Discovering organic wines

The new guide Allo Scoperta dei Vini Biodinamici e Biologici (Discovering Biodynamic and Organic Wines) will be presented today at 12 noon at DoctorWine’s stand at Vinitaly. It is a group effort between us and the team at NaturaSì.

On Monday, April 11 at 12 noon, we will present at our Vinitaly stand (pavilion 10 A4 B4), together with the team at NaturaSì, the booklet Allo Scoperta dei Vini Biodinamici e Biologici (Discovering Biodynamic and Organic Wines). After months of work and preparation, the guide will finally be available and the presentation will be open to the press and the public. Printed on recyclable paper and using eco-sustainable ink, it offers information on some 180 wineries and tasting reviews of almost 500 wines. The latter were carried out by, aside from yours truly, Michele Bonato, Mattia Da Ros and Casto Iannota for NaturaSi.

The guide is the first attempt to comprehend this sector of wine production without any pretension of representing a definitive analysis. It is also a work in progress, the result of careful consideration, group tastings, discussions and exchanges of views.

We are all particularly pleased with this booklet which is a different type of guide, one without ratings and with a lot of information on the producers and the wines selected, as well as location and contact information for restaurants, holiday farms, shops and wine bars that are particularly focused on eco-sustainability.

The “ground rules” for selecting the wines included that the wine estates were not just dedicated to winemaking but also involved in other agricultural activities like producing extra-virgin olive oil, jams and farm products in general, including cheese. The wines needed to be at least certified organic, well-made and acceptable from an organoleptic point of view and not too expensive, except for very few exceptions.

The final selection is truly unusual and includes all types of estates, some famous, others tiny and basically unknown. Some even have a social vocation and this is amply underscored in the short introduction of each estate and which we have entitled “Anima” (Soul or Spirit), to stress our intent.

At the end, we realized that despite having different backgrounds and preferences in regard to wine, both we at DoctorWine and the team at NaturaSì felt we were represented in the final result and recognized that we had experienced a reciprocal enrichment in experience and understanding of the subject. The guide is written in a simple, direct way and the style is in no way technical. It is, in other words, a booklet to read and not just consult and this is something we all strove for. We are now curious to see what the reaction will be. The guide is on sale for 9.90 euros at all NaturaSì stores as well as on the DoctorWine website. Take a look.