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As California stepped up wine production in the last twenty-five years, the quality of its wines rival those of Europe. Others states have followed suit so even areas known for long, cold winters are now producing wines. And as Americans have learned more about wine, it has become the alcoholic beverage of choice for millions of aficionados who have joined ranks with the Europeans, Australians and others worldwide.
The question now is, how to make the greenest choices in purchasing wine.
Grape vines are delicate creatures that require a lot of TLC. They are subject to insects, birds, fungus, viruses and bacteria attacks. The vines also require a relatively high amount of water, which can be problematic during drought years. California farmers are increasingly addressing these issues as they attempt to produce wines with fewer residual chemicals and a lower carbon footprint.
Purchasing wines labeled as "organic" will protect you from potential chemical residue. It does not guarantee that the wines will taste better, however. Some will. Some won' t. As far as the carbon footprint is concerned, the jury appears to be out.
A bigger issue in wine choices is the carbon footprint of shipping. According to Dr. Vino, most wine in the United States is shipped by truck. Wines coming from Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand travel by ship. According to Dr. Vino's research, the carbon footprint from trucking is double that of shipping. Further, he found that for people living in Chicago and Eastward, purchasing wines from these regions would have less of a carbon footprint than buying wine from California!
Probably the smartest consideration is to evaluate how much wine you consume. If you drink a lot of wine and you live in New York, you might want to buy wines from Europe, Africa or Down Under. If you live west of Chicago, buy California wines. A third choice would be to purchase wines local to your region, assuming wine is grown in your state. For more information on the carbon footprint of wine, go to the American Association of Wine Economics.
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