Wine & Words

They're back. We're restocking some of the organic wines of Bonterra Vineyards.
 
Bonterra, which means "good earth," is committed to practices that support the biodiversity of the land and raise outstanding wine grapes without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides.  A few of the practices they use are:

• Strategically placing birdhouses at the edge of the vineyards to attract bug-eating swallows and bluebirds
• Planting cover crops between the rows of vines, plants that harbor beneficial insects and contribute to soil fertility
• Letting the free-roaming chickens eat their fill of cutworms and other harmful bugs
• Honeybee colonies that pollinate the grapes
• Keeping sheep, in an integrated farm environment.  They eat the weeds...and fertilize as they graze.

But what about the wine?

Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
“Bonterra wines invariably show a great purity of flavor….” December 15, 2005
Dorothy Gaiter & John Brecher, Taste
The Wall Street Journal  The best wines tasted like grapes and earth, period. If you want to taste terroir, try these. They had a certain freshness and honesty about them.

We completely agree.  We're carrying:
Bonterra Chardonnay
A Chardonnay in the International style - less oak and more attention to highlight the bright, organically grown fruit.  20% fermented in stainless steel, 80% in oak.  A touch of Muscat and Rousanne are added to round out the predominant Chardonnay (grown on the cool hillsides of the Russian River Valley).  A nicely balanced Chard that will pair well with a wide range of foods.
Bonterra Merlot
Merlot grapes from the warm valley floors of Mendocino predominate (86%), with Zinfandel (7%), Syrah (4%), and a touch of Petite Sirah (3%) to give a rich, rounded flavor.  This wine drinks very well on its own and would pair well with roast pork or lamb or moderately aged cheeses.
Bonterra Rosé
This classic dry rosé is a blend of Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Grenache.  Its strawberry aromas and crisp, refreshing acidity will go perfectly in a sweat-dripping glass in a patch of cool shade.  The wine is as clean as the grapes it's made with.