The outstanding 1990 vintage will stick out for many reasons if you love wine. And while this year was great for vintage wine bottles, it also is a marker of when Earth Day went global. Over 200 million people across 141 countries mobilized to make the monumental day global, and countless have joined since. In Chile, Earth Day is also called Mother Earth Day. The country with such a rich land, tierra rica in Spanish, has a winemaking culture like no other. A winemaking culture that has looked to the past and present and has put sustainability first in many ways. With wines like Tierra Rica’s Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon on LCBO shelves and Earth Day fast approaching, there are many reasons to drink Chilean wines this April 22nd.
Chile – A Sustainable Winemaking Wonder
For the slim but long South American country of Chile, winemaking has shifted to an organic and sustainable affair. From the Atacama Region in the far north to the Austral Region in the south, the country is filled with vineyards representing a different side of its valleys and peaks. From cooler coastal zones to the exposed mountainous vineyards of the Los Andes growing areas and the warm inland valleys of the Entre Cordilleras, there are many different sides to the terroir of Chile. For such a small country, there is just so much going on. A rich land is the right way to put it.
You will often notice that many Chilean wines have sustainability, organic and even vegan certificate medals listed on their back labels. It is effortless to find environmentally and socially conscious wines from Chile. It might be harder not to at this point. Over 80% of its wine exports are certified under the Wines of Chile Sustainability Code, and top wineries are producing wine grapes with near total organic farming practices. Forgoing chemicals in the vineyard, looking at long-term land partnerships with community building in mind, working with indigenous groups, and focusing on conservation are only some of what Chile is doing. The country has become home to a growing number of vegan-made wines too. Because while you might think wine is just grapes, the finning and filtering process doesn’t have to be, and wineries like Tierra Rica have made the active choice to finish the winemaking process in a plant-based way.
Tierra Rica, Bottling The Richness Of Chile
Just in time for some Earth Day weekend celebrations, Tierra Rica’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc have hit the LCBO shelves. A winery sparked from the belief in connectivity, doing its best to balance the ecosystem of its vineyards while making great wine in the process. Both the Cab Sauv and Sauv Blanc are country-labelled blends that bring together vineyard fruit from several plots, crafting wines that convey the uniqueness of Chile’s terroir in the glass.
The Sauvignon Blanc is a bright and crisp wine perfect for the season. Refreshing and vibrant with aroma notes of citrus fruits, bell pepper, green herbs, white peach, and lemon grass. Complemented by a zippy, zesty palate driven by acidity with a mineral-leaning finish. Delightfully enjoyed on its own or paired with light seafood dishes of grilled green veg, this white wine sings for spring.
The Cabernet Sauvignon expresses what the Chilean terroir can accomplish with Francophile grapes. The native to Bordeaux grape of Cabernet Sauvignon shows a different side of itself in this wine. A rich and robust wine booming with notes of plum, back cherry, blackberry, fresh-turned earth and touches of smoke and toast from oak barrel ageing. Followed by a warm and expressive palate with deeply sinking tannins and an elegant touch in the finish. A sipper too, but it can be paired up vegan style with mushroom-heavy dishes or classically paired with grilled or roasted red meats.
Drinking Sustainably CAN Make a Difference
A simple change but a monumental one, making the active choice to enjoy more sustainably-made, organic and vegan wines can lead us to a better future. No one said that you had to give up wine while making a better earth. But looking deeper into the wines you choose to purchase is a different story. Taking the time to select a greener wine has so many upsides. Morally speaking, you are putting your hard-earned funds towards projects that give back. Health-wise, sipping on a wine made without chemicals suits you and the vineyard. Even if you are a hard-core meat eater selecting a vegan wine would not be earth-shattering; it is a guarantee that you won’t notice a difference in expression or flavour.
When It comes to sustainable efforts sipping on a wine made consciously changes the game. Helping emissions go down, reducing water usage, integrating underdog groups into farming practices and celebrating the earth to the fullest are significant upsides. And the more sustainable and organic wine we drink, the more common it will be in the future. Chile is a story of integrating a level of consciousness worthy of an Earth Day glass-swirl moment!
Find Tierra Rica wines at the LCBO now and enjoy the world and all its wonders to the fullest on April 22nd; hip, hip, horary to Earth Day!