"Nuits d'Ivresse" (Bourgeuil, 2007)

"Nuits d'Ivresse"
Bourgeuil, 2007
Catherine & Pierre Breton, France, Loire Valley
No added sulfites
Price: $22.00

“Nuits d'Ivresse” means Drunken Nights in French. The night I sampled this night was not drunken—merely spirited. I truly, truly enjoyed this wine. It was elegant, earthy, and well balanced. I gave it a "5" for great. Whatta you say?

Catherine & Pierre Brenton Vins De Loire

Moussamoussettes (Vin Rosé Delicatement Perlant)

Moussamoussettes 
Vin Rosé Delicatement Perlant
Agnès et René Mosse, Anjou, France
Biodynamic
Contains Sulfites
Price: $22.00

Today I feel human again. It has been twelve days since my last entry. The reason you ask? A bad sinus infection and a heavy workload, I haven’t had a single sip of alcohol since New Year’s Eve. But I closed the year on a very good note, wine-wise--
I still can’t get those pink bubbles out of my head…

My mad search for n.s.a. sparkling wine in the days leading up 2010 led me to Astor Wines & Spirits in NoHo where I discovered this interesting little gem: Moussamoussettes Vin Rose Delicatement Perlant, a mysterious sparkling rosé from Agnès and René Mosse, a vineyard specializing in vins naturels (natural wines). For the record, I am not really sure what a “natural” wine is; in my mind “natural” could mean a host of things. What’s more, on this bottle you will find the label “Contains Sulfites.” I was dubious of this wine to say the least and wasn’t really all that excited about experimenting with my stomach on New Year’s Eve. However the helpful young gentleman assisting me assured me that the winemakers--I believe he called them “French hippies”--did not add any additional sulfites to their wine. Eh, so what the hell, I was very intrigued by the nondescript bottle and the cloudy pink liquid which resided within, so I figured I would purchase it, check out their website when I got home, and hope for the best.

With the help of my French translator, I began to sort through the information on their website and as best as I could tell, these guys don’t add any additional sulfites to their wine. So we did a little taste test. We popped off the top; there is no cork in this bad boy, and I poured four pink, foamy glasses. I was apprehensive as I lifted the glass of “hippie juice” to my lips and then…fun. It was very light, sweet but not too sweet, fruity, crispy, and delightful. And the best part? It didn’t make me completely ill after drinking it.

I have been craving a glass ever since and I hear that is hard to find, so I will definitely be making a trip back to Astor Wines to get more. And by the way, on Monday, February 22nd, the nice people at Astor will host a class called The Organic Revolution: Changing Tastes in the Wine World. Astor’s Andrew Fisher will preside, and I, for one, will be in attendance; you should come too! Like I say, I am no wine expert, just a girl with pretty good taste, so if you would like to find out more check out the winemaker Agnès et René Mosse. If you have tried this wine rate it below. I gave this wine a "6" for excellent, whatta you say?

Surefire ways to tell if your wine contains added sulfites

O.k. folks, there is a lot of confusion out there about this issue and labels can be very confusing, so here is what to look for next time you visit the wine store:

“No sulfites added” or
“Contains only naturally occurring sulfites”

• According to the current USDA standards wines containing fewer than 10 ppm of sulfites may be labeled "contains only naturally occurring sulfites” or “no sulfites added."

“100% Organic”

• Products labeled as “100% Organic” cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement.
• The USDA Organic Seal (right) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “100% Organic”
• The USDA-accredited certifying agent seal (see the link below for a complete list) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “100% Organic.” 

“Organic”

• When labeling your product as “Organic,” it must not contain added sulfites. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement.
• The phrase “X% Organic” or “X% Organic ingredients” may be included on the labeling.
• The USDA Organic Seal (above right) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “Organic.”
• The USDA-accredited certifying agent seal may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “Organic.” 

However, and this is a big however, any wine that has the statement "contains sulfites" on the label, contains more than 10 parts per million of sulfites. And for me, personally any wine with that amount of sulfites may be enough to make me sick.

USDA Accredited Certifying Agents
USDA Guidelines for labeling wine
Organic Consumers Association

Stellar Organics (Cabernet Sauvignon 2008)

Stellar Organics
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008
USDA Organic
Fair Trade Certified
Certified organic by Control Union
Stellar Winery, W.C., South Africa
No added sulfites
Price: $9.99

Yesterday it was bitter cold. It was fifteen degrees in New York City and probably even colder with the immense wind gusts. I made it home from work in one piece and with a hankering for dark chocolate. Luckily for me the store around the corner from my apartment had some Green & Blacks's organic dark chocolate. I wasn't willing to travel more than a block.

Someone once said that cabernet sauvignon goes great with dark chocolate. Well, someone was wrong. This particular cabernet sauvignon did not pair well with chocolate. In fact, it changed the taste of the wine completely and not in a good way. I drank a small glass and went off to bed. Which brings us to today. I decided to give the Stellar Organics Cabernet Sauvignon one more try and I am glad I did. It was fruity, dry, tangy, and much better than it was the day before. If I were to attempt another pairing, I would probably go with roast lamb or flank steak.

Like I said, I am no wine expert, just a girl with pretty good taste, so if you would like to find out more about this wine, follow the link below for more details from the winemaker. And if you have tried this wine rate it below, it couldn't hurt! I gave this wine a "3" for average, whatta you say?

About Stellar Organics Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Badger Mountain (Riesling 2008)

Badger Mountain, Certified Organic Vineyard
NSA Organic, Riesling, 2008 Columbia Valley
Badger Mt., Inc., Kennewick, WA
No sulfites added
Price: $11.99

Last night after a thirteen hour drive from Michigan to New York City, we returned home to our small apartment. But we did not return home empty handed. While in Michigan I came across a small natural health food store with an entire section of n.s.a (no sulfite added) wine (a very rare occurrence). You can imagine my excitement. I am a wine lover that has been drinking the same two bottles of wine for over a year now. There in front of me sat over ten beautiful bottles that I had never tried before. I was so excited I wanted to buy three cases but after calming myself down and pondering my bank account, I bought four bottles.

We ordered sushi for dinner and cracked open the first bottle (Badger Mountain Riesling 2008) as soon as we returned home. I was so impatient i tossed the bottle in the freezer to cool it off (don't tell). The wine was sweet, fruity, dry and crisp. Now there are a lot of bad n.s.a. wines and s.a. (sulfite added) wines for that matter out there, I would say over the past year I have significantly lowered my standards in terms of the wine I am willing to drink, but this wine can hang with any good s.a. wine. It was delightful and paired extremely well with our sushi dinner. I am no wine expert, just a girl with pretty good taste, so if you would like to find out more about this wine, follow the link below for more details from the winemaker. And if you have tried this wine don't forget to rate it below. I gave it a "5" for great (see wine rating scale on right), whatta you say?

More Info Badger Mountain Riesling 2008

What are sulfites exactly...

Sulfites (also sulphites) are sulfur-containing compounds (typically Sulfur Dioxide - SO2) that are used as food preservatives. Winemakers use sulfites to keep wine from spoiling. Sulfites arrest the metabolic processes of yeasts and bacteria. They prevent microbial growth, keep the color bright, fruit flavors fresh, and prevent spoilage. However, all wines (even those that have not had sulfites added by the winemaker) contain small amounts of sulfites, which are produced naturally by yeast during fermentation.

Sulfites from any source, food or wine, are harmful to about .25% of the population. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which keeps track of reported sulfite reactions in the U.S., listed just 1,097 such cases between 1985 and 1995. Although the threat is small, since 1987 the FDA has required that all wines containing more than 10 parts per million of sulfites must bear a warning label that says "Contains Sulfites.” Anything below that level does not need to have the label, but it still may contain sulfites.

There’s a common perception that sulfur additions are a modern American technique. Sulfites have been used to preserve food and beverages since the 17th century in Europe and in the U.S. since the early 1800’s. Sulfites are present in numerous other foods and beverages, including: fruit juice, dried fruits and vegetables, molasses, shrimp, sauerkraut, pickles, corn syrup, vinegars, packaged gravies and sauces, and many salad bar items.

Sulfites Separating Fact from Fiction
GOOSECROSS-Sulfites and Wine