Hello,
I've been reading about the chemical in plastics called BPA and learned that this plastic is sometimes used to line the casks that are used to store wine (I think that's how it was used).
For this reason apparently wine has a very high level of this chemical that they now feel is a carcinogen. Do you know if the organic wines are stored differently? Or have your wines been tested for this chemical? I've ordered your wines in the past, and I'd certainly want to order even more if I could confirm that yours are BPA-free.
Thank you!
Donna
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Hi Donna,

To my knowledge wine containers are made of
Concrete
Wood (oak, sweet chestnut)
Stainless steel
Steel or concrete covered with a special polymer paint suited for food
Fiberglass (epoxy resin + glass fibers)
This is what is used and accepted for organic wines
I have seen small containers of plastic used for carrying wine, not storing it. It is always an accepted material for alcohol products.

Now with advanced knowledge basically there is no safe container as even glass could contain lead residues and stainless containers have electric charges creating problems of their own. It's just a matter of how hard you want to look into something to find its drawbacks! You've got to own a very high level degree of chemistry and biochemistry to inquire about the thousands different products coming out, provided you have the time and money to do the proper research. It is a maddening search! All I can say is that our producers and all organic ones for sure are particularly concerned and attentive to this kind of thing on top of having stringent regulations.
It's a crazy world and we can only aim for a reasonable amount of risk without turning completely paranoid! There is no reason why this BPA would show up in our wines but I would not be able to give you a certificate for that!

Sincerely

Dr Mic

Subject: Château Véronique

Hi there

FYI you cannot write "estate bottled" if it is a "Mis en Bouteille à la propriété", it is a consumer confusion. "Estate Bottled = mis en bouteille au château".

Best,
Stephane
PS: You can send me a case for my advice:-)!
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Thank you Stephane! I would be interested to know the official text where you read that information. To my knowledge there is no legal difference between the 2 in French. It can be a winery with or without a Château or a family property. The legal information this is carrying is that the wine has been bottled on the premises where it was made and not carried in a container to a different facility, rented or otherwise, used for the bottling process. The idea is that carrying the wine elsewhere exposes it to further physical stress and increases potential exposure to contaminants or mistakes or even frauds.
Estate bottled means that the wine maker assumed the complete responsibility of the wine from the vine to the bottle and implies a guarantee of quality and origin. The fact that there is or not a building that one can call a Château is irrelevant to the quality and therefore not misleading the consumer. Finally there is about 10 times more labels with the term Château than there is actual buildings in the properties! And my information is probably dated!
Most Bordeaux properties for instance use several Château names as brand names for different quality levels whereas there is only One "Château" to speak of!

Sincerely

Dr Mic

Dear Michel,
My husband Danny recently purchased a case of 12 assorted red bottles of wine.
Unfortunately one of the three bottles of Savignac Merlot was spoiled. The top of the wine bottle was sticky when we removed the foil and the cork looks as though wine has leaked through. We have not opened the bottle. What should we do?
Thank you
Fionna
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Dear Fionna,

For some reason this has been happening with the Savignac. Sometimes it has to do with the temperature or weather conditions at the time of bottling or other factors difficult to comprehend. The thing to watch is the level of wine in the bottle. If there one inch of air under the cork, then the wine that has run out might have been in excess and pushed out by dilatation. The wine could still be good and it’s worth opening. If it does not smell good it’s an easy diagnostic!

If there is a significant loss of liquid, the cork is likely the culprit and too much air has come inside the bottle with an assured disastrous effect on the wine itself. Well sometimes it can turn into a good vinegar so it’s always worth checking!

Let me know if the wine is undrinkable and I will refund you on your previous order or add a bottle to your next one, your choice.

Dr Mic

I am seriously allergic to eggs and milk and have found that many wines are treated with the aforementioned- they make me ill. Are your wines so treated?- I would appreciate your honesty in a response? I so would love to go back to a glass of good wine per day.

Ruth
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You will find in the Vegan wines section wines made without any animal products which should eliminate all potential risk for you.

Even though an allergy sufferer needs a minute amount of a product to trigger a reaction I doubt very much though that the amount of egg white or milk found in a wine could be responsible for such a reaction. Albumin or casein may be used to clarify red wines but they do not become part of the wine. They are added in small quantities, taken out and then filtered out! The possibility of residue on the wine is close to zero. But since we offer a reasonable choice of vegan wines you will be safe starting with those!

At your service

Dr Mic

We have now become so spoiled with the wonderful taste of your wines that nothing else tastes good! It is often difficult to make a decision on which ones to order, they all have their special taste and aroma. It must be wonderful to go into your wine cellars and take your pick of the day. What fun!
Again, thanks.
Janet
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You are welcome, Janet! This is the kind of reward we are looking for: to make you discover and enjoy new and wonderful wines and the people behind them!

DrMic

I have msg sensitivity and recently discovered that wine grapes are sprayed with Auxi Gro which is another name for msg.

Do you use this product in your grape growing process?

Thank you for your assistance.

Barbara
Sacramento, Ca
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Hi Barbara,

I understand your concern as the invasion of chemical products is growing by the day. All synthetic chemicals are banned from organic agriculture and growth factors (hormones and the like) like the type you mention are definitely out of the question.
However the formula for Auxi Gro includes L Glutamic Acid which is at least the natural form found in living things. The D glutamic Acid is the one posing problems therefore I would not say that Auxi Gro is similar to Monosodium Glutamate. Also the presence of this product in the final wine seems extremely unlikely since it is applied during the growing season and has all chances to be utilized or destroyed by the time the grapes are harvested and the wine made.

In any case choosing organic wines is always a smart move for your health!

All the best
DrMic

Greetings from a very dissatisfied customer

When I opened the 1st bottle of Chateau Veronique I recently ordered from you, I found sediment in my glass about half-way through. I emptied the rest to test it and found a shocking amount of heavier sediment. I had bought this wine for a party because I did think it excellent wine. Now I will be forced to buy more wine from a winery I can trust because, of course, I can't trust that your Chateau Veronique will be any good. So what should I do about the 5 unopened bottles?

Clo
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Dear Clo,

I understand your concern and will try to answer to the best of my ability. The presence of sediments in a bottle has nothing to do with its quality. In fact there is a growing number of vintners who offer unfined and/or unfiltered wines precisely with the viewpoint that heavy filtration is taking away from the integrity of the wine. If you had the opportunity to taste a wine before and after filtration you would understand why people are debating this matter.

Depending upon temperature conditions while traveling or storing wine a certain amount of precipitation can happen in any bottle, even if it has been filtered, which is probably what has happened with this Veronique bottling. There are a number of factors influencing the amount of deposits. The only real "drawback" is that you have to pour the wine slowly and not shake the bottle to avoid putting the precipitate back in suspension. It does not alter the taste of the wine in any way. You can also pour the wine in a different jar. This is called decanting and was traditionally done for all great wines kept in a cellar.

It is true that to please the consumer's perception of and request for cleanliness the tendency has been to filter heavily all products, however in the organic field you will find more cases of products left raw or lightly treated. Did you find any difference in taste? I bet not and the rest of the bottles should be just as good unless of course there is a problem from the cork.

My sense is that with a little precaution pouring the wine you should find the wine as excellent as you knew it was and if that is not the case we will refund you as advertised.

DrMic