It has taken a whole year and many hours of negotiation, but finally on Friday morning all the member states of the European Union have agreed: the continent will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). It has taken several hours of sleeplessness, in a debate that has dragged on into the night, to be able to add countries like Poland, still highly dependent on fossil fuels, to the bargain.
However, just one day before the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, which on December 12 2015, brought together all the world’s governments to keep global warming below 2°C (or 1.5°C as a desirable goal), the European Union has agreed to raise its 40% emissions cut to 55%. The European Parliament was asking for 60% and NGOs were going further by demanding 65%, but the agreed reduction of more than half the emissions in ten years is consistent with what scientists believe is right.
The new 55% goal will finally be included in the European climate law, which was presented in April without this point due to lack of agreement from the East, and will also be presented as a renewed objective to the UN at the first climate summit, COP26, to be held next year in Glasgow (UK) after having to postpone it for a year due to the covid-19.
To achieve this, however, Poland has kept heads of state and governments up all night. From Thursday evening until this Friday morning at 8am, the heads of state and governments meeting in Brussels had not managed to convince the Polish government (the country is highly dependent on coal) to sign up to the commitment to reduce CO2 emissions 55% by 2030. Poland had already been an obstacle at the previous year’s summit, when it disassociated itself from the final conclusions, in which Europe committed itself to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
This time, what Poland was asking for was guarantees that it would receive sufficient European funds to carry out the energy transition that this commitment requires. It should be remembered that Poland was also one of the countries (along with Hungary) that vetoed the European budgets and the coronavirus recovery funds. Mateusz Morawiecki has become one of the protagonists of this last 2020 summit, complicating two key negotiations until the very end: the EU budget, and the climate goals.
According to European sources, one of the most sensitive issues, beyond the guarantees requested by Poland, has been the establishment of national goals by economic sectors. In fact, the objective of reducing emissions 55% by 2030 is global for the entire Union, which means that if Poland does not reach the necessary figure it can be compensated by another country that has managed to cut its emissions further. In this sense, it has been implicitly agreed that leaders will have to address the issue again in future meetings to give “additional recommendations” to governments.
For this reason, the Polish people have the Just Transition Fund, which must help them financially to make the energy transition to end their dependence on coal, and at the same time the need to make all these changes while “preserving the EU’s competitiveness and taking into account the different starting points and specific national circumstances and reduction potential of the different member states” is strongly emphasised.
The controversies
During the early morning negotiations, the French representatives joined with the Eastern European representatives to get a clause included in the text that accepts “transitional technologies” such as gas among those eligible for subsidies, an element that has outraged climate NGOs such as Greenpeace. The agreed text defends “the right of member states to decide their energy mix and choose the most appropriate technologies to collectively achieve the climate objective by 2030, including transitional technologies such as gas”.
For Greenpeace EU climate advisor Sebastian Mang, the agreement reached on Friday “shows that political expediency takes precedence over climate science, and that most politicians are still afraid to attack big polluters. Without further action, the EU’s climate targets will allow oil and gas companies to survive, they will not transform the way we produce food fast enough to stop the climate emergency”. In fact, Greenpeace criticizes the lack of ambition because without new measures, emissions would already be reduced by 46% by 2030. Instead, they believe that in order to stop the climate “catastrophe” it is necessary to cut them by 65%. It should be remembered that the EP was asking for 60%.
The new 2030 target is in fact the start of the EU’s journey to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 (emitting as much as it absorbs), in compliance with the Paris Agreement. The agreement can help Europe regain lost leadership in the global climate fight and adds to the good news of the change of administration in the United States, since Joe Biden will once again ratify the Paris Agreement, which Donald Trump had been unhappy about. However, the new Biden administration will have to work hard to reverse Trump’s denialist policies, which have wasted precious time for the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Yet the world’s largest emitter, China, has so far only committed to peak emissions (to start reducing them) by 2030, even though it is expected to present more ambitious commitments than this at the next COP26. Without the effort of all international actors, the EU’s cut will do little to keep the planetary thermometer at bay.
A HERVEY Bay author has been included in a statewide project that aims to instil a love of reading in children aged up to five years.
Shae Millward wrote “Koalas Like To …” especially for the State Library of Queensland project, which was launched this week.
Ms Millward said the koala is the faunal emblem of Queensland and that provided her with the inspiration for the picture book.
It is her second published picture book after “A Boy and a Dog” and both books are available to borrow from Fraser Coast Libraries.
Ms Millward said she was extremely honoured to be chosen to participate in the project but was initially cautious because she received the first phone call about it on April Fool’s Day.
“I loved the idea of the First 5 Forever Stories for Little Queenslanders project from the moment I found out about it,” she said.
“I love books, reading, writing, stories, libraries, Queensland, being involved with promoting early childhood literacy and supporting a love of books and reading from a young age – and this project includes the lot.”
Ms Millward said the koala is the faunal emblem of Queensland and that provided her with the inspiration for the picture book.
It is her second published picture book after “A Boy and a Dog” and both books are available to borrow from Fraser Coast Libraries.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour congratulated Shae on being selected to be part of the project.
“Each of the 12 books included in the project has been created exclusively by authors and illustrators with a connection to Queensland,” he said.
“They have an attention to language designed to promote early literacy; and help children develop a sense of identity and belonging by connecting with their environment and local communities.
“The books are available to borrow for free at each of our five branches.”
Library members can find the titles included in the project by searching “First 5 Forever Stories for Little Queenslanders” in the library catalogue: catalogue.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/Montage/ Ebook and eaudiobook versions of the titles are also available for free via the First 5 Forever website: slq.qld.gov.au/first5forever/books.
The books have been published and supplied to libraries by the State Library as part of the Queensland Government-funded First 5 Forever initiative.
A limited number of copies are available for sale through the State Library of Queensland shop: shop.slq.qld.gov.au.
Local leaders: EU Member States must raise climate
ambitions and agree at least 55% carbon emissions
reduction target for 2030
Local and regional leaders stressed today that
Europe must draw the right lessons from the
COVID-19 crisis and pave the way for a green
recovery by empowering its cities and regions to
lead the fight against climate change. This message
emerged from the debate of the Members of the
European Committee of the Regions with Svenja
Schulze, German Federal Minister for the
Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear
Safety. The European Committee of the Regions also
called on all the EU27 Heads of State and
Government to raise their ambition and agree this
week on at least a 55% emissions reducing target
for 2030.
At this week’s European Council meeting, leaders of the
27 EU Member States will seek agree on a new EU
emissions reduction target for 2030. The European
Commission’s proposes to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by at least 55% by 2030 in relation to 1990 levels, a
position supported by the European Committee of the
Regions. During the Committee’s virtual plenary debate,
leaders of EU regions, cities and villages highlighted
that the COVID crisis should not hinder the EU’s
commitment to tackling the climate and biodiversity
crises by setting a new more ambitious 2030 target. The
successful implementation of the European Green Deal –
the EU’s new growth strategy – must be turned into
concrete projects locally
and be based on a decentralised approach.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
, President of the European Committee of the Regions,
and Governor of Central Macedonia in Greece,
said
: “Our economy and our climate are at breaking point:
we need a balanced, just and green European recovery
for every region, city and village. EU member states
must agree to cutting carbon emissions by at least 55%
by 2030 and approve the EU’s long-term budget and
recovery plans without delay. This is crucial to pave
the way to a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050 and to
guarantee a rapid transition to more sustainable
economies, protecting jobs and creating new
opportunities.”
Speaking at the CoR plenary session on 8 December, Federal Minister Svenja Schulze said:
“Just as in the fight against COVID-19, we know a key
success factor in environmental and climate policy:
good cooperation between all political levels -
European, national, regional and local. The Green Deal
is the strategy for the economic relaunch of Europe,
making it more resilient, competitive and liveable. It
is essential that the Member States reach an agreement
soon on the Multiannual Financial Framework and the
Recovery and Resilience Facility, which includes huge
expenditure on climate protection and biodiversity.”
Mayor of Seville Juan Espadas (ES/PES)
, chair of the CoR’s
ENVE Commission
, said: “The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is an
opportunity to rebuild Europe in a sustainable way and
to accelerate the much needed ecological transition. We
have no time to waste, whether it be to save our
economies with a strong European budget or to implement
bold climate actions. The 2030 Climate Target Plan can
become one of the major achievements of this Presidency
this week. Cities and regions are ready to act.”
Showing the German government’s commitment to a strong
local and regional involvement in climate policy, the
current Council Presidency – which will end its 6-month
term on 31 December – requested two opinions from the
CoR. The
first of them
assesses the opportunities of precautionary adaptation
to climate change and urges the European Commission to
develop a new EU Adaptation Strategy with clear goals
and indicators in line with the principles of active
subsidiarity and proportionality.
Rapporteur Markku Markkula (FI/EPP),
Chair of Espoo City Board and former CoR President
(2015-2017), said: “Political leadership should treat
climate change as an emergency that needs to be tackled
collectively with innovative measures breaking down
silos and barriers and integrating mitigation and
adaptation policies. This means raising the climate
ambition bar much higher than the EU is discussing
today and providing cities and regions with the tools
necessary to develop territory-based solutions. No
adaptation policy will work unless it takes into
account the needs, views and expertise of regions and
cities.”
The
second opinion
, which focuses on the impact of climate change in
regions and provides a first assessment of the Green
Deal, will be presented on Wednesday by rapporteur Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA). The member
of the Flemish parliament said: “The Green Deal will be
successful only if it regions and cities are at its
core. Although several regions and cities have adopted
energy transition plans or Local Green Deals, these are
rarely reflected in national plans and strategies. We
stand ready to work with the Commission and its Joint
Research Centre to set up a Regional European
Scoreboard to monitor and track progress in the
implementation of climate and Green Deal related
legislation, policies and financing at regional level.”
Background information
At the European Council meeting this week (10-11
December), the leaders of the 27 EU Member States will
seek agree on a new EU emissions reduction target for
2030. This would allow the EU to submit its updated
nationally determined contribution to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change before
the end of 2020. The European Commission’s Climate
Target Plan for 2030 proposes to cut greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 55% in relation to 1990 levels, a
position supported by the European Committee of the
Regions.
In this interview, Guido Milana (IT/PES) answers five questions on Farm to Fork , the new strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system in the EU. The municipal councillor from Olevano Romano and former Member of the European Parliament calls for a radical change in food production and consumption, starting with a shift to greener production systems that respect biodiversity and ecology principles. The rapporteur of the opinion ‘From Farm to Fork: the local and regional dimension ‘ stresses that COVID-19 makes it even more urgent to move towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. The opinion is to be adopted during the December 2020 plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions.
The European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions are joining forces to develop a new partnership to increase support to the work on integration that is performed by EU cities and regions. The partnership was announced by the President of the Committee of the Regions (COR), Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, at today’s COR plenary session.
The outcome of the European Council and its failure to adopt sanctions against Turkey was strongly criticised by main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance in an announcement on Friday, while it also accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakos of being “incapable” of protecting Greece’s interests.
<p>"Yesterday's European Council conclusions are the worst possible result for Greece and prove that Mr. Mitsotakis is completely incapable of defending the sovereign rights and interests of the country, at the most critical moment," SYRIZA said.</p><aside id="viral-news" class="links-tracker-container" data-area="Viral"/><p>The party's statement noted that "in 2020 we saw the most serious escalation of Turkish aggression since the time of Imia, with Turkey blatantly violating Greek sovereign rights by conducting illegal drilling for almost four months and coming within a few nautical miles of Kastellorizo and Rhodes."
However, SYRIZA noted, “not only do we have the third [EU] summit on Turkey in four months that has failed to adopt sanctions,” – much less the harsh sanctions claimed by the government – “but a clear message has once again been sent of tolerance for Turkey’s aggression, which is free to intensify its violations until the eve of the European Council in March 2021, which is not even going to discuss ‘sanctions or measures’ but only ‘tools and options’.”
SYRIZA also underlined that the EU has once again “collectively shown itself unable to rise to the occasion and to support a member-state, or to negotiate effectively with a strong neighbouring country.” In the wake of these events, SYRIZA said , “the need for a return to a structured national strategy in Greek-Turkish affairs is greater than ever, given Mr. Mitsotakis’ catastrophic diplomatic failure but also the major international developments, realignments and processes that will take place in our region in 2021, which will obviously concern us.”
SYRIZA warned that “if Greece continues during the crucial year of 2021 with the same policy as in 2020, the consequences for the country and the Republic of Cyprus will be extremely serious and long-lasting.”
President von der Leyen to present new EU emissions reduction target to international partners at ‘High Ambition Summit’
European Commission Factsheet Brussels, 11 Dec 2020 Higher Climate Ambition For Europe and the World
Today, EU Heads of State or Government approved a new and more ambitious net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% for 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The Commission had proposed this new target in September 2020, to put the EU on a balanced path towards climate neutrality by 2050. President Ursulavon der Leyen said: “I am delighted that, together with the German Presidency, we were able today to reach an agreement on the proposal for a new EU climate target. We will reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Today’s agreement puts us on a clear path towards climate neutrality in 2050. It gives certainty to investors, to businesses, to public authorities and to citizens. It future-proofs our Union. All EU countries should benefit from the transition – with economic growth, a cleaner environment, and healthier citizens. The European Green Deal will be our growth strategy.” Making Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050 is the main objective of the European Green Deal, the EU’s new growth strategy which was adopted one year ago today. The new target EU leaders have committed to is a necessary step towards climate neutrality and provides much needed certainty to our economies. Following the EU’s leadership, governments around the world have made a number of important announcements to boost the fight against climate change in recent months. Tomorrow, President von der Leyen will present the new EU target to other global leaders, along with President Charles Michel and a few other European leaders, at the High Ambition Summit held to mark the five year anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the countdown to the COP26 in Glasgow next year. A factsheet on the Paris Agreement and EU climate diplomacy and a factsheet on the first anniversary of the European Green Deal are available online. The President’s full remarks following the European Council are available to read and watch back online. (For more information: Vivian Loonela – Tel.: +32 229 66712; Tim McPhie – Tel: +32 229 58602; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel: +32 229 74959; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tel: +32 229 81325; Daniela Stoycheva – Tel.: +32 229 53664)
(Photo: REUTERS / Bobby Yip)Cardinal Joseph Zen (C), an outspoken critic of Beijing, along with other protesters takes part in a demonstration to demand religious freedom in China outside the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong July 11, 2012.
Hong Kong pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai, a committed Catholic, has been charged under the territory’s controversial new national security law described as political intimidation by a prominent clerical critic of Beijing.
Lai appeared in court on Dec. 12 to faces charges of colluding with foreign forces, Aljazeera reported and he will have to stay in custody for the next four months as he was denied bail.
The 73-year-old Lai struggled to walk as he was led into the West Kowlood Court in handcuffs and chained, flanked by two police officers.
Lai, is accused of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security, and could face a lengthy jail term, the BBC reported.
Former Legislative Council members, Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, as well as a few protesters, showed up in court to express their support for Lai.
Lai’s main charge is colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security when he called for sanctions against Hong Kong authorities and China from July to December this year.
Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper and is an unflinching critic of the authorities in Beijing.
The Chinese authorities have said the new security law will return stability to the territory after a year of unrest, but critics say it has silenced dissent.
Retired Hong Kong bishop Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun warned that the recent arrest of Jimmy Lai shows a rise in “political intimidation” against journalists in Hong Kong.
He said it is part of a systematic erosion of basic freedoms, including religious freedom, by the Chinese government in recent months.
ZEN INTERVIEW
In an interview with Catholic News Agency (CNA) Zen said the arrest of Lai, a pro-democracy advocate and the founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper was the most recent example of Chinese Communist authorities attempting to stifle a free press.
Lai was charged Dec 2. with breaching the terms of a lease for his company, Next Digital Media.
Lai has previously been arrested and jailed for pro-democracy advocacy, under the terms of the new Hong Kong National Security Law, imposed on the territory in July.
Last week, Lai, along with two Next Digital executives, was arrested for allegedly breaching the terms of Next Digital’s land lease at its headquarters building. The other executives were released the following day, but Lai was denied bail.
“It’s obviously a case of political intimidation,” Cardinal Zen told CNA, noting that Lai’s treatment by local authorities was a public warning to others.
“Jimmy Lai is obviously the one who runs the only newspaper which is still completely free.
“You know many other papers are bought by people on the side of government, there may still be some respectable reporters working for them but at the right moment they can suppress everything,” said Zen.
“So, there is a clear policy direction: suppress the freedom of expression.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet was questioned about the situation in Hong Kong at a press conference in Geneva on Dec. 9
“I’m concerned about the rapidly shrinking civic and democratic space, especially since the passage of the National Security Law,” she said.
“A year ago, in the midst of mass protests in Hong Kong, I had called for a broad open, inclusive dialogue to resolve the situation. Regrettably, the space has been closing rather than opening. Recent convictions of activists for protests that took place last year risk causing a wider, chilling effect of the exercise of fundamental freedoms,
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has historically had a strong independent judiciary. I call on judicial authorities to apply laws in conformity with the Hong Kong’s human rights obligations,” said Bachelet.
BRUSSELS: European Union countries agreed a new climate change target for the bloc on Friday after haggling through the night in Brussels, pulling the political trigger on a policy revamp to make every sector greener.
Leaders of the 27 member states agreed to cut their net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, substantially toughening an existing 40% target.
The EU wants to reach “net zero” emissions by 2050, a deadline that scientists say the world must meet to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
European Council President Charles Michel, who chaired the talks, called the EU the leader in the fight against climate change, and said the target had been hard-fought, but was “credible”.
The EU will present its target at a United Nations global virtual summit on Saturday.
The EU emissions trading market already seeks to put a price on the carbon emissions that drive climate change.
The price of permits rose to an all-time high above 31 euros a tonne on Friday, on expectations that the supply of permits would be cut, to force deeper emissions cuts.
The target is a compromise between wealthier, mostly western and Nordic EU countries that want more ambitious action and eastern states with coal-dependent power sectors and energy-intensive industries, which wanted specific conditions attached to emissions cuts.
Poorer countries’ fears
Poland held out alone until dawn for a guarantee that promised funding from the EU carbon market for poorer countries would not be reduced.
It also sought assurances that future national emissions-cutting targets, set by Brussels for certain sectors, would be based on gross domestic product – meaning that less prosperous states would be required to cut less.
A majority of countries had opposed these demands on grounds that they would pre-empt detailed proposals that the EU’s executive Commission will make next year.
The final deal gives a commitment to address “imbalances” in carbon market funding that could leave poorer countries worse off. The leaders agreed to meet again next year to tackle the question of GDP-based emissions targets.
The Commission’s proposals will speed a shift to electric vehicles and aim to mobilise investments in the huge low-carbon infrastructure that will now be needed – including a requirement for extra energy sector investments of 350 billion euros ($420 billion) a year this decade.
The “at least 55%” target is as good as final, but will need approval from the European Parliament, which supports a more ambitious 60% cut.
“They are setting us up for a tough negotiation,” said Jytte Guteland, parliament’s lead lawmaker on the issue.
Some campaigners also said the target was too weak.
“It won’t transform how we get around and how we produce our food fast enough to beat the climate emergency,” said Greenpeace policy adviser Sebastian Mang. ($1 = 0.8245 euros)
It’s true: Online alcohol sales skyrocketed during national stay-at-home orders, emphasizing an upward trend we’ve seen over the past few years, with wine capturing almost 70 percent of total online retail sales. And yet, there’s nothing quite like wandering into your local wine shop and talking to a knowledgeable salesperson about your tastes, what you’re cooking or looking for—something the online experience doesn’t come close to offering. And that’s all the more true for the ever-growing natural wine sector, with many customers eager to explore but without a whole lot of knowledge. While you might know what California cabs you like or what regions of French whites you dig, when it comes to orange wines from Croatia or pet nats from Austria, a lot of us are out to sea. Very willing to explore, mind you, but in need of a guiding hand.
We’ve rounded up a list of wine shops in the Hudson Valley and Catskills that are specializing in natural wines, so that you can keep getting that wino one-on-one. Most of these shops offer online or phone ordering and curbside pick-up, so the relationship doesn’t have to end—even if we go back into lockdown.
We’ll start with Kingston Wine Co., which at least from a retail perspective, gave natural wine its Hudson Valley foothold. Opened in 2013, the shop in Kingston’s Rondout District focused exclusively on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from the beginning and catered to a curious local population and a growing pool of urban weekenders and second home owners. About the selection, co-owner Michael Drapkin says, “It is vast and diverse—from Georgia (the country) all the way to the Finger Lakes. We place a heavy emphasis on German, Austrian, and French natural wines. Beyond the range of flavors, which he loves, Drapkin has a soft spot for the makers of natural wine, whom he calls “often contrarian and idiosyncratic,” with an admirable dedication to thoughtful, OG low intervention farming. “Our customers both locally and out of state (we have an online store) are incredibly curious, open, and interested in learning about new wine regions, obscure grape varieties, and all there is to know about natural wine. The landscape compared to when I started in this business 15 years ago is dramatically different and better thanks to everyone’s eagerness to expand outside of the confines of convention.” His current favorite? A 2019 Fongoli Rossofongoli from Umbria, Italy, a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano, made with hand-harvested and wild fermented in open vats sans temperature control. He calls it “lo-fi wine,” and says it’s “farmy and spicy—perfect for winter braised dishes.”
Elevated Wine & Spirits | Tannersville
7261 Route 23A, Hunter, NY 12442 | (518) 263-4184
One of the newest wine shops in the region is Elevated Wine & Spirits in Tannersville, opened by Mark Landsman, who runs the cocktail program at Silvia in Woodstock. While he jokes that his selection runs the gamut from Barefoot Chardonnay to Cru Beaujolais (plus liquor), he’s particularly excited about the natty options, which are all over the place. “It is important to us that we highlight how accessible natural wine can and should be,” Landsman says. “We strive to offer the funkiest of funky for the dedicated and adventurous natural wine drinker who comes in saying ‘GIVE. ME. CRAZY.,’ as well as wines that are naturally made yet recognizable on the palette for our customers who are looking for a good place to start.” He points out that “natural” is a process, meaning low or no intervention, not a wine style or flavor profile. When looking for wines to add to the portfolio, Landsman is on the wines that “spark some unexplainable, disproportionate sense of happiness. We think good wine can transport the drinker. A single sip of wine can situate us in the exciting path of uncharted waters, but it can also be so incredibly nostalgic, too.” Geographically, he is currently crushing on island wines from luxurious faraway places like Sardinia, Sicily, and the Canary Islands. While he’s always trying something new, an evergreen favorite of Landsman’s is No es Pituko 2020 Cabernet Franc from Chile. “The wine is just wild—black cherries, bell peppers…chocolate? An incredibly balanced and complex young wine,” he says. “If we had one chance to convince a sceptic that a natural wine wine is going to blow them away, this is the wine we’d give them.” Sold.
Bluebird Wine Shop | Accord
5059 Route 209, Accord, NY 12404 | (845) 626-0140
Bluebird Wine Shop recently breathed fresh life into the old location of Accord Wine Shop right on 209. Focused exclusively on natural wines and spirits, owner Aaron Lefkove is looking for wine producers with organic practices, if not the certification, and on the spirits side for smaller craft distilleries, including nearby Arrowood Farms. As for the natty wine selection, Lefkove is highlighting, “the more stable side of the spectrum—wines of high quality that have a classic structure to them and adhere to a certain mindset and ethos we are in tune with,” he says. “I’m staying away from the super wild and unstable side of things—beverages that are closer to kombucha for instance than wine in its classical definition—which doesn’t suit my palate personally. For those on the fence, Lefkove says, “I feel you need to look at it the same way you look at a tomato or a piece of beef or a chicken: wine is an agricultural product just like everything else and when you buy eggs or vegetables or meat, you don’t want something pumped full of hormones or pesticides or other unnecessary chemicals so why should that ethos not extend to the wines and liquors we drink? All time favorites (currently in stock!) include the wines of Fond Cypres, a couple in the Languedoc, who produce wines that are articulate expressions of terroir. “They just taste the way the area feels,” Lefkove says. He also likes the Quarterones Sancerre from Sebastian Riffault, an outlier in an area that is predominantly super industrial. “He uses grapes that have been affected by botrytis which is a fungus that actually gives the resulting wine way more depth and character,” he says. Ahh, fermentation.
Ester Wine & Spirits
57 N Front Street, Kingston, NY 12401 | (845) 331-1921
While they prioritize organic vineyards, Ester’s wine selection varies from conventional to low or no intervention. Due to a lack of international standards or certifications, natural is not an official wine term, Ester’s owner Robert Provenz, defines it this way: wine that is from tiny parcels of manually managed grapevines on organic and/or biodynamic soils, made with zero subtractions (such as filtering) and very minimal additions (only sulphur).” When Provenz and his team are choosing their new natural wines, they taste test for determine if the wine is “balanced, structured, and sans faults; such as reductiveness, volatile acidity (too close to vinegar), or the taste of ‘mousiness’, which can sometimes be issues with wines made in this manner,” he adds. They balance quality with price point to create an accessible selection across styles and flavor profiles. “The reds can be full-bodied dark with deep, brooding fruit to be had on a winter night by a fire, or super light-bodied with bright red fruits that shine with a variety of dishes. The white wines can see extended skin contact time, becoming orange wines, or simply crisp, dry with loads of mineral tones and race car acidity,” Provenz says. “What we love about all the natural wines is their honesty, and there is, at times, an exciting energy in the glass. The best way to find a good bottle for your mood is to ask. You can tell us the flavors you like and/or food you are having it with, and we can describe some options of wine for your needs and food pairing before investing in the bottle. When pressed for a current favorite, Provenz taps the wines from Ruth Lewandowski, saying, “His wines are always a fun adventure, and I believe it’s truly unique as a natural wine being produced in Utah!”
Upstream Wine & Spirits | Livingston Manor
34 Main Street, Livingston Manor, NY 12758 | (845) 439-1328
Livingston Manor’s upscale wine shop Upstream places sustainable practices and ethics at the center of their wine buying. In a recent post, they wrote, “Much of the labor in vineyards worldwide is done by undocumented workers who are more susceptible to unethical practices without the full protection of laws and local officials. We don’t often mention this labor force when we wax poetic about terroir, multi-generational winemaking families, and fermentation. We should. When we discuss farming, we leave out farm workers. Why? I pledge to ask better questions and demand more transparency and accountability from the companies I work with to source our wines moving forward…It’s simply not enough to buy/sell/drink natural and organic wine, whatever the hell that even means anymore—that won’t make any of us activists.” They have a large selection of natural wines, which they are refining and vetting all the time. Like Esther, Upstream is running their operation from a table outfront, where a masked employee will happily give you suggestions before ringing you up. But if you’re the longform browsing type, they recommend is by heading to their online shop, where you can scope all their labels at your leisure and order for curbside pickup, nationwide shipping, or Saturday pickup at La Salumina in Hurleyville.
Dirty Bacchus | Beacon
380 Main Street, Suite 100, Beacon | (508) 269-2994 Opened in June of this year, Beacon newcomer Dirty Bacchus focuses on low-intervention, organic or biodynamic, sustainably farmed, vegan wines, a well as a selection of organic ciders, meads and sake. The natural wine store conceives of itself as a farm stand for products sourced directly from small, independent farmers whenever possible. “Wine is an agricultural product first and foremost,” says owner Steven Ventura. “Wine made from organic or biodynamic grapes, and made simply, with few or zero additives, is more healthful, more healing and beneficial, than conventional industrial wines, and better for the planet and for humanity’s future overall.” The shop carries a wide range of wines from around the world, including Western Europe, the US, Australia, and a slew of under-explored winemaking countries like Croatia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, and Mexico. The shop is designed to be accessible to both new and seasonal natty wine drinks, and includes a section of skin-contact wines under $20 and another entitled “You’d Never Know,” of low and no-intervention wines that taste like their conventional counterparts. “I love the extraordinarily broad spectrum of aromas and flavors and styles that natural wine as a category encompasses,” Ventura says. “One can get so specific when pairing these wines to foods!” He had trouble picking a single favorite, but a top contender was Verre de Gris, a natural wine from Quebec produced by Pinard et Filles. “It smells and tastes of wild strawberries,” he says, “but there is also something about it that is reminiscent of waking up on a cool morning camping in the open deep in a north woods pine forest. Hard to put into words.” Sounds delightful.
Dixie’s | Delhi
Delhi, NY | (607) 746-3775
Opened at the tail end of 2017, Dixie’s is a highly curated outpost in the farthest reaches of the Western Catskills. They’ve got your Grey Gooses and Bacardis, but they also have an ever-rotating selection of natural wines, including pet nat proseccos from northern Italy, local Cabernets from Eminence Road Farm Winery, Alsatian pinot noirs, skin contact Teroldegos, and much more. Call ahead and place your order for curbside pickup.
354 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414
OK, so Solo Vino does not offer solo vino. In addition to their natural, biodynamic, and organic wines, they also carry ciders and craft spirits, which is great ‘cause sometimes it’s cocktail hour. But back to the vin naturel, they bring new natural wines to the store every week. Recent picks include the Italian blend Muz Ver-Muz Natural, the biodynamic Austrian red Perspektive Rot, and a hazy Greek pet nat from Kamara Pure.
Grapefruit Wine Shop | Hudson (coming soon)
127 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Grapefruit, an all natural wine shop by the team behind Kitty’s Market and Cafe, will make its debut on Warren Street in January 2021, where it will no doubt attract a cult following, before it moves down the hill to the barn next to Kitty’s after renovations wrap up in 2021. “In the meantime, we have a natural wine selection at Kitty’s Market. During December, we plan to expand this selection of natural wines to include more holiday-geared wines, giftable bottles, aperitif and amaro,” says co-owner Anna Morris. “This sort of pop-up wine shop will expand from the market into the next room (that will one day house our restaurant!) and go through the new year.” They will also stock some beautiful vinegars made by natural winemakers, as well as salts, oils and other special culinary gifts. Follow Grapefruit and Kitty’s on Instagram for very cute branding and the latest updates.
