Organic Wines
WHAT IS ORGANIC WINE?
- short answer
Simply put, organic wines are wines made without the use of chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides, and with little to no added chemicals. The basic idea behind organic winemaking is that the less of these synthetic chemicals in your wine, the less in your body and in the ground. Organic wine, then, is good for the wine drinker and good for the planet.
- long answer
As is often the case in life, language does not accurately reflect the state of affairs it’s trying to represent. The term “organic wine” is a good example of this persistent wrinkle in the human condition. Consumers should know that the organic winemaking world is not in agreement as to what constitutes a true organic wine.
For many, all that’s necessary for true organic winemaking is organically grown grapes – without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and insecticides. But for others, organically grown grapes aren’t enough. True organic wine, they contest, must not be tampered with after the grapes have been picked, and so no synthetic chemicals may be added to the wine at ANY stage of its production.
This disagreement has led to a controversy in the organic winemaking industry over labelling – especially in the U.S.
Here’s the difficulty
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a program called the National Organic Program Standards (NOPS), which overlooks the standards for organic foods bought and sold in the U.S., like organic wine. When it comes to the question of what is an organic wine, this program has taken one side of the debate, the side that says true organic wine is wine that has no added chemicals at any stage of winemaking. This means making wine from organically grown grapes is not enough to get the words “organic wine” on the labels of your bottles. For a USDA certified organic wine, you have to ensure that no synthetic chemicals are added at any stage of organic winemaking, otherwise the most your labels may say is “grown with organic grapes”.
How This Affects Organic Winemaking
Some organic winemakers consider the USDA’s standards too restrictive, prohibiting organic winemakers from setting their own standards, and from using the ingredients they think improves their wine – like sulfites.
For more on this position, check out the
organic wines company
site.
Other winemakers are happy with the USDA’s regulations, and feel that their wine – and hard work – is getting the distinction it deserves.
For more on the debate raging among organic winemakers over USDA certified organic wine, click
here.
How this Affects the Consumer
The consumer in the U.S. is confronted with two different labels when shopping for organic wine: “organic wine” (with the green USDA Organic seal), and “made with organic grapes” (with no fancy seal).
The consumer is forced to make a choice, which depends on the answer to an important question: What’s important to you as a consumer of organic wine?
Let’s Help You Answer this Question
Organic wine, certified with the USDA Organic seal:
Pros:
-Follows standards of organic winemaking from start to finish
-No added sulfites for those with sulfite related allergies
Considered by many to be true organic wine
Cons:
- May not have as long a shelf life as wine made with added sulfites
- May encounter odd aromas from aldehydes usually suppressed with the addition of sulfites
Wine made from organically grown grapes:
Pros:
- Added sulfites help to protect wine from oxidation and unwanted post-fermentation yeast and bacteria
- More conventional taste and colour, especially for white wines
Cons:
- Addition of sulfites might cause problems for those who report health related issues with sulfites, like headaches or allergic reactions
- May not conform to the consumer’s understanding of what constitutes an organic wine
- May conform less than USDA certified organic wines to biodynamic and natural wine making practices, practices important to many organic wine consumers
- by Kevin Vaughan
What Are Sulfites?
Sulfites or sulphur dioxide (SO2) is the most controversial additive in wines. It is a fruit preservative added to wine to increase shelf life and protect from oxidization and from post-fermentation yeasts and bacteria.
Sulfites in wine normally range from 50 – 150 parts per million (ppm), with the legal limit being somewhere between 300 and 350 ppm. In the U.S., if sulfites are added to wines made from organically grown grapes, the final count must be less than 100 ppm in order to be labelled organic.
Problems With Sulfites
Many consumers report health problems related to drinking wine with sulfites, like headaches or allergic reactions. Although personal testimonials remain strong, there is no definitive proof that these reactions are caused by sulfites and not other chemicals occurring, naturally or otherwise, in the wine.
For more on this see:
http://waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/winecomp/so2.htm;
http://www.cainfive.com/making.html
USDA Certified Organic Wines May Contain Sulfites!
Very rarely is USDA certified organic wine 100% free of sulfites, since sulfites are a natural by-product of most yeasts during fermentation. So, if you’re looking for zero sulfites, the USDA certification is no guarantee!
California: The Leader in U.S. Organic Wineries
California leads the U.S. in organic and organically made wines.
Here’s a list of just a few organic wineries in the Golden State – and, for your convenience, we’ve listed them according to those with USDA certification and those grown from organic grapes:
USDA certified organic wineries:
Amapola Creek Vineyards & Winery, Inc.
PO Box 1987
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
Phone: (707) 938-3783
Fax: (707) 935-6534
Email: charlie@amapolacreek.com
Website: www.amapolacreek.com
Bonterra Vineyards
Brown-Forman Beverages
PO Box 9
Fulton, CA 95439-0009
Phone: (707) 237-3461
Fax: (707) 528-1561
Email: Jim_Caudill@B-F.com
BigJimCaudill@comcast.com
Website: www.bonterra.com
Ceago Vinegarden
P.O. Box 3017
5115 East Highway 20
Nice, CA 95464
Phone: (707) 274-1462
Fax: (707) 274-9736
Email: ceago@ceago.com
Website: www.ceago.com
Frey Vineyards
14000 Tomki Rd
Redwood Valley CA 95470 U.S.A.
Ph: 707.485.5177, 1.800.760.3739
Fax: 707.485.7875
Email us at info@freywine.com
Website: www.freywine.com
For a more complete list or USDA certified organic wines, see ccof.org/directories.php
Wines made from organically grown grapes:
Del Bondio Wine Company
1333 Bella Oaks Lane
Napa, CA 94558
Phone: 1-888-223-DELB (3352)
Fax: (707) 963-2129
Email: delbondo@corncast.net
Website: www.delbondio.com
Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge
7740 Fair Play Road
Fair Play, CA 95684
Phone: 800-245-9166
Fax: 530-620-6838
brian@fitzpatrickwinery.com
Website: www.fitzpatrickwinery.com
Kaz Vineyard & Winery
233 Adobe Canyon Rd.
Kenwood, CA 95452
Phone: (877)833-2536
Fax: (707) 833-1244
Email: kaz@vom.com
Website: www.kazwinery.com
Yorkville Cellars
25701 Highway 128
P.O. Box 3
Yorkville, CA 95494
Phone: (707) 894-9177
Fax: (707) 894-2426
Email: yvcellars@pacific.net
Website: www.yorkville-cellars.com
For a more complete list of wines made from organically grown grapes, see cawinemall.com/organic.htm
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