Ever since watching a documentary called, “Kiss the Ground,” I’ve become super interested in organic and biodynamic wines. This documentary (which you can see on Netflix) is an amazing look at the importance of top soil and how to preserve it. It’s kind of mind-blowing. One eye-opener: tilling soil is a killer for the planet. It releases harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to a weakening ozone layer, and negative climate changes.

So when I was invited to a live Zoom tasting with Anne Bousquet, owner and organic revolutionary, and winemaker Rodrigo Serrano, at Domaine Bousquet in Argentina’s Mendoza region, I said yes without hesitation. Domaine Bousquet has been farming organically for 25 years, and now is farming biodynamically and regeneratively as well, and I wanted to taste!

On top of their organic and bioynamic practices, they are ROC-certified (regenerative farming) plus they are a B Corp. Regenerative farming is SO IMPORTANT (sorry for big shouty caps but it is!) because it means no tilling. But wait – there’s more: they also have a composting program (using waste products from the winemaking process) to feed the soil, and next, they are looking at how to reduce their carbon footprint and how to conserve more water.

I mean! Cool, right? I like to support wineries that are doing things in ways that give back to the planet, the community and their employees and are minimizing their impact on the the planet. So let’s raise a glass with one of Domaine Bousquet’s glorious wines!

Domaine Sparkling Rosé ($13) This Charmat method sparkler is a complete delight. Light, fizzy, and fun, with all the strawberry/raspberry/watermelon notes you want in a rosé – plus bubbles!

Virgen Organic Red Blend 2o21 ($13) USDA-certified organic (that USDA approval process is a beast, so kudos to Bousquet for achieving it). They named this wine – which also contains no added sulfites (nice for people who are sensitive to them). I tasted the first vintage of this wine in 2020, I think it was – and it was good. This one is great! And because of the no-sulfites thing – which is a preservative, they actually wrap the bottles in quilted packing blankets when they send them to the U.S., to keep the wines in top form.

Gaia Malbec Nouveau 2022 ($20) You guys: this might be the world’s first or only carbonic macerated Malbec. Carbonic maceration is when whole bunches of grapes are put into a tank into which carbon dioxide is pumped – and the fermentation happens kind of inside-out – inside the grapes. This is opposed to when fermentation happens when yeast is added to crushed grapes and the yeast eats the sugars and shabam – alcohol is formed. Carbonic maceration is an option when a winemaker wants finer tannins and/or brighter, juicier fruit notes. This wine is magnificent. Fresh red berries and dried herbs keep it bouncy and fresh. It’s medium-weight and an exciting departure from the big, jammy Malbecs you might know. Everyone on the Zoom was freaking out about this wine.

Bousquet Reserve Pinot Noir 2021 ($18) This has all the fresh red cherries and dried fall leaves that you expect from a Pinot Noir and I say, bring on the barbecue, bacon or mushroom dishes with this wine. It’s really lovely – a light-bodied crowd pleaser of a red wine.

I tasted most of these from Coravin and can’t wait to properly enjoy them with food and friends. If you want to discover some affordalicious wines that you can feel good about, run, don’t walk to your wine retailer and ask for these wines. Cheers!