to them. I now know what it takes! This week, three Vintage Roots classics – all excellent value and seasonally accurate, too. These are toothsome, hearty, wintry reds; you are guaranteed to love them as much as I do. Cheers.
2022 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cantina Orsogna, Italy (£14.50, www.vintageroots.co.uk).
Cantina Orsogna is a terrific co-operative with 600 members covering nearly 1000 hectares of vines, of which 80% are organic. This energetic Monte is ripe, juicy, seamless and floral. It tastes like wine you might sip in the Italian countryside during your summer holidays. In addition, there is a herbal, earthy twist that can only come from this part of the world, giving it stunning GPS coordinates. Bargain-priced, this is a winner, and it will not surprise you to learn that it screams Italian food-pairing suggestions from the top of its voice!
2020 Bodegas Tempore, Generación 73 Garnacha, Bajo Aragón, Spain (£14.75, www.vintageroots.co.uk).
This stunningly beautiful Garnacha has a haunting rhubarb, cherry, and fresh herb perfume. The palate is bright, medium-weight, silky, and lit. And then the action changes pace with terrific fine-grained tannins and crisp acidity flooding the senses. A Nebbiolo-like tang on the finish sends shockwaves through your senses, compelling you to rush back for another sip! And so, the cycle begins again. Drink this thriller with elite charcuterie and top-flight cheese, and you will be gripped. But, better still, stews and tomato or red pepper-based dishes will skyrocket with this Garnacha in the glass.
2021 Domaine Silène, Grès de Montpellier, Languedoc, France (£18.75, www.vintageroots.co.uk).
Made from a classic Southern Rhône red blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Grenache by the King of the Languedoc, mastercraftsman Jean-Claude Mas, this is a rich, indulgent, grandly structured wine, loaded with deep, dark fruit notes and layers of smart French oak. The garrigue tones, wild herbs, rocky terrain, and southern sunshine are all captured perfectly in this wicked, lip-smacking wine. Unlike the other two, this one is built for the long haul. It is starting out on a five-year life, and while you can tackle it now, it ought to be decanted to open fully! Plum, berry, liquorice tones, and joust with cracked pepper, thyme, and oregano are some flavours for you to consider when searching for a recipe bold enough for this delicious wine.