This California chardonnay has the added flavor of planting trees
The Browne Family Vineyards' “Forest Project” line partners with One Tree Planted to support reforestation efforts — while the chardonnay is well balanced, with a surprisingly clean finish.
Great Wine Values
Browne “Forest Project” Chardonnay Paso Robles, California
$15.99 13.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #100025908
Sale price through March 2; regularly $18.99
One of the most visible trends in the wine world is the “give back,” as wineries try to capture the attention of younger audiences with labels that direct a portion of proceeds towards a good cause, like the one associated with this chardonnay from Browne Family Vineyards in California’s Paso Robles region. Its “Forest Project” line partners with a nonprofit called One Tree Planted. The project seeks to plant one million trees; more than a quarter million have been planted in U.S. over the past two years.
Known in professional circles as “cause marketing,” the connection of a product to a specific philanthropic goal has proven to be an effective sales strategy. Early examples of wine give backs often involved inflating prices on wines of questionable quality in order to fundraise for a cause, but as this marketing method has matured, many serious wine companies like Browne have found ways to make their give backs a win-win-win for themselves, their customers, and their causes.
Through One Tree Planted, sales of Browne’s Forest Project wines primarily support tree-planting efforts in California and the Pacific Northwest, where forests have suffered from fires and floods, though it also backs reforestation initiatives in other parts of the U.S. To align with these goals, Brown is using bottles that are 31% lighter than the norm, building cartons from responsibly managed forests, and opting for a label-free package design that has eliminated the printing of over 2 million labels to date and ensures the bottles are recyclable.
As for us wine drinkers, we get to savor a well-balanced chardonnay with aromas such as apple brown betty, which are brightened with a snappy tang of fresh pineapple and a surprisingly clean, dry finish.
No alternate sources within 50 miles of Philadelphia, according to Wine-Searcher.com