“Made with organic grapes”.   

Exactly what does that mean? 

It does not mean that the wine itself is quote, “organic”. 

Rather, it means that the grapes…actually the grape vines…were grown

without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers

in the vineyard.

It’s Wine Thursday! our regular weekly feature

where we look into a wine

that’s not only a good buy

but is easy for you to find,

either at the store or online.   

This week, we’re checking out an offering

from a winery that’s no newcomer to organic farming. 

In fact, they say their vineyards have been

farmed organically for the past 34 years.

Bonterra, a winery in Medocino County in California,

is an industry leader in environmental consciousness.   

They emphasize organic farming, biodynamic farming

and sustainable production practices.   

But is their wine any good? 

I’ve only tasted their Cabernet Sauvignon. 

It’s a pleasant surprise.   

You might be familiar with the wine-tasting term

known as “tight”.  It means the wine is inexpressive…

that it’s not showing any of the fruit flavors that 

we’ve come to expect. 

This Bonterra was extremely tight when first opened. 

But after a night in the fridge (tightly corked, of course)

this wine had sprung to life. 

It showed raspberry and blackberry tones

along with pepper notes and a hint of cinnamon.  

The body is medium while the tannins are present

but certainly not overpowering. 

Patience will be rewarded with this one. 

Give it some air.  

For that matter, give it some time. 

This Cabernet will be better in a year

and even better the year after that.   

We found Bonterra 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

at Total Wine for $9.97.  Costco has it for $10.49. 

It’s on the shelf at Fred Meyer and QFC for $13.99. 

You can order it from Wine.com for $13.99

or from the Bonterra winery for $16.