11 of the Best Organic Red Wines We've Tried

Served at the annual Good and Green conference (co-sponsored in 2011 by The Daily Green and Good Housekeeping), Parducci wines are so good because the vintners take such good care of the land, according to owner Tim Thornhill. The Mendocino County, Calif., vineyards have been around since prohibition, but in recent years under Thornhill's tutelage, it has made sustainability part of its core mission, and now claims to be the nation's first carbon neutral winery (and its greenest, overall, a distinction that's difficult to measure). It's an energy- and water-efficient operation that draws its power from renewable sources and shuns chemical pesticides or fertilizers in favor of predatory insects for pest control, on-site owls for rodent control, homemade compost for fertilizer and other organic and biodynamic growing methods.

"I want more insects," Thornhill says, and, expanding on his water-, energy- and soil-saving practices, he adds: "I end up with a better wine in the end."

It's true. The 2008 Sustainable Red is an easy smooth-drinking wine described by Parducci as having "berry fruit flavors and spicy complexities" that pair well with pasta, pizza and flavorful cheese. ($11.50 at wine.com, $11-$14 at wines.com or $11 at parducci.com.)