6 Wines That Are Earth Friendly And Palate Pleasing

Earth Day was officially Monday. However, events surrounding awareness, educating and celebrations of the planet are not limited to one day. April is also Earth Month. Continuing in that spirit, here are 6 wines that are earth friendly and palate pleasing for Southwest Floridians. Cheers to Wine Wednesday.

When I think of wines that are earth friendly, a couple of things come to mind. First, the winery is one that implements sustainable and organic practices where possible. That can cover a lot of ground from using falcons to control pests, goats to graze the weeds and recycling wastewater to name a few.

Being earth friendly in farming is not always cheap. However, most grape growers and vintners agree, when you take better care of the crops, you get a better product in the bottle.

I for one don't want a bunch of additives in my wine. Some of these can cause adverse reactions and make you feel bad after a glass or two.

Let's start the Earth Month party with a peak at Riboli Family Wines. The family is in its fourth generation of making wine in California. They own 1,800 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards and are committed to sustainable and organic practices.

The brand has a series called 'Earth Elements.' It highlights characteristics that are unique to each of their vineyard sites in Paso Robles. Opaque Tannat is new to the line-up this year. Tannat is the grape and it's not as well known in Southwest Florida but it is one to discover.

This one got rave reviews at a recent dinner party. It was balanced between tannins, fruit and acidity. It had lots of rip dark fruit flavors with subtle herbs and vanilla. $40

Drink Responsibly