ConsciousWine

18/06/2014

Ever wonder wwhy some wines come with a cork and others with a screw top? Jeff Weissler and his guest dig a little deeper to show us why...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVCZe75EgPU&list=PLzq7CYychfJS31SAr89zy3LHDF68OHK42&index=5

Cork or screwtop? Natural or synthetic? What's the big deal???

17/06/2014

Thanks for sharing Helen Stairs Brady!

Some food for thought! What do you think?

17/06/2014

Anybody hungry??? We are always hungry here and always looking for great wine pairings...Here's one for you! We were tinkering with Chevre...take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8mwCzqnp2g&list=PLzq7CYychfJQf5kZ1GFyTNS2yxBrwni4t&index=8

Jeff and his guest pair wine and with Chevre cheese.

10/06/2014

One of the most common problems our followers face is when they are standing in their local wine shop, they don't know which wineries/vineyards are "ConsciousWineries." Well here it is folks, a list you can refer back to any time your are standing in the liquor store feeling lost...
Araujo
Beaux Freres
Beckmen
Belle Pente
Benziger
Bergstrom
Big Table Farm
Bonny Doon
Brick House
Brooks
Cameron
Ceago del Lago
Cedarville
Cooper Mountain
Corison
Coturri
Cowhorn Vineyards
DeLancellotti
Demetria
Domaine de la Terre Rouge
Dominio IV
Easton
Ehler’s Estate
Evening Land
Eyrie Vineyards
Frog’s Leap
Front Porch
Grgich Hills
Honig
Johan Vineyards
La Clarine Farm
Lemelson Vineyards
Littorai
Lumos Wine Co.
Maysara
Michel Schlumberger
Montinore
Neal Family
Paul Dolan Wines
Porter Bass
Porter Creek
Preston
Quintessa
Quivira
Robert Sinskey
Salvestrin
Scott Paul
Shinn Estate Vineyards
Spottswoode
Tablas Creek
Tres Sabores
Truett Hurst
Unti
White Rock
Winderlea Vineyard & Winery
Wooldridge Creek
Youngberg Hill..and here's a video explaining how these wineries came ot be on our list.
http://youtu.be/rjeBS22b_5o

Watch and learn as Jeff Weissler, the ConsciousWine Guy, shares how different wineries come to be on the ConsciousWine List.

04/06/2014

Here's another CW favorite summer recipe...Takes you right to the beach no matter where you really are!

Crab Cakes with Horseradish Cream
Serve with Youngberg Hill Pinot Blanc

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
1 pound lump crab meat, picked free of shell
1 cup dry bread crumbs
3 scallions including green tops, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Pinch cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, and the horseradish.
In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, the scallions, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Shape the crab mixture into eight patties. Coat the patties with the remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs and pat off the excess.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with the horseradish cream.

Recipe from Food & Wine, contributed by Quick From Scratch Fish & Shellfish. Photo from Casa Cupula

03/06/2014

Have you visited our YouTube Channel??? Check it out! We've loaded the best of our videos and created easy to use playlists for your enjoyment...https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8NvZd2o_soIgnhSGGiV4A

03/06/2014

Summer is upon us folks and we are getting hungry for some awesome pairings! Check out one of our favorite recipes and try it at home...

Red Snapper with Lemongrass and Sweet Chili
Serve with 2010 AmByth Estate Grenache Blanc

Ingredients:
1 large, whole Red Snapper, descaled and cleaned by your fishmonger
1 big fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced (to make about ⅓ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 banana, quartered length-ways
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

Directions:
wash the snapper under cold water and pat dry with paper towel
in a bowl, mix garlic, ginger, lime, soy, chili, fish sauce and sesame oil
lay out a piece of baking parchment with a equal size piece of foil on top, large enough to wrap the fish
lay 3 quarters of the banana in the middle of the foil
put the fish on top of the banana, put the remaining quarter banana inside the fish cavity
cut three slashes into each side of the fish
top with ginger/lemongrass, rubbing some mixture into each cut
sprinkle with cilantro
wrap the fish in the foil and then in the parchment, tie with string to secure
rest in fridge for 20 minutes
pre-heat oven to 420˚F
bake fish for 20 – 30 mins until done
Recipe taken from Robyn Vickers’ “Lick Your Own Bowl”

01/06/2014

Natural Wine...A Paradigm Shift
Natural wine rocks! Does that mean it tastes like rocks or tastes good? Consider this: what if wine was meant to be an ingredient in a dish? What if the idea to enjoy wine on its own is something we made up, and has become so ingrained, that the norm for winemakers is now to use winemaking to alter natural wine into flavors and textures that taste delicious on their own. What if natural wine doesn’t sing its full song until it’s paired with food, or aired out for days or years in the bottle?

My attention was peeked by a NY Times article (posted on Facebook by friend, ConsciousWine guest blogger and wine-know activist Beverly McKenzie) on the graceful aging of a breed of California Cabernets that have mostly been lost. Those wines were “tight” when young, including high acidity and tannin levels. These key components support aging a wine, and after years soften into an integrated whole, filled with secondary flavors (which evolve from the primary grape flavors over time), and an orchestra of seductive aromatics.

The paradigm shift that natural wine offers starts when one pulls a cork and has the first sip from a bottle. If we shift what it is we’re looking for, we might become amazed by what we find and what that can lead to.

If we crave and search for big textured, low acid, delicious on first sip wines we get something that fits as yummy or not right away. After a long, hard day at work, that yummy first sip sounds great, but is that natural wine? Here’s a video on tasting wine from a winemaker’s point of view. It will show you a great way to get the full taste out of a wine. After the video, the conversation continues…


Natural wine opens like a good book. Using that analogy, the taste will change as the pages change and the chapters go by. One thing builds upon the next and there may even be a crescendo or two along the way. If the first sip gives us all there is, that could be great but then it can get flat, boring even, and end up kind of disappointing.

I’m reminded of community by natural wine. Imagine getting together with friends, good conversation, exploring ideas, trying new foods, cooking, and letting things come out of that being together. The magic unfolds along the way. So it is with natural wine. The magic is not in the first sip, it’s in what happens while you and that wine hang out together, and bring in some food and then continue to hang out together. It’s about the stories that unfold along the way and the whole experience.

A particular place (when farmed consciously, with biodiversity, as a slice of a larger area) can grow grapes that lead to wine that speaks of that place. The wine can then express flavors unique to a relationship between that place, the grape varieties grown there, and natural processes the winemaker facilitates that supports the place expressed in the wine flavors and textures. That is called terroir and is a key to natural wine.

I love wines that remind me of good stories that bubble up inside in a way where I can’t help myself but share the stories that come to mind. In this mode, there’s a shift, to not just a more holistic way of looking at wine, but life in general. It can have an effect on what we value, choose, and spend our dollars on. To many, natural wine is about not manipulating wine in unnatural ways. To me, it’s about making room to experience something with a holistic, patient perspective… and maybe a paradigm shift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trJzJqkL5Ig&list=PLzq7CYychfJS31SAr89zy3LHDF68OHK42&index=2

Learn a bit about how to taste wine...Jeff will guide you through the 3 main ideas: Flavor, Tartness and Texture.

31/05/2014

How much should a good bottle of wine cost?

Discovering value in wine is real adventure these days. My Dad liked $3.99 a bottle as his high end purchase, but that was a little over thirty-five years ago.What does that translate to today? $8? Nope. $10? Not really. $15? Now we’re getting closer. I’d say about $18 in today’s market, and that would be a real value in wine.

I was at an organic potluck with a group of twenty or so organic food lovers. One guy in particular had all the ingredients in his dish written out on an index card. He came around to everyone, asking the details of the ingredients in each of their dishes.

I noticed he brought a bottle of wine that lives on most supermarket shelves, from coast to coast. It was not organic. It was SO not organic. It belonged in the far reaches of the “Made Without Any Association to Sustainable Farming and Natural Winemaking Club.” That’s the nice way to say its existence required pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides. Not to mention, additives and manipulations in the winemaking process to funnel the finished product into a predetermined taste profile good for mass production, consumption, and ease of marketing.

As I asked him about his wine choice for the potluck, he described trying multiple organic wines that were inconsistent and unsatisfying. He concluded that wine in general was natural enough and it wasn’t worth spending the bucks for uninspiring organic wine. His party choice was a taste he loved and so did most of his friends. Plus, he could find it anywhere for $6-$7. To him that was value in wine.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t natural wine. He was supporting one part of his life, something he was so passionate about avoiding in another. Defining what natural wine really is, and how to understand and enjoy natural wine are excellent questions.

What factors influence what a bottle of well made, natural, ConsciousWine costs?

The cost of small hand-crafted production
Incorporating animals onto the farm (which requires feed, veterinarians, and someone to take care of them)
Biodiversity and regenerative farming practices (including cultivating insectaries, composting, and cover crops)
Natural winemaking (which requires consistent monitoring by talented, skilled and preferably real people paid a real, living wage)
High quality stainless steel tanks (which are utilized a little over a month per year)
60 gallon French oak barrels (costing over $1000 a pop)
Health benefits for employees
Certifications (to be able to be acknowledged for using “Organically Grown Grapes” or “Made from Biodynamically Grown Grapes” and making “Biodynamic Wine”).

So what is the price-tag for a bottle of ConsciousWine (one that represents value in wine) ?

Just under $15 is the starting point. Head to the $20′s and $30′s per bottle and you’re in the land of many great experiences. Almost without exception, these wines unfold over several days once opened, yielding layers of interest and delight as they air. You get a multi-day experience to savor offering a variety of experiences all in one bottle. That’s value in wine!

A couple more things to know:
1. I’ve yet to see a Porsche or Ferrari in any ConsciousWineries’ garage.
2. As a labor of love, very few wineries really make a lot of money.

Importers, distributors, and occasionally retailers make the money in the wine world, and the big corporate wineries get their wine to supermarket shelves for guess what…$6-10 a bottle.
Bottom Line:

It’s not cheap to do the right thing, and it’s interesting to ponder what exactly represents value in wine.

Cheers!

30/05/2014

Sulfites in wine are a long standing tradition. The Romans got the sulfite ball rolling a few thousand years ago. More on that story shows up a bunch of paragraphs down the page. The main purpose of sulfites in wine is to prevent oxidation and bacteria from running wild.

Many people say they have reactions to sulfites. They most often describe these reactions by saying that they get headaches from sulfites. Here’s a video we did in regard to sulfites in wine, with a focus on the headache factor.

Not too long ago, ConsciousWine received an e-mail saying the following: “I am allergic to so many foods I will not list them out, but found I also have a lot of problems with sulfites. I was directed towards organic wines and was told this was a great place to check out.”

I responded to this e-mail by writing the following:

Hi,

My name is Jeff Weissler. I am a partner in ConsciousWine, and The ConsciousWine Guy. Thanks for reaching out to us. I hope we can help.

I want to be clear that I am not a doctor, although I’ve spent some time studying nutrition to go along with 30 years in the fine wine business and researching the different pieces of ConsciousWine since 2005.

Wine is an interesting and can lead to a group of different reactions in people. I believe the main culprits for someone having a reaction with a wine are sulfites, histamines, dehydration, sugar, and the “energetics” of the wine.

Sulfites in wine are used to prevent oxidation and bacteria from running wild. There is a legal maximum of 350 parts per million (ppm) allowed to be added to wine for these purposes.

Many folks believe sulfites cause headaches, although there is no scientific evidence of that. There is evidence of sulfites causing a reaction in asthmatics. It’s most commonly described as a cotton or stuck feeling in the throat. The Harvard Health Letter has had reports on a condition they describe as “Red Wine Syndrome” where research was done on this.

At ConsciousWine, a big part of our purpose is to help folks figure out what is a good choice (a healthy choice), for both them and the planet.

In regard to your specific question this is what I can say:
When an American wine says,“Organic Wine” on the label, it is a guarantee that there have been zero sulfites added during the winemaking process (that includes right before bottling which is when most wineries add a fair amount of sulfites). This sounds sulfite free, but it is not completely. Sulfites are a natural bi-product of fermentation, and there can be 6-8 ppm sulfites in a wine without adding anything. That was the good news of this little tale. The bad news is to make wine without adding sulfites at all, is incredibly difficult (although not impossible) to end up with a consistent quality product. If no sulfites are added, a single extra yeast or microbial anything can lead to a microbial universe (and flavors not so fun). FYI, sulfites (in small amounts) have been added to wine since Roman times (sulfur was in the candles they used to see when cleaning the vats; burning the sulfur created sulfites).

The most common “Organic Wine” you can find at a store (including most health food stores) is from Frey Vineyards in Mendocino County, CA. They represent outstanding farming practices, are made with tremendous love, but I also feel there is a problem with a frequency of inconsistent quality. They are the most popular and available wines in the US with no sulfites added.

In terms of labels, you should know there is another one called, “Made with Organically Grown Grapes” which does allow for sulfites added. This brings me to sharing a little more with you about ConsciousWine. ConsciousWine goes to vineyards and wineries to find those committed to making what we call wines “Vital to Both Palate and Planet.” We find those wineries and then tell their stories on our website, and offer some of those wines for sale through The Shop on ConsciousWine.com.

All wines on our site have been vetted for 4 Principles. They are:

100% organically grown grapes
sustainably farmed
creating vital, living products
that taste great (there is a quality finished product is in the bottle!)
Here’s the link where you can click to get further descriptions of any of the Principles: The 4 Principles

The wines on our site have a maximum of 100 ppm sulfites added. Having said that, most of the wines are more in the 20-50 ppm range.

We have one winery on our site that does not add sulfites to some of their wines – AmByth Estate. Philip & Mary Hart are the owners. Their passion for natural grape growing and winemaking runs to their core. Here’s the link to their page on our website: AmByth Estate Featured Winery Page. You can watch a video or two to get a taste of their style. With the exception of several wines, their wines sell for $45 per bottle, so they are not inexpensive. For comparison, Frey starts in the $15 range. But like they say, you get what you pay for.

Wines on our site do contain minimal sulfites added (with the exception of a few Ambyth Estate Wines. Having said that, with all ConsciousWines you do get wine made with a gentle touch that keeps the “life force” from a vital soil and environment intact. I don’t know if they would cause a reaction for you or not, but if you can drink wine without having a reaction, these wines should have a high possibility of success for you.

Thank you so much for reaching out to us, and we’re here to make a difference, and help where we can. Feel free to continue the conversation.

Cheers & Best of Health,

Jeff Weissler & ConsciousWine

AmByth Estate (in Templeton, CA near Paso Robles) has been working hard at making wines without any sulfites being added. That is one of their goals, and what I love most is that they won’t force it. They have an understanding of what it takes from start to finish for a well made product to arrive in bottle at your door, and they stick to that commitment. When nature lets them create a no sulfites in wine opportunity, they jump on it, and the results speak for themselves.

When the addition of sulfites in wine has been eliminated, the first quest is to discover a stable, quality wine. When you come across one, it’s a blessing! When you discover AmByth Estate it’s amazing! Big shout out to Philip & Mary Hart!!

Trying these naturally made American wines is a delicious opportunity for yourself or anyone that loves wine expressing balance, place, purity and specifically wants to avoid sulfites in wine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsrlGYTv8A&list=PLzq7CYychfJS31SAr89zy3LHDF68OHK42&index=4

What are sulfites and why should you care?

29/05/2014

The 12 Practices
Practices are for practicing. Wineries do them all the time. ConsciousWineries tend to use specific practices that come from a holistic way of looking at things. They observe, pay attention to, and participate with their farms in ways that include seeing themselves as a very part of their farm. The energy of this echoes out beyond the farm’s borders into the larger environment that’s there, and out into the community that is supported by that environment. This holistic point of view is at the core of a ConsciousWinery.

From that place, conserving resources, engaging with the community, making wine that reflects the qualities of the particular farm, and farming in a way that gives back to support the land’s vitality for future generations are natural bi-products.

We’ve come up with 12 particular practices that show up repeatedly at farms and vineyards sharing this point of view. We will use these practices to raise a little consciousness around understanding what to choose in order to be making vital choices for both palate and planet.

We’re drawn to see these 12 Practices as changing expressions coming from living farms. Looking at the big picture, their practices will change in an organic way to go with the flow of nature’s cycles and the available resources to them. This list is alive and as such can change. Already, Carbon Neutrality is a practice that could replace one of the existing ones on this list.

We see these practices as common sense reminders; tools to learn about wineries that are offering a wonderful gift to the public by practicing agriculture with a holistic mindset at the helm. From that place, as we learn about wine and wineries, it might just support us in ways that we had never imagined. It might help save the world.

Welcome to the practices of ConsciousWine!

Animals on the Farm
Animals exist in nature. They are part of the balance. When removed, something bigger is lost. There’s a vitality you feel when you go outside, and animals are part of it.

Biodiversity
The wild factor. Monoculture (one crop agriculture) and land cleared completely, is just not healthy or natural. Biodiversity is a part of us and key to functioning well.

Certifications
There are lots of them, and wineries who have done the work to become certified deserve to be acknowledged for those certifications.

Community Interaction
We are part of something bigger than ourselves. So how, when and where do we reach out and interact with those things?

Energy Conservation
The energy required for a winery can be huge. Some wineries are tackling this issue head-on. Solar energy, natural cooling systems through construction, and biodiesel in tractors are occurring regularly at ConsciousWineries.

Family Farmed
…is living on the land and even growing some of one’s own food there. This creates a union between the farmer and the land.

Good Worker Policy
Treating workers well. Giving them the means for a fruitful, healthy living. A happy worker is an important ingredient in making vital, quality products.

Natural Winemaking
Can a wine taste of place? After time it often does. Natural wine unwinds. When a bottle is freshly opened, it’s only the beginning.

Packaging Footprint
Does conservation equal a restaurant being able to buy wines in kegs for their glass pours? You betcha! The ConsciousWineries are coming up with new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle in ways that may surprise you.

Polyculture
…is growing more than one crop on the farm. When a variety of crops and weeds are planted together, a healthier ecosystem is created.

Regenerative Farming
…is giving back after taking. A vine requires energy to be taken from the soil and the environment. It needs to be replenished to be kept vital.

Water Conservation
Conservation is happening in many, many forms at ConsciousWineries including: the use of drip systems, dry farming and recycling waste water.

27/05/2014

The warm weather is here...Check out these WEIRD and WONDERFUL whites!
http://consciouswine.com/weird-fun-white-wines/

27/05/2014

Organic, biodynamic, sustainable...What are we talking about???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kyFMX5B9w0

What are we talking about? What's the difference? Why should you care? Tune in and see....

27/05/2014

Wanna catch up with ConsciousWine? Visit our YouTube Channel and join us at a vineyard or restaurant!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8NvZd2o_soIgnhSGGiV4A

Welcome to ConsciousWine...where you'll find videos on all things related to growing, producing and pairing organic and BioDynamic wines from the United States.

20/05/2014

Our Mission:
Our mission is a simple one…To tell the stories and introduce you to the wines, and people of wineries, following our 4 Principles and the 12 Practices, in ways that empower you in making choices good for both palate and planet.
Our Commitment is to be stewards of the Mission, Vision, Principles and Practices of ConsciousWine.
What does that mean? We value you, and supporting a path that’s good for all of us. We’ll do on-going research to further our journey of learning and sharing with you what we discover. We’ll offer videos, audio podcasts and blog posts to feed our passion and keep ConsciousWine fun, informative and interesting. We will play the role of Eco-Wine Steward, and talk concepts, offer ideas, and grow through the conversations that occur.
We do not call ourselves experts, even though there’s 30 years of experience in the fine wine business, and even more as wine lovers. For all that we know, part of the fun is knowing there’s way more that we don’t know.
We are committed to continued learning, and for us that includes you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psTusTxk6rQ&index=2&list=PLzq7CYychfJRYLqBBWAB02z7Y1eMK3ftH

08/05/2014

We've been following Amy Dixon the Blind Sommelier for quite some time. She is an amazing woman with a phenominal palate. Check out her FB page https://www.facebook.com/blindsommelier?fref=ts and her wine blog: http://blindsommelier.blogspot.com/ for great recommendations!

2021 Tokyo Paralympic Team Member 2x US Paratriathlon National Champion Eye disease patient advocate