Planet Organic

It seems that British Supermarket giant, TESCO, is set to open a chain of organic mini-supermarkets in the States next year. Oftentimes, the label 'Organic' is poorly regulated and means very little. Take the idea that something such as honey can be Organic and it all begins to sound a bit odd -- since all of the flowers visited by the bees would have to be free from pesticides and fertilizers.

In the European Union, many products need only be 80 percent organic to be labelled 'Organic.' And even this percentage is not highly regulated. There just aren't enough Green Cops on the beat.

Anyways, the health practitioner to my first child once proclaimed that Organic produce only benefits the finances of the grocer. But this is a step too far. True organic produce is readily distinguishable by its superior taste, owing to a higher nutritive value.

Take the simple apple as an example. An organic apple relies only on its own immune system to fend of bugs, fungus, etc. – use of pesticides would require the apple to produce less antioxidants to defend itself, as the threat of invasion is low -- in order to keep it alive longer, thus raising its potential for seed dispersal, and thereby ensuring a greater chance of maintaining the line of the tree which bore it. (Actually, this blog is getting a little boring, seeing as Interwined just won an award for world's longest sentence… so let's move on..)

TIP: If you find that the fruits in your fruit bowl tend to get bruised often, place a layer of peanuts, still in the shell at the bottom. This acts as an attractive cushion, and is another healthy snack.

Man, that is ONE lame tip…

Yeah, yeah, that above stuff doesn't really ring true with Organic wines, which tend to lack the structure and body in typical red wines. Organic reds are usually thinner, and can't pull its weight. A £6 bottle of Organic Rouge describes itself as 'supple, warming Mediterranean wine.' From Cotes de Thongue in the South of France, this non-vintage wine is full of red berry, but should have a more robust flavour profile. The wine was more stretched thin than supple, and more hot than warming. Not really the 'sun in the cup' the label made it seem.

The next day, it was oxidized, left with about four-fifths still in the bottle. Undrinkable. If a wine can't last longer than a day, then what is it worth? For my blog, always under 8 points. 7.7 points.

By contrast, the Fetzer Shiraz lasted four days (see earlier blog). One glass each evening for more than half a week. That's added value, but not organic.

Wine is rarely organic by its own right, rather made with organically grown grapes.

The Organic Rouge was a cheap one for being organic… but the Interwined budget was blown quickly this week. This is curious since grapes produced using Organic methods are of no smaller yield than commercial farming, as a rule. So, the label 'Organic' usually just means a few more pains in the pocket. Just go to that phoney Organic monolith, Whole Foods, and you get the meaning.

All food should be Organic, according to Burgundian Antonin Rodet, and we agree, but we shouldn't have to pay more for it just because…

Better was the 2004 Quinta do Coa, a Vinho Tinto from the Douro river valley in Portugal, known as Duero in Spain. Wines from the Duero are just sooo good. But this is the first Organic Douro to hit these lips. At £9.25, it's getting a bit pricey, and while the wine should pack more of a punch, the elegance of the blackberry and hints of bitter chocolate satisfy the mouth, if not the wallet. 8.4 points.

At nearly £12, the 2004 L'Orangerie de Haut-Nouchet from Pessac-Leognan is easily the best, but that's expected to go with the price tag. The terroir and elegance were there, but the most important aspect was the harmony. The wine is not too tannic, nor is it too thin. It's well-balanced and ready-to-drink… with almost anything. But it is 28% too expensive. 8.5 points.

More Organic later this week.