Waitrose Italian Organic Bianco Moncaro 2007 Marche Full Review
Posted: 30 April 2008 by Rikke Bruntse-Dahl
When wine expert Chris Stroud put his eye, nose and mouth -- in that order -- to this organic white wine from Waitrose, his response was: "It's got a pinkish tint to it. Looks clear and bright, which shows there's nothing wrong with it. It's got nice citrus and is leafy and grassy on the nose, but it's not dominant at all. Quite bitter on the palate and it's sharp with good acidity. It's not a personal favourite, but it's pleasant and a good, typical Italian white wine that's easy to drink. The flavours stick around [in the mouth] for a little while, which is nice."
We couldn't smell any leaves or grass, but thought it was incredibly fresh. It tasted slightly of strawberries and we completely agreed with Stroud that it's a pleasant, easy-to-drink wine. We wouldn't serve it at a dinner party, but can imagine it being very good for everyday dinners and for BBQs, picnics and lazy afternoons in the sun.
While it just says 'Italian' on the bottle, the Waitrose wine website tells us it's made from a mix of Verdicchio and Trebbiano grapes, which have been organically grown to the organic standards of Italy's IMC Instituto Mediterranea di Certificazione. The bottle isn't made from recycled glass, but can of course be recycled when the last drop has been drunk. According to Waitrose the cork comes from a sustainable source, which we're pleased with. As is the general theme for our wine reviews, there doesn't seem to be much info on the growers and wine-makers and how green and ethical (or not) their work is, which is a shame.
We're impressed with Waitrose as a supermarket generally, though. It's a responsible retailer and does well at educating interested customers on areas such as organic farming. It talks about organic wine in particular and about organic food generally on its website. As a retailer, it's very committed to promoting organics in general, by supporting organic research and development, for example. Definitely a good move.
On the ethical front, we can't find anything specifically related to its organic wine, but again as a company Waitrose shows commitment to responsible sourcing, which includes "providing the best possible conditions for workers". We take this to mean wine-makers and grape-pickers for Waitrose's own brand wines have good working conditions, too.
This wine is just an all-round, nothing-special but absolutely acceptable organic white with regards to quality, value and green credentials. It doesn't offend us at all, but doesn't excite us either. At just over a fiver, we do think we get a good deal, though.
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
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