Albero 2007 Monastrell Red Wine

Good Intentions

I try to buy organic—at least when the price of the organic choice is not exponentially higher than the regular version.

So when I came upon this $6.99 bottle of red wine “made with organically-grown grapes,” I was sure I had a winner. Not only was the bottle inexpensive, I was also doing the planet a favor.

As I plunked down my change at the counter, I thought of all the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides I had just saved Mother Earth from.

You know what they say about good intentions...

I poured a glass, took a whiff, and immediately wondered if my bottle had turned. It smelled harsh and acidic—not at all the smooth, yet earth-friendly, wine I was hoping for. Remembering what benefits decanting can do for a young red wine, I hurried to let the wine breathe, waited 20 minutes, and gave it another sip. Bleck. I guess organic does not always equal better.

Slow Paseo organic red table wine might be a better bet.

The Juicy Wine Details Bottle     Albero Year       2007  Grape    Monastrell Region  Jumilla, Spain Price      ~$7.00 Shop     Trader Joes

I'd love to believe that socially conscious, earth-friendly wine-making is more than just good intentions, so I'm now on the lookout for a great bottle of organic wine. In the meantime, try one of these other wines priced under $7.00?

Diane Timba is a new contributing writer at Thursday Happy Hour. Check out her lifestyle wine column here on Wednesdays. Is there such thing as a good organic wine at a great price? Let Diane know in the comments below. Or chat with her on Facebook.

Comments

[Shelly]

I wonder if your bottle *did* go bad? We had this red wine recently -- and though it wasn't a dinner-stopping winner -- it was tasty (if you like rich, dry wines that are heavy on the tannins). The red wine paired well with rich, spicy food.

[Vino]

There are so many ways that wine is produced that contribute to cost and growing organic just tops it off. For instance increasing the clusters per vine, and vines per hectare can be a significant boost to the bottom line, while lowering the quality of the wine. Also the amount of water in the grape at the time of harvest influences both yield and quality. I have not had wine from this winery, but at $7.00/bottle they might be skimping on the quality side....