Why Organic?

No matter whether a wine is from California,  Australia or France, made with or without sulfites, £3.99 or $39.99 a bottle, the fact that the wine was made from organically grown grapes demonstrates a commitment to produce wine in a holistic,  responsible way: by caring for the well being of The Earth and all living things.

The problem of agricultural sustainability may not be fully answered with organic framing practices, but it sure is a good start. The elimination of toxic agricultural chemicals may play its part in reversing the pollution of our surface and groundwater supplies, save the farm worker, the farmer and their families from certain chronic maladies and even spare wildlife some hideous malformations. The reduction of highly soluble synthetic fertilizers is likely to reduce yields in some crops for a time, but through soil building practices, like recycling of manures and other wastes through composting, and the revitalization of soil with organic matter, we can probably create soils capable of sustaining production levels without sacrificing peoples economic concerns.

The benefits don't stop with the Earth; they're amplified by you the Consumer. When you buy organic, a domino falls and affects a chain of reactions. Consumer choice supports a network of farmers, brokers, processors, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs each with a personal committment to conducting business in a globally responsible manner. 

 

What is Organic Wine?

At its simplest, organically produced wine means using the most natural ingredients possible.

The increased worldwide consumption of wine has led to greater demands being placed upon wine producers. This in turn has led to many mass production wine making techniques being developed that have tended to produce wines which are strictly controlled at every stage of their production. In many cases, grapes are planted for their potential yield, rather than the character of the crop. Each year, large quantities of artificial fertilisers are legally applied, both to the soil and the growing vine. Vineyards can be sprayed during the growing season with up to 15 applications of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides, depending on the geographical position of the vineyard and the local climatic conditions.

 

 In the winery itself, up to 20 different additives are permitted to alter/improve taste, colour and clarity. The absence of any EU based ingredient-listing regulations for wine, leaves you the consumer unsure of what is actually in the bottle (Only wines bottled for the Co-Operative group in the UK have any list of ingredients on the bottle). The trend of mass-producing wines lacking in character, but whose neutrality appeals to every taste is ever increasing. Some wines are just formulated recipes of grape juice and chemicals and scandals in Austria, Germany, Australia and Italy, in recent years, have shown the dangers which can arise when playing with the chemistry set!

Therefore it can come as no surprise that many wine-lovers have become a bit nervous about what's been added to the bottle.

This has led to an increasing demand for wine based upon organic principles because organic wine producers follow practices designed to create the natural product that we all expect wine to be.

Firstly, vine species are selected for better disease resistance and character, rather than maximum yield.

Matured plant manures, often combined with the vine prunings are the only fertilizers permitted. Many growers plant crops between the vines and quite often, these are turned into the soil to enrich it still further. These methods encourage the roots to grow deeper and not depend on chemicals close to the surface. The complexity of great wine is partially attained from the vines ability to penetrate deeply through several layers of earth.

No herbicides or pesticides are permited, although Bordeaux mixture ( a blend of Lime, Copper Sulphate and Water) can be used to protect against Downy Mildew.

Making the wine is still an artform. No artificial yeasts are used. Instead, organic wine depends on the wild yeasts which form naturally on the grapes, but which would have been destroyed by chemicals. Any wine relies on sulphur dioxide for stability, but organic producers use far less - typically, less than 20% of the maximum permitted by French law, for example.

Traditional methods are employed to clarifiy the wine, rather than the modern factory techniques. The reliance is on the skill of the cellar master; the art of wine making is to know when to leave well alone. The results are richer, more complex wines, with more interesting tastes.