Stop by the store and ask one of our friendly sales associates about this month's specials.

At its most basic level, Organic Wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides. While such vineyard practices are essential, the winemaking techniques should be organic as well; little or no manipulation of wines by reverse osmosis, excessive filtration, or flavor additives. Many organic winemakers also prefer wild yeasts for fermentation.

When a label says "organic," it means the wine has met certain standards that are set by a government agency. Different nations have their own certification criteria, so what defines organic in one country may not apply in another. Many wineries that are technically organic still choose not to be certified, often due to the added costs and bureaucracy of registering and maintaining their certification. Some certified organic wines are La Rocca Chardonnay [750 ml, $16.49], Cabernet [750 ml, $18.99], and Our Daily Red [750 ml, $10.99].

The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use, in extremely small quantities, to help stabilize wines, while others frown on them completely. In the United States, wines labeled "organic" cannot contain added sulfites. By this restriction, the vast majority of what we have referred to in the past as organic wines must now be referred to as "wines made from organic grapes" (or organically grown grapes), as they are allowed to contain up to 100 ppm of added sulfites. Such wines include Bonterra Cabernet [750 ml, $14.99] and Merlot [750 ml, $15.99].

The excessive attention given to the matter of whether sulfites have been added to wine (or not) serves to distract the public from much more important issues such as soil depletion and erosion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, ecological impact, resistance to pests, chemical dependence, and product standardization. Although there are no set standards, wineries that take the ecology of the vineyard into account, and try to minimize chemical treatments and energy use, are called "sustainable." For products made using sustainable farming try Honig Sauvignon Blanc [750 ml, $15.99].

The practice of Biodynamics in Viticulture has become popular in recent years in several growing regions. A number of very high-end, high-profile commercial growers have converted recently to biodynamic practices, and there are currently more than 450 biodynamic wine producers world-wide. The principles and practices of biodynamics are based on the spiritual/practical philosophy of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), called anthroposophy, which combines ecological and spiritual ideas. As a practical method of farming, biodynamics embodies the ideal of ever-increasing ecological self-sufficiency, but includes certain mystical considerations.

Some grape growers who have adopted biodynamic methods claim to have achieved improvements in the health of their vineyards, specifically in the areas of biodiversity, soil fertility, crop nutrition, and pest, weed, and disease management. However, a long-term study comparing biodynamic methods with general organic farming methods in different vineyard blocks at a commercial vineyard in California found no differences in soil quality, nor in the yield per vine, clusters per vine, and cluster and berry weight.

In a blind tasting of 10 pairs of biodynamic and conventionally-made wines, conducted by Fortune and judged by seven wine experts including a Master of Wine and head sommeliers, nine of the biodynamic wines were judged superior to their conventional counterpart. The biodynamic wines were found to have better expressions of terroir, the way in which a wine can represent its specific place of origin in its aroma, flavor, and texture. If you would like to try biodynamic wines for yourself, pick up a bottle of Jean Bousquet Chardonnay [750 ml, $11.99] or any of the fine Grgich Hills products [Grgich Hills Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 750 ml, $72.99].

Natural Wine is wine made with as little chemical and technological intervention as possible, either in the way the grapes are grown or the way they are made into wine. The concept of 'natural wine' is extremely controversial, particularly in the English-speaking world. Many critics reject it as misleading since is no established certification body and the term has no legal status. Winemakers who describe themselves as 'natural' often differ in what they consider to be an acceptable level of intervention.

Most definitions of natural wine include some or all of the following:

Hand-picked, organically or biodynamically grown grapes
Low-yielding vineyards.
No added sugars, no foreign yeasts
No fining or filtration
No adjustments for acidity
No other additives for mouth-feel, color, etc.
No micro-oxygenation or reverse osmosis
Little or no added sulphite

Among the 'natural' wines we sell are Cade Cabernet [750 ml, $69.99] and Sauvignon Blanc [750 ml, $32.99].

1.3 kg (approximately 2-1/2 to 3 pounds) mutton neck chops
4 medium carrots
4 medium onions
1 Tbsp butter
Pinch salt and pepper
600ml / 1 pint stock or water
4 potatoes
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped chives
Mutton fat or good drippings

Shred some of the mutton fat and render it down in a heavy casserole. Peel onions and potatoes, scrape carrots. Cut the meat into 8 pieces; only excess fat is cut away. Bones need not be removed. Cut the carrots and onions in quarters. Toss meat in fat until color changes and repeat with onions and carrots. Add stock and season. Put whole potatoes on top. Simmer gently until meat is cooked; about 2 hours. Pour off the cooking liquid. De-grease and reheat in another saucepan. Check seasoning, then swirl in butter, chives, parsley and pour back over stew.

Pairing recommendations: Burgundy

Visit our website and find more great recipes. Click here.

Each month West Meade Wine & Liquor Mart sponsors a free wine tasting at The Art Gallery at the Belle Meade Plantation. March's featured artist will be Barbara Donley. There will be hors d'ouvres and a great selection of new wines.

We will also sponsor a very special tasting at 360 Bar Bistro. This event will feature wines of the Figge Cellars. Seating is limited, so call 360 Bar Bistro to RSVP: (615) 353-5604. There will be a $15 charge at the door.

This will be a special tasting of wines from the Loring Wine Company, and can be paired with dinner. Seating is limited, so call 360 Bar Bistro to RSVP: (615) 353-5604. The charge is $20 for the tasting, or $85 for the tasting and dinner.

Irish whiskey (or in Irish: Fuisce or Uisce beatha) is Single Malt, Single Grain, Pure Pot Still, or Blended Whiskey made in Ireland. The word whiskey is an Anglicisation of the ancient Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life."

It is likely that missionary monks were making distilled 'medicinal' beverages when they arrived in Ireland over 1300 years ago. Poteen the Irish version of moonshine, was made in almost every hamlet, but as the British Empire grew so did an organized distilling industry. By the late 1900s, over 400 brands of Irish grain whiskey were being exported to every corner of the world.

At one time, all whisky was spelled without the extra "e," as "whisky". In the late 19th century, the reputation of Scottish whisky was very poor as Scottish distilleries flooded the market with cheaper spirits produced using the Coffey still. The Irish and American distilleries adopted the spelling "whiskey", with the extra "e", to distinguish their higher quality product. Today, the spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, Australia, and Japan, while whiskey is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and the United States.

Most Irish whiskey is distilled three times while Scotch is distilled twice. Peat is rarely used in the malting process, so that Irish Whiskey has a smoother finish as opposed to the smokey, earthy overtones common to some Scotches. Of course there are notable exceptions to these "rules" in both countries.

Whereas Scotland sustains approximately 90 distilleries, Ireland has only four. Economic difficulties over the last century have caused the consolidation of the Irish whiskey industry. Each distillary produces a number of different whiskeys. New Midleton Distillery makes Jamesons, Powers, Paddy, Midleton, Redbreast, and others. Old Bushmills Distillery (the oldest surviving licenced distillery in the world since gaining a licence from James I in 1608) makes all Old Bushmills, Black Bush, 1608, Bushmills 10-, 12- and 16- and 21-year-old single malts. Cooley Distillery offers Connemara, some Knappogues, (the '94 was by Bushmills) Michael Collins, Tyrconnell, and others. The recently reopened Kilbeggan distillery began distilling again in 2007.

Irish whiskey comes in several forms. Most Irish whiskey contains alcohol continuously distilled from malted and unmalted barley and other grain, but there are a few Irish single malt whiskies made from 100% malted barley distilled in a pot still. Grain whiskey is much lighter and more neutral in flavor than single malt. Most grain whiskey is used to blend with malt to produce a lighter blended whiskey.

Unique to Irish whiskey is the designation 'pure pot still' whiskey. All single malt Scotch is produced via pot still methods but single malt from Ireland is called 'pure pot still' to differentiate it from most other Irish whiskey. Pure pot still refers to whiskey made from 100% barley, mixed malted and unmalted, and distilled in a pot still. The green unmalted barley gives the traditional pure pot still whiskey a unique, spicy flavor. Usually no real distinction is made between whether a blended whiskey was made from malt whiskey or pure pot still. Only Redbreast, Green Spot, and some premium Jameson brands are pure pot still whiskies. All of these are distilled at Midleton.

Here are just a few of the fine Irish whiskey products we offer:

There are many articles about wine and spirits on our web site, www.WestMeadeWines.com. You can find them all by clicking here. You can also view our very popular Party Planning Guide.

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