Patianna Organic Vineyards Mendocino County Pinot Noir

I like drinking wine and I have no intention of giving it up, but I’m wondering if there are some “healthy alternatives” that warrant consideration. Wine is not that high in alcohol, there aren’t that many calories and the antioxident resveratrol found in red wine purportedly helps reduce “bad” cholesterol. So what’s left?

I’ve convinced myself that I can taste the difference in organic products like eggs, chicken and beef, but what about wine? Inquiring minds want to know which is why I picked the 2007 Pinot Noir from Pratianna Organic Vineyards. This vineyard has been certified organic since 1993 and practices all of the groovy things like natural fertilization, composting and crop rotation while avoiding all the nasty stuff like fungicides, pesticides, herbicides and growth hormones. So what’s it like? It has a nice big nose, some real pronounced berry fruit and a long, silky finish. I found it to be pretty robust and it seemed to benefit from a little air. Can you tell that it’s organic? Honestly, I don’t know. But, if I can find a wine this good without all of the chemicals at only $12.99, it’s going to get my attention. Pick up a bottle at the PLCB and tell me what you think.