Several weeks ago I attended a Richmond Women for WineSense event led by Sharron McCarthy, VP of Wine Education at Banfi Vintners and President of the U.S. Society for Wine Educators. During the event, Sharron guided us through a series of organic wines produced by Vinedos Emiliana, a Chilean wine company, and shared a wealth of information about the company’s “green” practices. Unfortunately, either I lost my tasting notes or I didn’t take any notes because I was too busy socializing (I’ll leave it to you to decide). I must have good karma though, because a few weeks later, one of the wines I tasted during the event (Emiliana’s Natura Sauvignon Blanc) appeared at my doorstep as one of a series of wines to be highlighted during a Wines of Chile live blog tasting. While I didn’t participate in the actual live tasting, my husband John of Anything Wine did participate, and I was the beneficiary of his leftovers.
Once a part of the infamous Concha y Toro family, Emiliana was founded in 1986 and very quickly emerged as a leader in organic wine production in South America. Emiliana owns a number of wine brands which represent a range of growing regions in Chile and span the “green” spectrum from “Eco-Balanced” (Walnut Crest) to Organic (Novas, Natura and Sincerity) to Biodynamic (G and Coyam). In 2001, Emiliana was the first producer in Chile to adopt the ISO 14.001 certification– an international title signifying sustainable and environmentally friendly vineyard practices. Among other things, this certification requires Emiliana to: actively monitor the types of chemicals used in their vineyards and their environmental impacts; monitor and control for harmful insects and diseases; properly maintain their facilities and equipment; and ensure that employees are acting in an environmentally sound manner. In addition, the company’s tractors are fueled with bio-diesel, and the wines are produced in an adobe-style winery constructed by local craftspeople.
Emiliana is also certified IMO For Life,a social responsibility certification which signifies that the company ensures fair working conditions and positive relationships between producers, contractors, workers. For example, Emiliana has developed an assistance program to help its workers finish their education and to provide computers to local schools.
Winemaker Alvaro Espinoza
Emiliana’s organic and biodynamic wine brands are housed within a special project called Emiliana Organico, which was born out of winemaker Alvaro Espinoza’s passion for organic and biodynamic agriculture. These wines are certified Organic and Biodynamic by IMO and Demeter, respectively, and are produced with the goal of minimizing environmental impact while maximizing wine quality and the expression of the land (terroir).
“From an ecological base an excellent quality grape is produced, promoting all the expression of the terroir, in harmony with the environment and the social well-being” –José Guilisasti, Agricultural Manager
During the Women for WineSense tasting I had the opportunity to sample wines from across the Emiliana Oganico portfolio, including: Natura Sauvignon Blanc, Novas Chardonnay, Novas Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, Novas Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and Coyam (a biodynamicblend of Syrah, Merlot, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Mourvedre). As far as I remember (oops), I was pretty impressed with all of these wines, but I will focus on the Natura Sauvignon Blanc since I had the opportunity to re-taste it.
100% Sauvignon Blanc from Casablanca Valley, Chile
Organically grown, hand picked grapes fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks.
Retail cost: $10.95
This was a fantastic Sauvignon Blanc, particularly considering that is it organic and only about 11 bucks. The nose was comprised of citrus and jalapeno, with faint honeydew melon and honeysuckle notes. The flavors were predominantly citrus (meyer lemon) and fresh green pepper, with nice acidity and a virtually imperceptible finish (the wine just disappears!).
Next time you are looking for a high quality, inexpensive organic wine, consider Emiliana’s Natura Sauvignon Blanc!
Are there any listening ears? Yes EMELIANA and Alvaro ESPINOZA do
We have a urge to point out to all concern parties of Agriculture sector that there is a bio-chemical farming or Organic and Eco-friendly Farming that can Feed the World and will halve the use of chemical fertilizers and still increase the yield.
[...] Antonio Bravo from Emiliana and his 2008 Natura Sauvignon Blanc – aromas of “cat pee”, dried apricots, honey and stone with tart apple, grass, mineral and a touch of smoke on the palate; razor sharp acidity ($10.99) – for more info on this wine and their organic practices check out my wife’s blog Wine Conscience [...]
I like this wine quite a bit too…nice fruit up front with that jalepeno-herbal thing you mentioned.
Until it got to the finish. I thought it had a canned veggie/metallic note that kinda threw it off kilter. Still, for 11 bucks, a nice value.
Are there any Virginia wineries practicing organic farming and making natural wines? I know most are not and are using un-natural methods to “make” wine. Did you read Asimov’s latest blog post about cheap American wines?
Hi Sarah-
I don’t think there are any certified organic wineries in Virginia- if there are, I’m not aware of them. That being said, some wineries in VA are incorporating some organic techniques. Now that I have this blog, I will certainly be asking more questions- I definitely feel that producers in VA could do more, but I don’t know if it’s a lack of knowledge about alternatives, a lack of interest, or fear of mistakes that is holding us back.
[...] discussed in my last post “Organico–It Just Comes Natura”, John and I recently received a number of Chilean wines as part of a live blogger wine tasting [...]
Excellent post on Emiliana–they have long been the pioneers in Chile in biodynamic/organic wines. I am a blogger/writer/wine tourism entrepreneur based in Chile and this definitely is a trend we are seeing since the weather here is perfect for this agricultural practice. Winemaker Alvaro Espinoza also has a garage winery, Antiyal–excellent although higher in price and a robust red. Other new projects like Matetic (process of certification) are working with the guru Alan York and have a stellar Sav Blanc EQ Coastal for about $16, perfect for summertime, http://www.mateticvineyards.com. So out of all the Emiliana brands you tried, did any leave you totally smitten?
Best, Liz C.
http://eatwineblog.com
Hi Liz–
Thanks for the comment. I am definitely interested in exploring more Chilean wines like the ones you mention– I think they offer great models for other wineries that wish to embrace sustainable practices, both within Chile and beyond. I would like to re-taste the other Emiliana wines we tried that night- by the time we got to then end we had run out of time and run through a lot of wine, so I don’t think they got the attention they deserved. I was very impressed by all of them, and would especially like to try the Coyam biodynamic wine again. I’ll certainly write about it when I do!
I’m going to have to go Jersey-side to look for this wine. Sounds right up my alley (as far as well-priced Sauvignon Blanc’s go) AND I love that it’s bio-organic. Thanks for the tip.
[...] Emiliana: Megan Witherspoon of Wine Conscience loves their Natura Sauvignon Blanc, and outlines the variety of green and socially responsbile [...]