Organic Wine and Food Matching

Steve Beckman I could see for miles and miles at the top of the Purisima Mountain Vineyard, owned and farmed by Steve Beckman of Santa Barbara’s Beckman Vineyards . But the “truth,” according to Beckman, is not “out there,” but in the soil, the grapes, and in the resulting wine; no matter what you may think of the Biodynamic® practices they have been practicing full-on since 2006.  The Beckmans (Steve the vigneron , with his parents Tom and Judy) purchased their 365 acre mountain estate in the mid-section (unofficially called Ballard Canyon) of Santa Ynez Valley in 1996, just a couple of years after establishing their winery on a 20 acre vineyard parcel just over the hill, a couple of hairpin turns away.  Vintages from the late ‘90s, produced from grapes from neighboring properties (like the prestigious Stolpman Vineyards ) convinced the Beckmans that Syrah and Grenache – yielding ultra-deep and concentrated wines when grown in the shallow, sandy clay layered over mounds of ...

There’s a white, chalky flintiness everywhere in Montlouis, a long under-appreciated region in France located across the Loire River from the Vouvray AC ; the latter better known around the world for its soft, flowery fresh, demi-sec (“off-dry”) styles of whites made from the Chenin blanc grape. Montlouis is also planted exclusively to Chenin blanc; but because its best whites are probably its dryer ones, flinty or chalky sensations seem more pronounced in Montlouis; the understanding of which doesn’t require much of a leap after you see its whitish soils, which consist of almost no clay, but rather a predominance of silex (finely ground flint), sand and limestone. Although in actuality, it's the searing acidity of this cold climate grown white wine that mobilizes the sensory quality commonly known as "minerality." Domaine Chidaine in Montlouis. Not to say that each sip of the 2006 Francois Chidaine Montlouis Clos du Breuil (about $23) tastes like wet rocks. The terroi...

Paul Dolan. The first two things I need to tell you about the 2006 Paul Dolan Zinfandel (about $19) is that it’s produced by the former CEO/Winemaker of Fetzer Vineyards – one of California’s pioneers of organic grape growing – named, of course, Paul Dolan, and that it is indeed vinified 100% from CCOF certified organic grapes.  The second thing I need to tell you about the Paul Dolan Zinfandel is that it is not to be taken seriously . Which is not to say it isn’t a fine wine, because it is very fine indeed. But it is also a smooth, easy, fruit driven red wine – redolent of peppery spiced, sweet raspberry-veering-towards-blueberry aromas, and soft, ripe and piquant on the palate – guaranteed to lift the spirit and satisfy the soul if (and only if) enjoyed with a sense of levity rather than gravity. In fact, to put you in the mood, even before you go out and purchase said Zinfandel. The author stuffing cowhorns with manure in Mendocino County (Paul Dolan looking on). Buoyantly...