Spork and Knife

The cute little flying insects you occasionally make wishes upon have amplified their powers and brought to the world a very enjoyable wine. Ok, so they didn’t actually produce the stuff, but they played a critical role.

Using ladybugs to keep pests from the vines, Lolonis winery has been avoiding chemicals and bringing the world a very drinkable and inexpensive wine for over 20 years. To think…you can promote organic practices while enjoying a glass of vino.

I personally volunteer to help save the planet one glass at a time!

I was introduced to the wine a few nights ago, where I was fortunate enough to attend a dinner party at a true foodie’s house.  While we were nibbling on the hazelnut encrusted smoked salmon, feta stuffed olives and marinated artichoke hearts my host pulled out a cute little bottle dotted with red and black insects.

First reaction-It’s knee jerk, I’ll admit it. I’m thinking, “Ladybugs, really?” And on top of that, “organic?” I’m the first person to get behind green friendly practices, but for some reason, when it comes to wine I’m skeptical of such a pairing.  I should have known that my host would never serve a sub-par vino.  After all, there was a wine closet just off of the dining room.  It’s a safe bet that if someone spends the time, effort and money to build a temperature correct storage space they probably take their wine drinking seriously.

After the first sip I knew I’d be blogging later.  Running anywhere from $9-$13 a bottle, Ladybug red table wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Carignane, Merlot and Cabernet that combines to give you a soft textured wine with strong blackberry notes and hints of pepper and smokiness.

I’m sure the look on my face was that of shock because I honestly did not expect for such a good wine to come from something named ladybug.  A strange notion, but one I still entertain. 

It paired nicely with our Sicilian style dinner of lamb ragu and homemade pasta, but I’d imagine it would pair nicely with most pasta or light dishes.  Ladybug is the first, but hopefully not only organic wine that I’ve put on my list of “good bottles to have around.”    It’s very affordable, helps the environment and most importantly it’s a darn good drinking wine. 

As for this notion of ladybug taint, I tasted nothing but pleasantries in my  two ok maybe three glasses.  The first glass was for pleasure, the second for research and the third…I have no excuse.