If anything could kill the joy of a good glass of wine, I’d have to say it’s the thought of pesticides, sulfurous acids, and other chemicals in my favorite drink. This being said, with the holidays just around the corner, many people will be consuming these three lovely additives without even realizing it—in their glass of wine.

Have no fear.  As a wine lover and someone who values what I ingest in my body, I have found an alternative to the traditional celebratory toasting beverage: organic wine.

Organic wine is made with organic grapes, which are held to strict criteria.  Organic foods must be certified before they can be labeled “organic”--this means they are not allowed to be sprayed with harmful pesticides and chemicals. In your search for wines made with organic grapes, be sure to read the labels carefully. Some wines, while claiming to be “made with organic grapes,” may not be made with 100% organic grapes.

Another bonus to seeking a conventional wine alternative is that organic wines contain less sulfites than the conventional alternatives. “Sulfites are salts or sulfurous acids which occur naturally in many wines. It is very rare to find a wine without sulfites. Added sulfites are generally used for preservation of wines.”

Organic wine makers do not add the additional sulfites.

And the final reason to drink organic wine (and you better believe I use this one often!) is that wine contains antioxidants, which makes it beneficial to the heart. Studies show that “a moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by 30 to 50 percent.” While the traditional glass of wine is still good for the heart, organic wine has the added bonus of being good for the heart, minus the toxins.

But don’t take my word for it, check out some different brands of organic wine.  My personal favorite is Frey wine, a domestic from California.  Do some of your own, "hands on" research (*tasting*).

I can’t think of anything I love more than a fine glass of wine. Its one of those things I can justify on every occasion: “I worked really hard today, I earned this.” “I had the worst day ever, I deserve the pick me up.” “I got the promotion! Let’s celebrate...” You get my point.

But I also consider myself a responsible drinker. I drink wine in moderation, I never drive after more than one glass, and I purchase the ever-so-classy, but more importantly, eco-friendly boxed wine.

photo credit: George Marks / Getty Images / Photo Illustration Gloria Dawson

I know what you are thinking—“Gross! There’s a reason why Box O’ Wine is cheap.” Not so quick, my friends. As a responsible and environmentally savvy wine lover, I’m here to tell you the times are changing.

One reason to go boxed has to do with cork. Fine wine used to be a long process, but with modern technology, wine production is being accelerated all over the world. This has created a greater demand for cork. “In years past, cork was harvested from trees eight to ten years old. Now corks are made from four year old trees grown in forests which are too large due to increasing demand,” reports Steve Swan of Bay Crossing.

These younger corks have a tendency to contain a “dead spot" little pocket of bad cork, which reacts with the wine as it rests in the bottle creating a compound known as 246 Trichloricanisol. This compound causes the wine to be tainted, aka, “corked wine.”

Another reason try to boxed wine is because there are now many more brands to choose from (meaning you don’t have to resort to Almaden-- ew).

French rabbit Chardonnay tastes great and its packaging is made of 70% paperboard, a renewable resource. They also plant one tree for every 4 wines sold!

Three Thieves Bandit Pinot Grigio is another fav, whose wine comes in “lightweight, portable and eco-smart containers.”

And anything from Boho Vineyards is delicious, whose 3L Premium Cask package outer cardboard shell is made from 95% recycled material with soy-based printing inks and results in 85% less landfill waste. 

Still not convinced about boxed wine? Check out these reviews

Cheers, to earning that glass of wine and protecting the environment!