Certified Biodynamic! So much more than simply “organic”, Bio-dynamic viticulture includes understanding the ecological, the energetic and the spiritual in nature. Biodynamic vineyards have healthy, fertile, “living” soil. Weeds and “pests” are managed without the use of commercial chemicals. Organic fertilizers are applied at different times of the year to nourish the roots, the leaves and the fruit of the plant. Harvesting is done by hand, and no sulphites are added at any time. This wine, like many that are made Biodynamically, has vibrant, clear flavors… focused is the word I use. The vines are 20–40 year old Gamay, growing in clay and schist soils in the extreme southern end of the Loire Delta, south of Muscadet in the Fiefs Vendéens. Cool fermented without oak, this wine has delicious flavors of wild raspberries, rosewater and red cherries! Good fruit, tart acidity, fine structure, excellent balance… and a terrific price! This easy drinking red tastes even better with a slight chill. You’ll find this wine on the winelists of restaurants Guy Savoy, Taillevent and Arpège in Paris!

Domaine St. Nicholas, “Gammes en May” – $11.49

My Featured Winery for August:
Movia, and Movia Vila Marija

Eric Asimov, in the New York Times, calls Movia, “one of my favorite wine estates. All the Movia wines I’ve tasted are marked by liveliness, depth and purity of flavor.” In existence since 1700, Ales Kristancic whole-heartedly implements the rigorous Biodynamic principles handed down to him from his father. Estate holdings all lie on the prime strip of land that adjoins the Italian & Slovenian sides of the Collio. No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are used in the vineyard. Only wild yeast, and no added sulphites… at all! These are truly wonderful wines, all hand made, all showing a decided sense of terroir. I absolutely love these wines and cannot recommend them more highly!

Vila Marija, Pinot Grigio Light, fresh and crisp with herbal, honeydew, pear and green apple notes, all atop layers of minerality. Remarkable balance, great value. – $12.95

Vila Marija, Merlot If Miles, in “Sideways”, had tried this wine, he might have forgotten about Pinot Noir! This exceptional wine is just what Merlot SHOULD taste like. Richly colored and full bodied. – $12.95

Movia, Sauvignon Blanc A group of 25 Sommeliers declared this wine to be the perfect wine to serve with asparagus. Rich, ripe and loaded with heady aromas, this is beyond being very good: it’s great wine! Unfined, unfiltered, made with wild, natural yeasts, it’s all about the grapes and the vineyard. – $26.95

Movia, Cabernet Sauvignon Oak aged (though you can barely tell) on the lees for 4 years, this is a wine of depth, complexity and balance. Slightly leafy on the nose, along with cassis, cherry and blueberry aromas. On the palate, layer after layer of cocoa, berry, mint and baked berries. –$31.49