There are passable organic wines. I have yet to find a great organic wine.

I live pretty much in the heart of California's wine country and I have to say, organic wine just isnt there yet. Its drinkable and there are some bordering on very good but these are all priced out of their value and age poorly. The majority of the land and the best blocks in the best vineyards in the best appellations are not organic/going to organic wineries and with the money they are getting for the grapes that isnt likely to change. The whole dynamic of elite wines is creating ones that show amazing characteristics but also age extraordinarily well. You cant lay down a case of an organic cab and pull a bottle a year to see how it develops.

The last organic winery I tasted at the people were friendly, they were only pouring 7 wines. I struck up a conversation and I had an equal number of their library wines. They missed a lot more than they hit, some of their wines barely showed any of the characteristics of the style. Even the hits were 15-20 more than they should have been (taking into account the markup you pay in a tasting room). I'm not going to pay 40 dollars for a 20 dollar bottle of wine, especially when I can ride my bicycle to a local winery and actually get a 40$ bottle or 2 20$ bottles for 40 bucks.

The first course: Marinated Kona Blue Kampachi, preserved lemons, coriander salad, yuzu, paired with Ceago Vinegarden Sauvignon Blanc 2006

The second course: Sous-vide Atlantic Lobster beef tongue tortelini, purple haze carrots, shellfish reduction, paired wtih Ceago Vinegarden Syrah Rose 2007

Our special dish of halibut

Third Course: Ceago Olive Oil Poached Wagyu Beef fava beans, morel mushrooms, veal jus, paired with Cego viengarden Merlot 2002 and Ceago Vinegarden Cabaret Sauvignon 2002

Fourth Course: Red Wine Chocolate Cake Currant Glaze, Black Cherry Gelato

After the last course was eaten and the chefs and sous chefs came out to loud applause, the lively conversation continued across the dining room. By then, the sun had long since set, and all that remained were Katrina's words, "At Ceago, we want our wines to speak to a sense of place."

www.ceago.com

www.davidwalkerwines.com

Filed under: the last of the summer wines