What is Organic Wine?
An organic wine is a wine that has been made from organic grapes, grown in a biodynamic vineyard, with no added sulfites.
When we say biodynamic vineyard, we refer to a site that has been fertilized organically, with no use of chemical pesticides that is noxious both to the fruit, and the eventual wine consumer.
While wine making is, overall, a somewhat organic process, many winemakers today choose the addition of stabilizers and preservatives that help maintain the shelf life of the wine. In addition, the use of chemicals and fertilizers during growing has become more prominent as soil, today, has been stripped of many of its natural fertilizers by centuries of land abuse and chemical addition.
Organic Wine – Grape Growing: East vs. West
It is known that organic wine making is easier to achieve in the west of the U.S. than in the east. This is given to the harsh climatic conditions of the east, which promote the infection of pests and diseases. If you are interested in growing organically in the west, all European cultivars, as well as most American and French Hybrid cultivars will thrive in the dry, sunny conditions the west offers. If you are located in the East, you will benefit from choosing a cultivar that thrives is more humid, cooler climates. These include French Hybrids, and American grape varieties that have high tolerances to disease and insect infestation.
If you are growing somewhere outside the U.S., remember the general rule:
European Cultivars for warmer climates, American grape varieties and French Hybrid Cultivars for cooler ones.
Organic Wine – Controlling Organic Conditions in the Vineyard
In order to maintain organic conditions in your vineyard, you must first choose a cultivar that will best thrive in the climate your site is at. The better the plant subsists in that climate, the less chances of infestation, and the easier it will be to maintain organic growing conditions. If infestation does occur however, there are organic options to treat the pest.
While some fertilization is needed for the vineyard, grapes benefit from a nutrient-poor soil that will aid in their reduced size and high sugar concentration. Because of this, using organic compost, such as organic animal manure, will do the job just fine.
Pruning and training should be done just like in conventional wine making, but for weed, insect and disease control things must be done differently.
Organic Wine – Pest Control
-Mineral and Biologically based fungicides must be used in the case of disease infection.
- Organic oils and soaps can be used for the same purposes.
- Using netting to cover crops could help you control insect infestation.
-Weeds must be allowed to grow, and the mulched and mowed; thus providing the soil with natural fertilization.
-If extra fertilization of the soil must be done, using organic compost is the recommended choice.
Organic Wine – Controlling Organic Conditions during Wine making
In terms of biodynamics, the most attention should be paid during the growing period. During wine making however, in order to achieve a totally organic wine, you must avoid the addition of sulfites, or any other preservatives that are not of organic nature.
While wines have naturally occurring sulfites, it is generally a high level of sulfites, especially added sulfites that deprive a wine made with organic grapes to be called Organic.
In the U.S., according to USDA and ATF regulations, in order for a wine to be deemed Organic, it must:
• Be made out of Organically Grown Grapes that have less than 100ppm of sulfites in the fruit.
• Must not have any added sulfites.
• Naturally occurring sulfites must not exceed 20ppm in the finished wine.
Organic Wine – Organic Denominations
If the wine you achieve exceeds the sulfite ceiling, then you will have to label it as a wine ‘Made With Organic Grapes.’ Because of the USDA and ATF regulations being so strict in regards to wine making, there are not many wineries that have become ‘Organic Certified’ since the new organic laws were passed in 1990.
Even though it might be hard to control pests and sulfite levels growing organically, it remains a popular choice amongst growers not only because of the bio dynamics of the process, but also because in the end, the organic wine produced is natural and overall, better in quality.
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