Earlier this week I tried something for the first time. It was nothing as exciting as jumping out of a plane or eating a live octupus, two things I don't intend to do, but I did try organic and biodynamic wines. For someone who has become a wine lover over the past few years, this was a good thing.

What are organic and biodynamic wines?

"Organic" is a word that generally makes me think I'm about to try something that's either too granola or too expensive, like all that tasty fresh fruit at Whole Foods. An even less appealing word for those of us who love red meat and mashed potatoes is "biodynamic." Just brings to mind dirt and veganism. I had to step out of my comfort zone for this biodynamic wine tasting at The OtherSide Cafe, but it was free with a suggested donation to The Food Project. I managed.

According to Quivira Vineyards, "Biodynamic farming is an agricultural philosophy that treats a farm -- or in our case, a vineyard and winery -- as a self-sustaining system entirely responsible for creating and maintaining its individual health and vitality without any external and unnatrual additions." Quivira biodynamic wines provide "a true taste of place," as their literature states.

It's fitting that The OtherSide's new wine list would be entirely biodynamic and organic. If you're not familiar with this restaurant, it's generally known for its cheap beer, good sandwiches and somewhat grungy, bohemian atmosphere. Seems the perfect place to be launching anything organic, though I never would have associated wine at all with The OtherSide. A Beringer Private Reserve would be out of place.

What are some examples of organic and biodynamic wines?

The OtherSide invested in organic as well as biodynamic wines because the certification process for a winery to officially be considered biodynamic is extensive and expensive -- so much so that many wineries can't be bothered, so you won't find many such wines on the market. To come up with a wine list that provides more than a few options, The OtherSide pulled in the organics as well. The wine tasting included the following:

* Wild Hog Zinfandel, 'Estate' Sonoma Coast
* Domaine de la Patience Merlot
* Fontedicto 'Pirouette' Coteaux du Languedoc
* Les Grandes Vignes Cotes-du-Rhone, Cinsault
* 2006 Deux Anes Corbieres Rose, made from Carignan, Grenache and Syrah
* Le Petit Crau, VdP, Rhone/Provence
* Mattei Barbera, Piedmonte
* Les Deux Anes 'Fontanilles,' Corbieres (a.k.a. Domaine of Two Asses -- as in donkeys)
* Quivira Sauvignon Blanc, Fig Tree Vineyard
* Cantina Griers Pinot Grigio, Alto Adidge
* Cesconi Chardonnay, Vignette Della Dolomiti
* Terra d'Arcoiris Chianti

I liked many of the wines enough to want to buy a bottle or two for home. That last one was by far my favorite -- it was on the "tannins table," as it provided an ideal example of tannins in wine. It's an earthy, full-bodied chianti that was great with a taste of cheddar cheese.

Henry, the owner of The Otherside Cafe, had a favorite in the Wild Hog, a wine he couldn't stop talking about and one that he said was unlike any Zin he'd tried before, and he's apparently a huge Zin fan. It was a very good wine that would be great on its own, though not my top choice.

The Fontedicto, a French table wine that may be my second favorite, was made with no sulfur, no cultured yeasts, no alcohol and no enzymes. You actually get a flavor of mushrooms and earth... tasty earth apparently.

All the wines are under $20 per bottle retail, or you can stop by The Otherside to just get a glass and see which ones you like. I'm heading to the liquor store for a bottle of that chianti.