Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Virgen Red Wines

Domaine Bousquet Virgen Red Wines

Virgen wines are the first Argentine no-sulfites-added USDA-organic-certified wines to launch in the U.S., from Uco Valley-based Domaine Bousquet, Argentina’s largest exporter of organically grown wines.

Named for the virgin land where the Bousquet’s built Domaine Bousquet, this wine is a nod to the continued commitment by the winery to protect and preserve.

Some may associate the natural, no-sulfites-added wine movement with small-production, impossible-to-find, cloudy, funky and inconsistent wines. But not so with this Virgen wine. It is balanced, fresh and approachable: vegan, no oak, and great value for the price!

“We only tackled this project once we were confident that we could manage the challenges of making top-notch organic, no-sulfites-added wines. We also wanted to make sure that these wines remained true to our house style: elegant, with bright, clean, fruit flavors.” – Domaine Bousquet co-owner Anne Bousquet

Virgen Natural Malbec ($13) - This wine is produced from 100% Malbec that is fermented with 50% indigenous yeasts and 50% selected yeasts for 10 days in stainless steel. It is medium purple in color with red-fruit aromas and a hint of herbs. On the palate, this medium-full bodied wine has fresh tasting fruit flavors of red plum on the front-end and blackberry on the back. It has very light tannin, good acidity and a nice finish.

Virgen Natural Cabernet Sauvignon ($13) - This wine is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that is fermented with 50% indigenous yeasts and 50% selected yeasts for 10 days in stainless steel. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black cherry and green peppercorn. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has fresh berry fruit flavors of blackberry, boysenberry and black cherry. It has medium tannin, nice acidity and a medium-long finish.

These wines are both USDA Organic, Vegan friendly, gluten free and have no sulfites added. And, a super value! This makes them a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet Winery via Creative Palate Communications

Ever Wonder About Natural, Bio-Dynamic, and Sustainably Produced Wines?

Last time we took a quick look at organic wines and wines produced from organically grown grapes. But, now let’s quickly summarize what it means for a wine to be called ‘Natural’, ‘Bio-Dynamic’ or ‘Sustainable.’

Natural Wines

Like so many other wine terms, there are no regulations for ‘natural’ wines. The grapes are grown in organic, biodynamic or sustainable vineyards. After the grapes are hand-picked, they are pressed and allowed to ferment with no added yeast just the native yeast that occurs in the vineyard. No further additives are included during the winemaking process. Finally, the wines are bottled with little or no sulfites.

Biodynamic Wines

Biodynamic wines are like organic wines, but they add biodynamic practices that focus on soil treatments and timed planting practices that coincide with lunar cycles. Like organic and natural wines, biodynamic wines shelf-life can be shorter if they choose to not add sulfites.

Sustainably Produced Wines

Here the primary difference is in the winemaker’s emphasis on the environment. A sustainable winemaker takes extra effort to minimize their impact on the environment. They focus on things such as water conservation, waste management, wildlife preservation and energy management.

This has been a very high-level summary of the various type of wines. There are lots of laws, regulations and practices that these winemakers follow that complicate the subject. But, suffice it to say they all end up producing wine. So, start looking for these terms on wine labels and give them a try. But, if the label states ‘No Sulfites’ (i.e., no preservatives) ensure that you try it sooner rather than later. Cheers!