OFF-PREMISE SUSTAINABILITY

So it ’ s no surprise that the wine category has recently seen an uptick in consumer interest in vineyards that are sustainable , organic and / or biodynamic . Retailers across the country

BY KYLE SWARTZ

have begun to highlight these producers and their wines .

One such business is Astor Wines & Spirits on Lafayette St . in Lower Manhattan . The business stocks around 3,000 wines , a significant portion of which are organic and biodynamic . I recently spoke with Lorena Ascencios , wine buyer at Astor Wines & Spirits , about this focus of the store

Kyle Swartz : How do you define wineries with organic / biodynamic practices ? Lorena Ascencios : Recognizing wines that are organic / natural / biodynamic means that the winery has above-standard practices in the vineyard , throughout the growing season , during harvest and in the cellar . Many of the great wines that we carry fall into this organic / natural / biodynamic category , and they come from smaller , family-owned operations and are above-and-beyond the standard of industrial or more-commercial wines .

KS : What are you looking for in an organic / biodynamic winery ? LA : We are looking for wines that offer a better wine qualitatively with the added benefit of no synthetic chemicals and , in many cases , zero added chemicals .

KS : How do you highlight these wines in your store ? Is there signage ? LA : We highlight all products with labels that have a green leaf on them .

KS : Do you have advice for retailers thinking about starting a similar wine section in their store ? LA : My advice is to be selective and to taste as many of these wines as possible . Just because they fall into this category of organic / natural / biodynamic doesn ’ t mean they ’ re automatically good .

KS : How much consumer education do you typically

do with these wines ? What do you focus on when educating customers ? LA : Our staff will speak to consumers who are looking for more advice about any wine that falls into this category .

KS : What do consumers most like about these wines ? LA : Many consumers state that they don ’ t feel hung-over or headache-y the day after drinking these wines . As conventionally made wines can legally have hundreds of synthetic chemicals added to them either during the growing season or wine-making process , many consumers are more comfortable drinking less synthetic chemicals .

KS : Do you detect any flavor / texture differences in these wines ? LA : Many of these wines are cleaner , and don ’ t make me sneeze upon tasting them . Again , not all , but many . You must be selective . Nearly a third of our wine selections fall into the organic / natural / biodynamic category . I aim to grow this category further .

KS : What are some of your favorite organic / biodynamic wineries ? Why ? LA : Buzio from Monferrato is a dear family to me . I know them well , have bought their wines for years and they have such a purity to them . They are my house wines and are so affordable . Same with the wines of Viña Ilusion of Rioja Baja . I also adore the wines of the Gulfi winery in Sicily , as well as the Burgundies of Guillot-Broux . They all have such purity of character and are delicious . It ’ s that simple . BD

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