Do organic wines taste better than conventional wines? Conventional wisdom would say no. We may shop at Whole Foods Market or MOM’s Organic Market, and we may pull over in traffic at the sight of a farmer with a load of tomatoes on a parked flatbed truck, but apparently we raise a skeptical eyebrow at the word “organic” on a wine label. Organic wine is still stuck with the “hippie wine” image of grapes trodden with unsanitary feet and juice that goes funky in the bottle. [5 wines to try this week] Maybe it’s time to rethink that image. A new study out of UCLA published in the Journal of Wine Economics concludes that organic wines do taste better, as measured in the scores of leading wine critics. The authors — Magali Delmas, Olivier Gergaud and Jinghui Lim — analyzed the reviews and scores of more than 74,000 California wines from the 1998 to 2009 vintages in three magazines: Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. They found that “eco-certified” wines scored significantly higher than other wines and that reviews used more positive words about them.

[The three shades of green winemaking] Here’s why this finding could be important: All three publications rate wines blind, meaning the reviewers don’t know what wines they are tasting. The researchers used all sorts of statistical wizardry to control for vintage variation and other factors, so the difference in scores should be attributable just to environmental certification. best wine bar city of londonAnd the results counter what can best be called a counterintuitive conventional wisdom: that “organic” in wine means lower quality. the best wine to go with pizzaAs the authors noted, many of the certified wines did not mention the certification on the label because the producers fear a consumer backlash. glass of wine lunchThey may be missing a potentially important marketing point. good wine with fruit

[When wine is green with confusion] The problem is in definition, and here we can blame the U.S. government for some of the confusion. Under U.S. Agriculture Department regulations issued a decade ago, an “organic” wine is made not only without synthetic herbicides and pesticides in the vineyard but also without sulfites added in the winery. (The limit is 10 parts per million natural sulfites.) top wine retailers in usaSulfur is an important preservative that keeps wine from spoiling in the bottle, so this restriction accounts for much of organic wine’s poor reputation. best time for wine tours in californiaAs a compromise, the USDA allows wines to be labeled as “made from organically grown grapes.” That means the vineyard practices are certified organic, but it allows the winemaker to add sulfites to protect the wine.

The study included both types of organic wine certification, as well as the Demeter organization’s biodynamic certification, another type of organic farming that emphasizes the ecosystem of the vineyard. The study did not single out wines labeled “sustainable” or with other sorts of “eco-labeling” that do not involve formal certification. Many wineries follow sustainable, organic or biodynamic practices but don’t seek certification, which can be expensive. And if the weather turns bad during the growing season, vintners like to have the flexibility to save their crop with conventional methods. Therefore, the authors note, their findings may actually understate the effect of eco-friendly farming on wine quality. Maybe wineries should be touting their organic certification. At MOM’s Organic Markets, “we have customers who seek out wines made without sulfites, and the only way to get that is with the organic seal on the label,” says Crystal Lyle, the wine buyer for seven MOM’s outlets in Maryland, the District and Northern Virginia.

MOM’s does carry wines labeled sustainable, but Lyle said most are made with certified organic grapes. Lyle prefers it that way. “If they aren’t willing to put it on the label, then I don’t want the wine on our shelves,” she told me. “I would prefer they have a certification on the label so our customers know what they are buying.” Personally, I’ve found eco-certification is not a guarantee of high quality. But wines made from organic grapes or with biodynamic viticulture — or even those labeled “sustainable,” with or without certification — often taste more lively, even more compelling, than other wines. Other factors may influence that perception. Wineries certified organic or biodynamic tend to be small, family producers that may take other steps to increase quality, such as maintaining low yields or other labor-intensive farming practices. And maybe that’s just another reason to seek these wines out. More from Food: Wine column archive You are using an unsupported browser.

Some features may not work correctly. Please upgrade to the latest Chrome or Firefox. HOW DO YOU KEEP A FAMILY PROMISE FOR OVER 80 YEARS?HOW DO YOU KEEP A FAMILY PROMISE FOR OVER 80 YEARS? Every bottle of wine Ernest and Julio made was a promise. It was a promise from our family to yours that you’ll always get the best tasting wine and it’s backed by our Best Taste Promise®. It’s the best reason to try a bottle. If you’re not completely satisfied, we want to hear from you.Edit ArticleHow to Acquire the Taste for Wine Three Methods:Tasting Wine CorrectlyTrying Different VarietiesExploring Wine with OthersCommunity Q&A Some of us are enamored with the idea of going on wine tours or drinking a glass of wine on special occasions but can't help but be turned off by the strong taste. Fortunately, acquiring a taste for wine is easier than you think. It's mostly a matter of letting your taste buds become accustomed to the flavors that characterize wine. After all, there are so many different varieties, there's something out there for everyone!

Pour a glass of wine and let it sit for 5 to 30 minutes. Use a proper wine glass. Swirl the wine in your glass. Observe how the wine sticks to the side of the glass or if it sloshes around quickly. Additionally, look at the color of the wine. Experts can tell how a wine will taste just by looking at it. For now, you want to pay attention to how the wine behaves compared with how it tastes. When a wine has “legs,” that means it sticks to the side of the glass and contains lots of fruit juice. The darker and deeper the color of a wine, the bolder the taste should be. Take a sip of wine. Make sure it flows over the tip of your tongue, both sides, underneath, and into the back of your mouth. After noticing the tastes, either swallow or spit out the wine, then breathe in through your mouth drawing air over all those parts of your tongue again. This will cause the tastes from the wine to change, sometimes quite suddenly and sharply. Tasting notes are the individual flavors you can pick out of the overall experience of a certain wine.

At first you might not be able to pick out flavors like chocolate or oak, but practice will train your tastebuds to recognize unusual tastes. You can cheat by looking at the bottle's label or asking someone else what they taste until you can start picking out specific notes on your own.Keep track of what you taste in certain wines and what you like and don’t like. Write down your impressions of each wine. This way you can go back and reference past tastings and look for patterns in your preferences. Wines have four basic components: taste, tannins, alcohol, and acidity. Each of these components ranges in intensity in different wines and will affect whether you like a certain wine or not. As you continue to try different wines, you may find that dry red wines are not your favorite, but you enjoy a dry and tart white wine variety. Try different kinds of wine. Narrow things down by starting with one type of wine. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of wines that are available.

The easiest way to break them down is into white and red categories. From there, you can begin testing your palate on blends, ages, and even individual vineyards. Sweeter white wines like Viognier or Riesling may be easier for a novice to appreciate than a very dry Sauvignon Blanc or an oaky Chardonnay. Similarly for red wines, Zinfandels with more pronounced fruit flavors may be more accessible than drier wines such as Cabernet or Pinot Noir. Different blends of wine combine the characteristics of varietal grapes to create balanced and complex flavors. There is more to wines than simply red or white. Blushes, ice wines, sparkling wines, madeiras, ports, and sherries are all different methods to process the fruit, juice, or the wine. Experiment with wines from different countries. Depending on where a wine is sourced will determine how it smells and taste. Some of the most popular and accessible wines come from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and the United States.

Different countries will vary in soil types as well as production methods. This creates a whole new world of options to try. In general, new world wines from California and South America have more pronounced fruit flavors and are less dry than wines from France or Italy. Compare old wine and new wines. Mix wine with other ingredients. Wine snobs turn up their noses at the idea of mixing wine with other things, but wine on ice, mixed with fruit juices, mixed with liquors or liqueurs, or other things often results in great tasting beverages. Add ice, especially with heavier, sweeter, or very rich wines. The coldness of the ice slightly numbs your taste buds, easing the strength (and the astringent qualities) of some wines, especially reds. Go to a wine tasting. The best way to learn more is to attend wine tastings with friends at local wine shops, bars, or even art galleries. The advantage of going to a wine tasting is that you can try several kinds of wines without committing to buying a bottle you may not enjoy.

Some wine tastings have small refreshments for cleansing your palate in between wines as well as buckets for spitting out wine so you don’t accidentally drink the equivalent of a whole bottle. Don’t take advantage of your host. The goal is to taste new wines, not get drunk. Visit a vineyard and take a tour. Wine tours are popular throughout the world and they’re a great way to learn about the process of making wine and all of the details that go into a simple glass. Come prepared to walk the grounds of the vineyard and remember to stay hydrated. Look into the fees and prices. Sometimes if you buy a bottle during the tour, some of the costs may be waived. Go with a group. It can be more fun and may be cheaper as well. Pair different wines with different foods at meals. Oftentimes a review or the wine bottle label will recommend different cheeses or meats to consume with the wine you’re drinking. Eating and cooking is simply balancing the aspects of fats, acids, salt, and sweet tastes.

[6] Wine pairings are a great excuse to make a meal centered around a certain red wine and steak and inviting your friends over to try it. Some wines are best paired with foods from the same region. For example, a wine from Northern Italy may pair best with a goat cheese from a farm in the upper regions of Italy. Pairings are helpful because you may not like wine for its acidity, but if you know that eating a sweet fruit with it helps to balance the flavors, you may enjoy it more. Listen to how other people talk about wine. You don’t have to learn all of the lingo that wine experts use, but pay attention to how they talk about a wine’s aromas and tastes. Just by listening you might gain a deeper appreciation for a certain variety or grape or production method. Your friends and family are also good gauges. If you share similar tastes, ask them for a recommendation and why they prefer a particular type. At the very least, learn to pronounce the names of the various types of wines.

Drink wines in various settings and occasions. Wine is appropriate for all sorts of events and places and different wines suit different settings and even seasons of the year. You may find that you prefer to drink wine instead of a beer at sporting events or enjoy wine with dessert only. A sparkly or sweet wine may be best for a celebration and a dark red might better suit an evening at home with a good book. Some people agree that chilled wines are best for warm summer days and warm, mulled wines are best for long nights in the winter. Continue to try different wines. Show more unanswered questions A quick way to tell when a white wine is no longer fit for consumption is by color. White wine should have a light, golden hue. When the color is darker and closer to orange or light brown, it is no longer fit for drinking. Wine is especially susceptible to oxidation. An opened bottle of wine will spoil quickly by reacting to the air, and is best consumed within 24 hours.