Witches Brew: Organic, Natural and Fair Trade Wines for Halloween

There's something special about this time of year: the dark, crisp autumn nights, the colorful and changing leaves on the trees, and the promise of a frightful Halloween night. As sustainability consultants, we embrace holidays and season changes as opportunities to "kick start" a personal sustainability program and also spark the green enthusiasm in others.

A simple and fun way to sprinkle a little Halloween magic into your evening is to offer organic wine. I'm not talking herbs and witches brew here. Organic is a sustainability concept and organic wine, at its most basic level is wine made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. As explained in our eco friendly training, organic practices have their benefits:

Reduce the Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies
Build Healthy Soil
Organic food Taste Better and has Truer Flavor
Promote Biodiversity

This Halloween, why not integrate the sustainability concepts of natural, organic, and fair trade wine into your holiday festivities? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Organic Wines

2005 Domaine Montanet-Thoden Bourgogne ($22), a Pinot Noir from France's celebrated Burgundy region. Its major flavors are Bing cherry, cranberry, and raspberry, commonly described as tangy, garnet berry flavors
Trader Joe's Organic Syrah ($5.99). It tasted deliciously of jam and white and black pepper. Note the price -- a glass only costs you $1.20!
Bonterra 2007 Viognier: Here's a wine that answers the question, 'What do I serve with ham?'
Red Truck organic wines: This trio is a budget-pleasing bunch.
Napa Wine Co. 2006 Sauvignon Blanc: Here's a fruity white that's perfect for warm weather.
2007 Releaf: The perfect red for Friday night pizza.
Montebelli Fabula 2006: A 100 percent certified Sangiovese that won't break the bank.
Bonterra Vinyards 2007 Zinfandel: This tasty wine can stand up to strong flavors like blue cheese.

Natural Wines

Clos Roche Blanche: This family-run winery in the Loire region of France has farmed organically for more than thirty years. The reds (mostly cabernet franc) and white (sauvignon blanc) have a delicious vitality and are absurd values at around $15.
Albert Mann: Biodynamic and organic since 1997, Albert Mann produces tasty affordable white wines from Alsace. The gewurztraminer (bottled with a screw cap) is a great match for spicy food; the sparkling pinot blanc delivers vivacious bubbles for less than entry-level Champagne.
Cooper Mountain: This certified organic and biodynamic producer from the Willamette Valley in Oregon makes a zesty pinot gris ($15) and a juicy pinot noir from the Mountain Terroir ($45).
Chateau d'Oupia: A toothsome value from Minervois in the Languedoc, this one is organic. The red ($11) has refinement and pairs perfectly with grilled meat; the rose ($13) is a summer treat.
Porter Creek: An undiscovered gem from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma that makes alluring pinot noir, particularly the biodynamically grown Fiona Hill Vineyard ($40).
Ocone: Ocone produces wines from Campania from indigenous grape varieties using biodynamic farming. Be sure to check out the white Falanghina del Turbano and the red Aglianico del Turbano to satisfy your needs while dining on the deck.

Fair Trade

Fairhills Wine is the world’s most well-known Fairtrade brand being sourced from three Fairtrade wine countries of origin, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.
Live-A-Little Really Ravishing Red: Here's an organic and fair trade certified wine from South Africa.