We’re Toasting: Mother Earth and Sustainable Wines on this Earth Day
by Hayley Hamilton Cogill
“I was talking to my mother yesterday morning who told me how very cold she was because they were in the middle of a deep freeze in Northwest Arkansas, with a spring snow blanketing the towns just to her north, and temperatures resting in the mid-30s. Snow in Arkansas isn’t uncommon, snow in Arkansas in April….well, not the norm to say the least. Our climate is changing, and if we don’t take actions to limit this change, the next generations will find themselves living in a very difficult world.
The production of wine is not the most earth friendly industry, as a whole. However, thankfully, hundreds of wineries throughout the world have changed their production methods to work cleaner, greener, safer for our environment, and with that, are producing completely representative wines that tell the story of the land, allowing the natural beauty of the terroir to shine.
Argyle
As toasting Mother Earth is ideal every day, specifically on Earth Day, pop open a bottle of Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Brut ($50) from the volcanic Dundee Hills of Willamette Valley. Knudsen Vineyard is home to some of the oldest vines in Willamette, growing highly concentrated, low-yielding, own-rooted Pommard Clone Pinot Noir, originally planted in 1974. The certified sustainable, salmon safe sparkler has gorgeous tension and density, revealing wildflower and toasty aromas, leading into flavors of toasted almond, creamy custard, ripe apple and pear, with a note of spice and cream on the finish.