Sipping wine while at a playdate, socializing with good friends, or with dinner on a regular night at home is an integral part of so many New York City parents’ lives. My best friends and I have been thoroughly relishing roses this summer. Why not know more about organic and environmentally responsible vineyards? They’re out there, and the right importers have made sure that they’re ready for us to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I, for one, have my own personal favorite- Chateau De La Selve– that I can’t bestow enough praise upon. Wanting to find out more about others, though, I reached out to two wine experts who run their own thriving businesses (that I adore and recommend) in Brooklyn: Brian Robinson of Fort Green’s incredible Gnarly Vines, and Lily Peachin of Dandelion Wine, in Greenpoint. Both of these stores are, in themselves, mini wine schools; their selections are the best from each region and the staff members at each offer an extensive background about anything you need to know about the selections. As Brian at Gnarly Vines explained, “We like to use the term ‘sustainable or stricter’ to encompass all environmentally-responsible wines. We know that a product can be labeled organic, and still not be made in an environmentally friendly manner. So, we prefer to work with small producers who use avoid using herbicides, pesticides, chemicals or other harmful substances in the vineyard and at the winery. If they do use something, it’s to treat a problem (not preventative) and they use the least harmful (oftentimes something completely harmless), most natural product in the smallest possible quantity to solve the problem. ” He also says that, “Most small producers, especially those who own their vineyards, generally follow these practices in spirit. As long as they say they do, we generally believe them. We also get a lot of information from the importers who deal directly with the wineries. Some importers like Jenny & Francois, Louis Dressner, Savio Soares, and Rosenthal work exclusively with sustainable or stricter wineries.” I wanted to know what would be great for picnics and general summer soirees, so I asked Brian about sustainable or stricter summer roses and whites that he would recommend for us as we enjoy the last weeks of magic to this warm season, and he listed these five beautiful choices (all of which I personally love as well):
1) Shinn Estate Rose 2014 – North Fork of Long Island, NY (Varietals: Cabernet Franc, Merlot. Special Attributes: Biodynamic) $16
2) Nigl Zweigelt Rose 2014 – Kremstal, Austria $21.00
3) Red Car Rose of Pinot Noir 2014 – Sonoma Coast, CA $24
4) Chateau de la Selve Maguelonne Rose 2013 – Coteaux de l’Ardeche, France $14.00
5) Dom de la Renardiere Pupillin Trousseau 2011 – Arbois, Jura, France (Special Attributes: Lutte Raisonee) $32.00
Dandelion Wine‘s Lily Peachin not only has her favorite rose recommendations as well, but also provides us with some food pairings to add them to, which helps those of us who may need guidance with making the most of our vino if we are also planning get-togethers involving food! She explains, “So there’s organic wine and then there’s natural wine, which can get confusing to define sometimes. Not only is some wine certified organic but it can also be unfined, unfiltered, and vinified without sulfites. This style of wine tends to be juicier and more fleshy on the palate, and often but not always lower in alcohol.” Here are three roses that she likes:
Rebecca Conroy is an artist and stylist from New York City. She has an MFA from Columbia University in screenwriting, and often finds herself on film and photography sets making things run or look better. She is the mom of two outrageously wonderful kids.