Clean-crafted, Organic Wines

It's a new year, which - if you are like the Bros - means not only implementing resolutions, but also accounting for 2020's many indulgences. With 2021's new beginnings and a necessarily more healthy approach in mind, the UWBs ventured into an area that we never thought we would go: organic wines.

We are The Unassuming Wine Bros (UWB) – Patrick and Vigo - two regular guys who love everything about wine, including writing about it. Our goal is to explore the nuances of wine, share our adventures with you, and have a little fun along the way.

Knowing almost nothing about organic wines, we called an independent wine consultant with Scout & Cellar to walk us through what makes organic wines appealing. The consultant explained that Scout & Cellar is an independent wine distributor that sources "Clean-Crafted" wines. Its "Clean-Crafted" wines are:

• Grown naturally with no synthetic pesticides,

• Sustainable, using organic or biodynamic farming methods,

• Made with no added sugar,

• Grown without added chemicals such as ferrocyanide, ammonium phosphate, copper sulfate, mega purple, and

• Low in sulfites (most less than 50 PPM (parts per million) with a standard of less than 100 PPM). These standards are a product of Scout & Cellar's close relationship with its growers and how the sourced grapes are produced.

We sampled three "Clean-Crafted" selections. Here are our thoughts:

2020 Scout & Cellar Bookbinder's Apprentice 1st Edition White Wine (California):

$16.00 via Scout & Cellar Independent Distributors; 12.5 % Alc. by Vol.; Sugar 0.05 g/L

Vigo: If you like your organic white wines tart with a clean finish on the palate, then I have a wine for you: the Scout & Cellar Bookbinder's Apprentice. Green apple, honeydew, and peach flavors are pleasing, but the tartness was a bit surprising. The tartness of this wine pairs well with a creamy cheese selection. This wine reminded me of a Jennifer Aniston movie; on her own, meh, but with an excellent supporting cast, fantastic! So have that cheese plate ready when serving this wine.

Vigo's Rating: 3 Bros

Patrick: This light California-sourced white comprised of 100% Colombard grapes literally left me feeling healthier after drinking it. It drank tart with minerality and exhibited apple, peach, and citrus flavors. Its steel aging gave it a crisp cleanness. It was not the most complex wine I have ever tasted, but overall I thought it was flavorful and refreshing.

Patrick's Rating: 3.5 Bros

2020 Scout & Cellar Dove Hunt Dog Rose (California): $19.00 via Scout & Cellar Independent Distributors; 12.5% Alc. by Vol.; Sugar 0.03 g/L

Vigo: I'm not ashamed to say this: I love Rose. When made well, Rose is fun and enjoyable, and the Scout & Cellar Dove Hunt Dog Rose is no exception. Beautifully pink in color with refreshing watermelon, strawberry, and orange flavors swimming around your palate, you can close your eyes and think of a sunny day at the beach when drinking this wine. Once again, along with all the beautiful fruit favor, the wine finishes very cleanly on the palate, most likely because it is aged in stainless steel. If you want a treat, pair this Rose with BBQ chicken; you'll thank me for it.

Vigo Rating: 3.5 Bros

Patrick: Scout & Cellar 2020 Dove Hunt Dog Rose was my favorite wine of the three wines we sampled. This Healdsburg, CA Rose was light-bodied, with a mild dryness and a lingering finish. This easy-drinking low sugar wine tasted just like unsweetened watermelon. Try this one in the summer, poolside, or as a healthier option after a workout.

Patrick's Rating: 3.5 Bros

2018 Scout & Cellar Fieldhouse Pinot Noir (California); $22.00 via Scout & Cellar Independent Distributors; 13.4 % Alc. by Vol.; Sugar 1.5 g/L

Vigo: Of all the selections, the 2018 Scout & Cellar Fieldhouse Pinot Noir was the most perplexing. The Fieldhouse Pinot Noir has a beautiful burgundy color with fast legs, which wasn't surprising based on its alcohol content. What surprised me was its taste. Though labeled a Pinot Noir, the Fieldhouse Pinot Noir tasted more like a Merlot. My confusion might stem from the earthliness this wine had on my palate, which I'm not accustomed to. During this tasting, I was constantly checking with Patrick to see if the bottle was labeled correctly. In his typical attorney fashion, Patrick responded, "Yes, it's a Pinot Noir, its right there on the bottle, Vigo." After receiving Patrick's confirmation, I got down to the task of making palate observations. The bottom line is, it is a good wine, but not a great wine. It pairs well with poultry and cheese and stands on its own when left to open a bit. The organic process can give those that love red wine the ability to drink and enjoy without worrying about pesticides, chemicals, or sulfites. However, if you are a traditional Pinot Noir drinker, this wine may not be for you.

Vigo Rating: 2 Bros

Patrick: I liked Scout & Cellar's 2018 Fieldhouse Pinot Noir more than Vigo did. The lack of added sugar and steel aging was immediately apparent. This wine shows more earthiness and much less fruit forwardness, oak, and baking spice than the typical California Pinot Noir. The wine was light-bodied, with medium cherry notes and very mild spice and pepper finish. It drank like an Old World, light-bodied red wine.

Patrick's Rating: 3 Bros

Patrick's Overall Impressions: I went into this tasting not knowing what to expect, and these 3 "Clean-Crafted" selections ended up exceeding my expectations. None were particularly complex. All were lighter-bodied than their traditional counterparts. None would win a blind taste at an international wine tasting event. That being said, each of these selections was flavorful, refreshing, and easy to drink. You could do worse than these wines. For health-conscious wine drinkers looking for relatively affordable, organic, and lighter options, these Scout & Cellar selections are solid choices.

Vigo's Overall Impressions: This is the second time I've sampled organic "Clean-Crafted" wines, and though more impressed this time than the last, I was still not a convert to organic wines yet. For those with sensitivity to the standard chemicals currently used in most wines as a preservative, this is a great alternative. Scout & Cellar provides an excellent selection of different types of wine at a very reasonable price, an anomaly for organic products.

We want your feedback!

Leave a comment, observation, critique, recommendation, or just say hello. Also, follow us out on Instagram @theuassumingwinebros and Facebook - The Unassuming Wine Bros - for more wine adventures, observations, pairings, and recommendations. We'd love to hear your input and suggestions. We can be reached via email at VigoandPatrick@gmail.com.

Scout & Cellar "Clean-Crafted" wine selections are not available in stores. They can be ordered from an independent consultant at https://scoutandcellar.com/sandys941

This article was originally published in "Around the Ranch" on February 17, 2021.

Rating System:

Vigo – / Patrick – UWB symbol. Ratings are given on a 1-5 scale, with five being the highest