If you still haven’t made a green resolution for Earth Month, here’s a fun one to try: Become an eco-friendly wine expert. All you have to do is stop by Pourtal wine bar in Santa Monica this month to take tasting tours of sustainable wines from around the world.

The already eco-friendly wine bar‘s taking things a green step farther this April with two green Tasting Tours — Eco-friendly Whites, Eco-friendly Reds — each with eight wines from around the world. The eco-practices of these wineries are as varied as the wines themselves. Some are organic, biodynamic, LEED and/or Salmon Safe certified — while others have decided to farm sustainably without seeking certification.
All are fun to try though. I stopped by yesterday to try the white tour with the help of detailed tasting notes (PDFs here; printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper in the bar) and Pourtal’s sommelier, Rachel Bryan (below), who’s around most days to guide you through tastings and advise you on wine pairings with Pourtal’s farmers’ market-driven menu.

My favorite was the Donkey and Goat “Isabel’s Cuvée” Rosé — pleasantly fruity without being cheaply oversweetened as typical rosés tend to be. I also loved the Philippe Bornard “Les Chassagne” Savignin, a unique biodynamic wine from Jura, France that’s nutty and complex.
Rachel’s favorite of the tour is the Scholium Project “Prince in His Caves” Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma, a very floral wine that’s almost strange in its unique mix of fruity, nutty, and earthy flavors. “If I had one domestic wine I had to drink, it would be this one,” says Rachel. “It offers so much complexity and stimulation on your palate. And this is one wine that really opens up.”
One-ounce pours of the eco-friendly white wines range from $2.40 to $5; a taste of all 8 white wines on the tour will run you $28.20. The red tour’s a little pricier, with pours priced between $2.40 and $9.90 — but offers a rare taste of the Cade “Howell Mountain” Estate Cabernet — a bottle of which would run you $100.

Stop by Pourtal any time this month to try these eco-friendly tasting tours, using the enomatic machines that let you taste at your own pace. Just buy a tasting card for whatever sum fits your budget, pop it in the slot atop the machines, then press the button for the wine you want to taste — and you’ll get a one-ounce pour. Sip the ounce at your own speed, then repeat!

For a more in-depth education on eco-friendly wineries, get yourself to one of Pourtal’s many special events happening this month. The first event — An evening with Alma Rosa — happens tomorrow, Thurs., April 8. Arrive any time between 7 pm and 9 pm to taste the latest releases from Alma Rosa, a winery from California’s Santa Rita Hills that practices sustainable and organic farming. Cost: $15.
Other events include:
>> Special Eco-event with Whole Foods and Ampellos Winery on Wed., April 21 from 7 pm – 9 pm. Enjoy specialty foods from Whole Foods paired with wine from Ampellos. Cost: $15.
>> Earth Day Celebration with Frog’s Leap Winery on Thurs., April 22 from 7 pm – 9 pm. Enjoy wine from the solar-powered, LEED Certified, geothermal, and dryfarmed Winery. Cost: TBA.
>> Food & Wine Pairing Salon with Helena Centerwall on Tues., April 27 from 7 pm – 8:30 pm. Enjoy a special tasting flight with wine educator Helena, who’ll explain “the art & science of pairing.” Cost: $20.
Check Pourtal’s website for more details and updates. Love organic wine but can’t afford to drink in this economy? Get creative and think up a promotion for Pourtal’s One-Year Anniversary on Thurs., April 29. If your idea wins, you’ll get a $50 tasting card to drink as you please.
Earlier: Pourtal — A Sustainable wine bar with farmers’ market nibbles



awesome! Thanks for the info Siel! Drooling.
Comment by jeannie — April 7, 2010 @ 11:09 am
Pourtal’s only a bus ride away from you, I think :)
Comment by Siel — April 14, 2010 @ 2:30 pm
Definitely a worthy goal and wine is shipped so far, often by truck and in heavy glass containers, that make for a bad environmental combo. We saw a Paso Robles winery (Denner) that is running almost completely on solar power, cutting their AC bill by 85% during the summer-it’s those kind of choices that should not only help keep prices down, but help the environment as well.
Comment by Mark's Wine Clubs — April 16, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Eco-friendly wine tasting? It’s great way to spend your free time. Thanks for the blog post! Pressing a button to get wine is one easy and hassle free wine tasting!
Comment by Heritage Link Brands — December 1, 2010 @ 7:41 pm