Today, I dumped about half a bottle of red wine down the sink. I am a big wine drinker thanks to my parents, and now that I am living in my own apartment, which happens to be across the street from a Wine and Spirits store, my boyfriend and I will frequently stop over there and pick up something new to try.
I'll save my in depth feelings on organic food in general for another time, but I do sometimes buy organic. I had never tried organic wine before, and the store across the street had some in stock. I wanted to try it, so my boyfriend picked it up as an early Christmas present.
The wine in question was Ecologica Syrah Malbec. And folks, it was, in my opinion, truly awful. It was just acidic and bitter, and did not go down smooth at all. I involuntarily winced as each sip went down as if I was downing a shot of 100 proof vodka - I can drink hard alcohol, but I don't expect wine to be as rough as this was. The whole time I was drinking it I was staring longingly at the bottle of Yellowtail Reserve perched on my windowsill. I did not have a second glass. I put a rubber stopper in it, pumped the air out, and there it sat on my counter for about a week. I had another glass last night, mostly because I didn't want my boyfriend to feel bad that I didn't like his Christmas present. However, today I knew I was not going to drink anymore of it, and for the first time ever, I poured a bottle of red wine down the drain.
I don't necessarily think the issue with the wine was the fact that it was made from organic grapes. The very first thing I noticed when we opened up the bottle was that it was not sealed with a cork, but a cheap piece of plastic stuck across the opening underneath a screw cap - sort of like a ketchup bottle. The way a wine is sealed does impact the taste, and that could have been the problem.
Another problem is the price. It's a downright rip off to sell a wine that is stored improperly, and that doesn't really taste good, for $15 a bottle. I'm positive I could get a better tasting bottle for $7, and relatively certain I could get a $3 bottle that would taste better. I don't spend more than $12 on a bottle of wine very often, so when I do, I expect it to be damn good (Clois Du Bois, Rodney Strong, Rosemount Estate). Ecologica is not worth the price. I'm all for buying organic, supporting local farmers, sustainability and all that stuff, but unlike a lot of people I know that are into organic food, I am also concerned with taste. I try to go for both, but in the end, I am not going to pay extra money for organic anything if it tastes terrible.
I'm not writing off all organic wine, but based off my first experience I am not a fan.
Has anyone else tried organic wine? Did you enjoy it? Are there any other kinds of organic wine I could try that might be better?
Recommend
Comments (13)
I don't think I've ever tried an organic wine, I could be mistaken, though I've noticed that often, when I get a bottle of red wine, the first glass seems a bit too acidic, though I've also found that if I let that same bottle sit over night, allowing the wine to "breathe" after opening it, usually I get more of the true character of the wine the next evening. Often, really expensive wine needs to be decanted, poured into a glass or crystal decanter in order to allow the true character of the wine out of its captivity so to speak. It might be worth trying again.
You were probably supposed to delude it a little.
... You stated that it is part Syrah. That is the problem. They are always tannic and peppery.
Never had an organic wine though.
@TransportPhenomena@xanga - I've had Syrah before. I usually like them, especially the Francis Coppola Syrah I had a few nights later. This was just awful, even after it sat open and should have mellowed. I think it had to do with the way it was sealed.
I'm not a big wine person (beer is my first love as everyone knows, read all the reviews I've posted as lgsbeerreviews), that said, I've tried this stuff. It sucks, and that's the bottom line.
Storage I'd think has to be the culprit. Organic and inorganic grapes don't taste any different (to me anyway).
Sounds like storage issues to me too.
I think just like wines that aren't certified organic, you are going to have variations. I have never bought any organic wine, but I have had some that was just OK. I wouldn't waste my money on organic wine considering the grapes don't taste any different and organic does not mean the wine makers have mastered the art of the brewing process.
It seems to me that if it wants to be organic, and it wants to be environmentally friendly or whatever on earth they're going for, then they should have used cork as opposed to plastic because it is biodegradable, and they should find a bottle for their crappy wine that could be biodegradable.
That's just my prerogative.
considering the last time i drank red wine, i broke out into hives so red wine (organic or not) arent on my favorite list. never touching it again.
I think you're suppose to dilute it with carbonated water and add sugar
Organic Wine is wonderful if you go to the right winery. And winery does not equal expensive either. I have bought a bottle of a sweeter organic white for $10. Finger Lakes region has a great organic winery!!
I think you just picked up a bad bottle, whether it be the brand, the flavor, the seal, or what have you. I drink organic red wine, i prefer an organic pinot noir, or organic table wine. I was able to find a bottle of organic table wine at the local liquor store for $8 on New Years. I'd say keep looking
I haven't had too many organic wines, but the acidity and bitterness could be a sign that it was a poor Malbec (that varietal tends to be a bit abrasive when it turns, a criticism I hear a lot as an ambassador for Gascón wine). Malbec grapes are similar to Merlot, but get a lot more sun, giving them an intense, dried “raisin”-like flavor. It shouldn't, however, be as overwhelming as this one seems to have been. I would keep giving both organic wines and Malbec a chance, however, and thanks for letting readers know your experience with this particular bottle.