“How Organic Wine Finally Caught On” is not an article that you would normally see in the Harvard Business Review but it is. Maybe it is a sign of how far organic wine has come. According to the article:
“The ‘purity’ in taste and the charm of local winemaking tradition often associated with organic wine have proved to be powerful marketing tools that helped turn the category around. Moreover, organic wine was increasingly in demand by individuals who sought artisan-made wines with clear terroir, and who desired to consume products with as few added chemicals as possible. In an increasingly globalized 21st century world, organic wine had become a potent symbol of localized place and culture strongly tied to the past century. While organic wine missed out on the rising tide of interest in organic products in the late 20th century, it seems to have successfully caught the wave of enthusiasm in the early 21st century for local, artisanal foods and goods. In particular, biodynamic wines have secured a special reputation for quality. These were organic wines grown in a distinctive way.”
I am mentioning this because CartinArte, one of wineries that is part of the itinerary for our Italian tours, has been producing organic wine using biodynamic methods for some time now. According to the winemaker at CantinArte, Francesca Di Nisio, who was in Toronto towards the end of March to promote her wines, doing this gives the wines she makes a fresh and fruity character. For more about the wines, please read the
interview that Francesca had with Malcolm Jolley of Good Food Revolution or watch this video.
For Francesca drinking wine is an experience and one that should leave you feeling better. She is passionate about how her wines are produced from the vine to picking by hand to the fermenting and ultimately to the bottle. You can taste this passion in the 20,000 bottles produced each year by CantinArte. Francesca did not set out to become a winemaker but instead was inspired by her late grandmother who while cooking for the family always ensured that it was accompanied by wine. As family is important to Francesca, she got input and the go ahead from her family before she began producing wine on the family’s two properties.
Now you may be asking how good is Francesca’s wine. Given the reception and sales at a tasting event held at the LCBO Boutique Italian Store at 8260 Hwy 27 Woodbridge, Ontario on March 24th, I can say that the wine is pretty good. In fact don’t take my word for it, try them yourself. Three of the wines from CantinArte – the Colori Pecorino DOC 2016, the Gaia Cerasuolo DOC 2016, and the Ode Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2014 – can be purchased at the above-mentioned LCBO location or online. All of these wines and another, the 2010 Rosso Puro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC ($42), can also be ordered from my other company, Riverdale Wines..ncesca also produces olive oil that is so good that it’s something that we are looking at importin
A Perfect Tour has plans to take private and corporate clients to Francesca’s properties in the Abruzzo region to experience firsthand the culinary delights and hospitality of Francesca and her lovely family. If you are interested in CantinArte, please email [email protected]. Francesca will be visiting Toronto on a regular basis and will be here in the near future.