FOOD & DRINK SPRING 2020 67
Old-school organic
Spain, France and Italy are the organic leaders of the Old World wine regions, where EU rules
defining organic wine have existed since 2012. Here are some stars well worth sampling.Raising the
organic flag
Two more organic
growing regions:CANADA
A complex and elegant
organic wine from the
Beamsville Bench in Niagara,
Hidden Bench Estate
Pinot Noir VQA (VINTAGES
274753, $34.95) layers herbal
and mineral notes over juicy
cherry fruit.Italy
A burst of citrus and wildflowers
from the hills of Palermo is a sig-
nature of Sicily’s signature white
grape, Grillo, featured in Rapitala
Grillo (LCBO 634345, $13.95).
Vegan Lupi Reali Montepulciano
d’Abruzzo (LCBO 486647, $11.95)
from southern Italy has earthy
whiffs of spice and chocolate.
Era wines makes a Merlot (LCBO
255869, $10.75); a Montepulciano
d’Abruzzo (LCBO 255844, $10.75);
and a Sauvignon Blanc (LCBO
632307, $10.90) which are all dry,
lively and pair beautifully with
pasta and pizza.FRANCE
Beefy reds from southern France,
like J.P. Chenet Cabernet Syrah
(LCBO 90472, $11.95) and Domaine
de Serame Cabernet Sauvignon
(LCBO 617225, $13.95), are ideal
matches with meat. Each Chavin
Boeuf Bourguignon Cabernet
(LCBO 554139, $12.85) bottle even
features a detachable recipe.
The herb-licked Terra Vitae Côtes
du Rhône Village (LCBO 545988,
$15.90) blend is superb with lamb.SPAIN
Hot and dry Spain has the largest
area of organic vineyards in
the world. From Almansa in the
southeast, El Abuelo (“grand-
father”) makes spicy, ripe-berry
Tempranillo- Monastrell (LCBO
524520, $9.95) and lime-tinged,
tropical fruity Sauvignon- Verdejo
(LCBO 11586, $9.95) blends.AUSTRALIA
Grown in warm, dry McLaren
Vale by one of the largest
certified organic winemakers
in the country, Angove
Cabernet Sauvignon (LCBO
464743, $15.95) matches its
vibrant red-berry flavours
with soft spice, oak and a
long, warm finish.Shop online
for products.