The much anticipated semi-annual Grocery Outlet wine sale is around the corner – it runs from Monday, March 25 until April 2, 2024. All wines are discounted an additional 20% on top of the normal low prices – a good opportunity to pick up some favorites. I haven’t seen this before, but this year customers who register on the Grocery Outlet App will have early access to the sale for the weekend of March 23-24.
This blog, Ethical Bargains features products that I’ve bought on discount at the Grocery Outlet – particularly ethical products. I will rate products on a scale of 0-5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact – see the Green Stars Project for more details on this idea. In the process of evaluating products purchased at the Grocery Outlet we will explore topics related to ethical consumption: climate change, equality, poverty, sustainable agriculture, etc.
A wine pick for the Spring 2024 Grocery Outlet wine sale: Ektimo zinfandel
I discovered Ektimo zinfandel by accident – while browsing for wine a guy rushed past to pick up an entire box of this wine. He was so intent on buying a lot of this wine that I picked up a bottle to try it out. Its only $5.99 at the Grocery Outlet, compared to a normal retail price of $34 from Ektimo. Actually, Ektimo only sells the 2017 vintage while the Grocery Outlet has 2014 and 2015 vintages on sale. I’ve tried both now and found them to be equally good.
Here are some tasting notes from Ektimo:
A rustic old school Zinfandel that is bracing yet elegant. Brambly berries dominate with tart huckleberry, Cowiche cherry and black currant. A softening tannin structure gives the wine substance and the velvety texture lingers along with the dry finish. A food friendly Zin that pairs well with marinated & grilled Portobello mushrooms.
It’s hard to find much information on this wine online – Ektimo wines haven’t received a lot of attention on Vivino but I think they are one of the best bargains right now at the Grocery Outlet. During the sale, with 20% off, they’ll be on sale for $4.79 per bottle. Like any 10 year old wines, you may find a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle, but don’t let this put you off.
In previous posts on the wine sale, I’ve shared some information about sustainability of wine. For example:
Certified sustainable wineries
Shale Oak winery has two major certifications – LEED Gold and SIP certified. LEED certification pertains mostly to the winery buildings – for example, the materials used to construct the tasting room and the conservation of resources. Here’s a guide to LEED certification – Shale Oak’s gold certification is the second highest LEED standard.
I wasn’t actually aware of the CIP certification scheme – it stands for sustainability in practice, and it’s specifically for wineries. As you’d expect, it has requirements for sustainable pest management, water use, energy use, and habitat preservation. It also has a social aspect, requiring competitive wages and benefits for employees. You can read more about CIP here and find CIP-certified wines here.
Choosing wine – local versus sustainable
In the post on French winemaker Gérard Bertrand I pondered whether it’s good to support a sustainable winery if it’s located on a different continent. It turns out that the carbon cost of transporting items by ship without refrigeration – like bananas, or wine – usually constitutes a small portion of a product’s overall carbon footprint.
Water use for wine production
Then, in the post on Cardella Winery, I learned that vines for good estate vines often get less water (1 to 1.5 acre feet of water annually instead of 2.5 to 2.75). I also learned that irrigation is illegal in some of the world’s best wine regions, particularly in Europe. That includes the five B’s: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello.
Good luck with your wine shopping and pick up some plant-based food to go with it.
Here are some vegan items I’ve covered here on Ethical Bargains:
Sophie’s plant-based breaded shrimp
Daiya jalapeño Havarti style vegan cheese
Until next time – stay safe!
Grocery Outlet Ethical Bargains 
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