Seek out this organic, bargain-priced chardonnay
There are a few places in the world where the added cost of farming organically is so low that the effect on the wine’s selling price is minimal.
More and more wine drinkers are seeking out wines made with fruit that has been certified as organic, meaning grown without the use of synthetic crop treatments, such as fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.
Unfortunately, wines made with organic fruit usually come with a relatively heftier price tag. Both the farming and the certification process itself increase production costs, not to mention that foregoing synthetics often means reducing crop volume per vineyard acre as well.
However, there are a few places in the world where the added cost of farming organically is so low that the effect on the wine’s selling price is minimal, places like Chile’s Central Valley, Argentina’s Mendoza province, and the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. These regions share two main factors that lead to ultra-affordable organic fruit, one driven by climate and one driven by economics.
In terms of climate, what these regions share is a vine-friendly seasonal cycle where almost all rainfall comes in the vine’s winter dormant phase. When conditions during the summer growing season are very, very dry, this eliminates most of the dangers posed by fungus and insects, such that even conventional grape farming requires few synthetic interventions. The second condition that produces affordable organic fruit is a combination of low land prices and low labor cost.
The coastal valleys of Chile provide precisely such an environment on both fronts, allowing them to offer wines from organic fruit in the value tier, like this delightfully brisk and snappy chardonnay. Because it is made in an “un-oaked” style, it features none of the butterscotchy heaviness associated with barrel-fermented chardonnay and instead offers a milder and more refreshing flavor profile of fresh tropical fruit; think white pineapple, kiwi, and asian pears.
Natura Chardonnay Un-oaked, made with organic grapes, Chile
$10.99 13.6% alcohol
PLCB Item #6652
Sale price through 1/30 — regularly $12.99
Also available at these New Jersey stores:
Joe Canal’s in Marlton, $9.99, marltonjoecanals.com; Joe Canal’s in Bellmawr, $10.99, joecanalsbellmawr.com; Cheers Wine & Spirits in Voorhees, $11.99, cheers-nj.com.