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22 March 2013

What are Organic Wines?

Organic wines are made from grapes that are cultivated without the use of herbicides or fertilizers, producing a much more natural wine. To produce this type of wine, a winemaker must sacrifice the mainstream wine producing methods that sees millions of bottles of wine placed on shelves that are made from grapes that have had herbicides, fertilizers and fungicides used with them.

In the vineyards where the environment is highly respected and biodiversity is encouraged, the vines grow in a living soil, full of worms and bacteria that allow vines to draw upon the optimum levels of minerals from the ground and solid, allowing healthier vines to grow that have better resistance to diseases, which goes onto the fruit that grows.

Photo thanks to: www.flickr.com/photos/nordelch

Organically grown grapes have a head start on other types of grapes, as they are not in a cycle of chemical dependency, so long as its environment it well cared for and tailored to help grow healthy and organic grapes that will go onto produce excellent wine.

Biodiversity is encouraged by planting cover crops in between the vine rows, which help bring in ‘visitors’ that can have a beneficial effect on the crops. For example, plum trees are planted in rows between the grapes in organic vineyards in California, to attract the wasps that will then eat the destructive leafhoppers – which have been known to cause mass crop damage if not controlled properly. Some bio-degradable sprays are used from time to time and there are biological controls such as planned releases of ladybirds that will eat vine aphids. Mildew problems sometimes occur, which can be managed with salts such as copper, sulphate and elemental sulphur.

To get a certification of organic grape produce, the prouder will undergo inspection by organisations such as the Soil Association in England, Ecocert in France and the CCOF in California. Standards are often maintained, with spot-checks able to take place any time throughout the year.