MNN - Mother Nature Network

I’ve talked about community supported agriculture (CSA) here before in reference to buying a share of a small farm’s harvest. The shares are bought before the growing season, giving the farmer much needed money to begin a harvest.

As the local foods movement blossoms and fruits, there’s greater enthusiasm for local wines.  Winemakers, like cheesemakers and bread bakers, are jumping on the CSA bandwagon with much success.  Similar to those wine-of-the-month clubs, wine CSAs provide anywhere from two to four bottles a month to their shareholders.  The difference is that the wines are local to your region and to the fruits that grow therein.  Most winemakers produce several varietals so you’re never bored.  And if you’re in rural Colorado, like me, a cherry wine, perry or hard cider might find its way into your basket from time to time.  Wine shares average between $300 and $700 for a full share and that equates to about $9 – $12 per bottle.  In my area retail price for local wines usually hovers between $18 and $30 so it’s damned good value to get into a wine CSA.