Celebrate With Organic Wines and Cocktails

Thanksgiving. Christmas. Hanukkah. Kwanzaa. New Years. Just reading the names of these holidays can stir up feelings of excitement, wonder and celebration. We get together with people we love and celebrate life. We eat and drink and talk about the year that was, the year that will be and our hopes for the future. And we give thanks for the many things we have been given.

Celebrations like these require special food and drink. We make huge dinners and surround ourselves with trays of sweets. We also make toasts with rich, full glasses of wine and sparkling, red studded cocktails.

This year, as more American's have turned to green living practices, there are a growing number of products available to celebrate the holidays green too. Organic turkeys, locally grown produce, LED twinkle lights and other increasingly popular eco-friendly product are now at our disposal. And now, so are sustainable wines and spirits.

Sustainable wines and spirits include libations that have been made using organically grown grapes, environmentally-friendly business and/or farming practices, and recyclable packaging. For any green wine, liquor or beer, read the label to understand how the company is sustainable or do a little poking around online to find a label that you are comfortable with. Not all may follow the same guidelines as to what they constitute "sustainable"

Green Spirits

A number of distilleries are now developing green spirits. International distilleries like Reyka Vodka are creating their product using the renewable geothermal energy that exists under Iceland. Others like Square One Organic Vodka are using organically grown products as the base for their liquor. The company uses organic rye and spring water produced in the Midwest United States and gets 25% of its distillery's energy from wind farms. For tequila fans, there is only one USDA-certified organic tequila available. The 4Copas from Mexico is made using no pesticides or growth hormones and is packaged using recycled paper.

These cocktails are popping up more and more at local restaurants and bars and may be a perfect addition to a company holiday party. When possible, ask about local distillers in your area that may have an eco-friendly vodka or tequila you can add to your cocktail list.

Sustainable Wines

Wine makers were early pioneers of organics in the United States. Many wineries are turning to sustainable farming and cultivating practices to make high-quality red and white organic wines. Oregon organic wines like the Eco-Wine from Amity Vineyard have no detectable sulfites. Others like the wines made in California's Beckmen Vineyards or Gypsy Canyon Winery are biodynamic, meaning that they were farmed using an all-natural system of farming, without chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. They also use the farms own resources to maintain and sustain the crop. The strength in these wines is that the makers have figured out sustainable practices they can follow that still produce incredible, unique wines. With a table full of fresh sweet potatoes, carrots and home-made stuffing, a bold glass of an organic wine is an excellent way to toast to the many things we should be thankful for.

~Ben Anton, 2008