Ten organic wines worth a try

Organic winemaking, as with food production, describes a specific method of farming, one that governs the use of chemicals in the process of cultivation. In other words, to produce an organic wine, man-made compounds cannot be used for the farming of the grapes or in the winemaking process.

That means no preservatives--even sulfur dioxide, the most common stabilizer added to wine--are used. (Though only very small amounts are used in nonorganic wines, and even organic wines contain minute amounts of sulfur dioxide, since it's a natural byproduct of the fermentation process.)

Does this make a wine taste better? Some say yes, some say no. The one near-constant among organic wines, however, is that the lack of sulfites often makes them easier to drink immediately after uncorking. Since there are no preservatives, the wine is, more or less, ready to drink right away; some consumers even say organic wines taste "pre-decanted."

So here's 10 'Green' wines worth a try:

1. Can Vendrell Cava, Penedès, Spain ($25, Organic)
2. Fleury, Champagne, France ($65, Biodynamic)
3. Mont Albano Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy ($17.50, Organic)
4. Louis Jadot, Beaujolais Blanc, France ($14.50, Organic)
5. Protero Viognier, South Australia ($38, Organic)
6. Bonterra Vineyards Rosé, Mendocino County, Calif. ($17, Organic)
7. Ukiah Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County, Calif. ($15, Sustainably Farmed)
8. Talmage 2006 Mariah Vineyards Syrah, Mendocino County, Calif. ($32, Sustainably Farmed)
9. Mendocino Farms 2004 Redvine Series, Mendocino County, Calif. ($25, Biodynamic)
10. Old River Vintners 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County, Calif. ($19, Organic)