Wine Rack Store Blog

I’m a greener. Have I mentioned before that I’m a greener? I love all things green: M&Ms, frogs, trees, beer, and of course green living! I also love wine, which comes from grapes that start out as green! When my love of wine also contributes to my green lifestyle, I’m just tickled green about it. So when I come across a vineyard and/or winery that strives to be green, I pay homage. Last night I pulled a Clos Du Bois 2005 Merlot from my carbon free wine rack and reveled in the joy of responsible earth friendly living.

Clos Du Bois is a French term loosely translated as “a wooded enclosure”, but in this case it refers to a Californian winery located in the beautiful Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. This winery is a leader in developing, implementing, and promoting sustainable agriculture and environmentally responsible business practices. I love that! Here are just a few things they are doing to protect our earth (as described on their website):

“Recycling Programs

* Recycle approximately 90% of all solid waste, including grape processing waste, which we compost and mix into the soil of their vineyards.
* Maintain a rigorous employee recycling program for paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic.
* Other recycling programs include a production program that recycles cardboard and plastic, accepting recycling from neighboring wineries, and working with vendors to ensure packaging materials are returned and reused.
*Our glass is made from 40% recycled material.

Energy Efficiency

* Install windows in the cellar ceiling to reduce the need for electric lighting.
* Our barrel room is cooled with an ice bank system that allows most of the energy usage to occur during evening hours Responsible Water Consumption

* Drip irrigation is used throughout the vineyards to drastically reduce water usage. Waste water from winery processes is recycled and rerouted to the vineyards.
* One acre of our vineyards uses less water than a typical family of four.

Integrated Pest Management

* Our organic compost operation produces over 7,000 cubic yards of compost annually for use in the vineyard, increasing the sustainability of the overall operation.
* Microclimates were created to cultivate predatory insect communities through the planting of
cover crops.
* Canopy management is utilized as a preventive measure against mildew, bunch rot, and insects, and also to enhance fruit quality through sun exposure. Restoration of Riparian Habitat

* We actively convert existing vineyard land bordering the Russian River back to a dedicated riparian environment, and plant trees and shrubs for shade to promote healthier fish habitats.
* Clos du Bois is a founding member of the Fish Friendly Farming Organization.

Wetland Restoration

We engage in a program of wetland restoration to create a healthy habitat for migrating birds.”

But let’s get real, just because a wine is green, doesn’t mean it tastes good. So let’s pop the cork and get to the nitty gritty details:

I love it! Cheers!

…..Ok…I’ll come up with a bit more of a description for you. Clos Du Bois Merlot is a very friendly wine. Just as friendly on the palate as it is on the earth. It is reasonably priced at around $15 a bottle, and it is consistently yummy. Juicy and fruity on the nose, and smooth and velvety on the tongue. Mellow and blended flavors of berry, coffee, and toasty oak with enough depth to savor, yet easy on the more cautious palates. This is a great wine to take to a dinner party, as it will likely work for just about anyone. It will pair beautifully with steak or pasta, but is mellow enough to accompany lighter fair such as pork or roasted chicken. A mainstay in my wine rack, Clos Du Bois Merlot is a keeper! Cheers!

Labels: carbon neutral wine racks, clos du bois, green living, wine rack store, wine review

Vixen: it’s an all female rock band, it’s an all female fox, it’s an all female football team, IT’S AN ALL FEMALE WINE! Ok, so maybe not a female wine, but Vixen Syrah is a foxy red that will have you lickin’ your chops like the fox that caught the goose in Grandma’s henhouse.

Vixen. I love that word; it possesses so many possibilities for varied usage. Technically speaking, a vixen is: A female fox; A shrewish, ill-tempered or spiteful woman; a virago*; An attractive woman who often takes advantage of men. One of Santa’s reindeer (ok, maybe the last definition is not exactly technical). A vixen conjures thoughts of an alluring, yet perhaps dangerous adventure. A taste of temptation with a nip of naughty thrown in. Naked Winery aims to tease, and their Vixen Syrah is right in line with their other sumptuous wines.

This wine is bold and fruity. It’s intrepid introduction to the senses begins with a juicy berry bouquet and luscious cherry palate. But don’t start thinking this temptress from the wine rack is pure sweet innocence. It’s got a foxy bite of tannins and spice that reminds you whose in charge of the experience. Even the vintner suggests you bring your whip to this tasting! Hubba hubba hubba!

This sexy red charmer is not for the faint of heart. It will pair well with rich cheeses and of course the Vixen will cuddle right up with lamb.

* Virago is a term that refers to a strong, brave, or warlike woman (from Latin vir "a man", compare Tomboy). The term has also been used to refer to a noisy, bossy, and scolding woman. It is closely related to termagant, which is a quarrelsome, scolding woman and shrew, which is a nagging woman.

Labels: female rock band, lady in red wine charms, vixen, vixen syrah, wine rack store, wine review

The Naked Winery in Dundee, Oregon “aim to Tease!”, and tease they do, with their tantalizing wines such as Penetration Cabernet, Foreplay Chardonnay, and Vixen Syrah. Just reading the labels gives me shivers and makes me blush and giggle! But tonight, I left my inhibitions at the door and picked out a bottle of 2004 Missionary Cabernet my classic wine rack. Don’t let the term “missionary” lead you to believe that this bottle of vino is timid or boring. Uncorking one of these lovelies is like taking your quite office girl to Vegas for the weekend: unexpected and vivacious!

This cabernet has a rich fruity bouquet of ripe red fruit begging to be ravished. It’s luscious red color fills the mind with dreams of sweet summer cherries, and, WHOA check out those legs! Age looks good on this beauty, and even though the label says “it was meant to be taken advantage of right away”, I think the years have treated Missionary kindly. The 100% oak ageing gives the wine that lovely structure and warmth that I so love about Cabernet. It has a nice kick of tannins, but all of the rough edges have been smoothed away. The finish is a sweet and not too dry.

This wine is subtle enough to enjoy on it’s own, sexy enough to be adorned with Fireman wine charms, and rich enough to compliment a lovely little lamb. Of the Naked wines I’ve imbibed so far, Missionary is definitely my favorite! Salute!

Labels: cabernet sauvignon, Classic Wine Rack, fireman wine charms, missionary style, naked winery, wine review

“I think this birthday-suit-thing could really catch on”, she squeals happily as she prances through the sprinkler on a hot summer day. Aahhhh, those joyful days of being a toddler with a highly evolved vocabulary. Sadly, those summer days did not last long. The weather cooled, and society demanded the proverbial fig leave be donned. But on days like today, a beautiful Indian Summer sort of day, that joyful naked abandon can be revisited through Naked Winery 2005 Merlot.

“Oooooh, it’s such a pretty red”, she gasps, “just like my mother’s ruby red lipstick I longed to wear when I was three. And a bit like the stilettos I have stashed in my closest now”, she snickers seductively.

“I love bewwries!” she shrieks, as she runs amuck in Grandma’s garden, savoring the tart raspberries, the sweet strawberries, the decadent plums. She even braves a bite out of the giant rhubarb stalk. She smiles sweetly at this memory evoked by the aromas of Naked Merlot swirling out of her lover's charmed wine glass.

Even after all these years, she still loves berries; and she shivers with pleasure to know that they abound in her Naked filled wine rack. Her adolescent love of summer fruits leads to the spicy finish of free-spirited maturity. As she savors the merlot, she feels a kindred connection with the vintners at Naked Winery, because they have captured and married the sweet, reckless abandon of youth with the musty, sensuous pleasures of adulthood in their bottle of 2005 Merlot.

Jenn's tasting notes: Ummm...yeah, what she said. It's a fun fruity merlot with a nice finish. Very drinkable, and ecstatically entertaining. Cheers!

Labels: lover's wine charms, merlot, naked winery, wine review

Banrock Station cares about our planet. A visit to their website shows a variety of efforts and endeavors designed to reduce the company’s environmental impact. Built from sustained Australian forests, designed with multiple energy saving aspects, powered by solar panels, and lit by natural daylight, the tasting room and restaurant welcome guests to experience Australian wetland preservation first hand. Visitors don’t need to travel all the way to Australia (but who wouldn’t WANT to), because Banrock Station’s website allows anyone to enjoy the wetlands through the web cam, and encourages conservation with a handy water calculator. Banrock Station’s website is approved by OffsetCarbonFootprint.org.

I have to put in a word of disclaimer here: Banrock Station’s wine label uses to “red flag” tactics which I have previously warned against in choosing wine. The origin of the wine is a vague “south eastern Australia”, and the bottle is stuck with a “Wine Enthusiast 10 Best Buys since 2005” gold sticker. I did find some mention of the 2005 Merlot in an article in an online magazine, Wine Enthusiast, “84 Banrock Station 2005 Merlot (South Eastern Australia); $5. Just the thing you need if there are dozens of people on your deck, and burgers are on the grill. Cherry and red plum flavors have earthy, oaky accents. It’s medium-bodied and easy to drink. Best Buy.
—Daryna Tobey”.

Jenn’s Tasting notes:

This wine smells of tart berry and earthy stuff. The merlot’s color is a pretty red, although perhaps a bit thin. It’s also rather thin in the mouth feel, but ironically pack’s a punch in flavor. The taste mirrors the berry flavors, and the earthiness comes across as sharp leather and tobacco. Banrock Station 2007 Merlot is not a velvety smooth wine, like many merlots aim to be, but the earth friendly attitude and recession friendly price make it worth a place in your wine rack. Cheers!

Labels: banrock station, merlot, OffsetCarbonFootprint.Org