Organic, Natural and Biodynamic Wines - All you need to know!

• We need to temper the language here as organic, natural and biodynamic wine makers will see 'standard' or 'traditional' wines as lesser;

• However, the Organic market is still only 3.6% of global consumption, however it's growing fast with Spain showing organic production growing at 522% for example in the last 10 years;

• A total of 87.5 mn cases produced annually;

• 78% of global market is European, Spain is now the world's leading organic wine producer. France 19% , Italy 25%, Spain 26% (Spain grown 522% in last 10 years);

• And these practices are adopted by wine makers across the globe….in fact Louis Roederer and Domaine Romanee Comte both practice biodynamic practices;

• When we explore the big producers, who are making millions of bottles per year at a modest pricepoint, they are addressing a market that has grown over years. Who are we to say this is wrong?

• The consumer is always right;

• “We have shaped the way wine tastes in the last 40 years with temperature control, aromatic yeast and sulphites and a bunch of other stuff so that 90% of what you taste today is a product that has been worked up for a modern palate,”

• When these huge operations run, they need to manage quality in the vineyard and the winery;

• To do this at scale it helps to use artificial fertilisers and pesticides to manage the environment. Many winemakers use as little intervention as possible, but at scale that’s a challenge. And the law states and quantifies the limits of what can be used;

• There are many winemaking additives, processing aids and manipulations are permitted by law. But equally, things like anti-foaming agents (which are added to wine vats so that the liquid can be pumped faster), for example, are regularly used and in some countries even the use of hydrogen peroxide is legal!";

• "Even things like sulphites that are added in substantial quantities to most commercially-produced wines today are really not great for your health. What’s more, the products have very little traceability and aren’t regulated so in the end even the final quality of the additives used can be dubious.”

• The PDO (protection denomination or origin) and PGI (protection geographique identification) standards aim to provide the drinker with knowledge about quality, with tight controls on grapes, quality, yields and origin;

• Quality in wine making is controlled by the EU in Europe with flexibility given to each member state on specific Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). For the US, the USDA control the quality with the AVAs (American viticultural area) and these standards are overseen by the International organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV);

• Scaling is required to enable wine production to supply demand and these wine economics require the winemaker to use these permitted techniques to create their wines;

• However, some say that bog-standard wine is about as good for you as eating a battery chicken;

• We’ve become used to watching what food we put in our mouths, we question the sustainability and traceability of water, coffee, tea, gin and whisky but when it comes to wine, most of us assume nice vineyards make non-nasty wine;

• “Even those who are big foodies, who watch what they eat, don’t actually think about what is in their wine glass;

• The wine industry is full of the same big brand issues that exist in the rest of the food world, it’s just that most people have never thought about it;

• In a time of drastic climate change, global warming, and all-around meteorological chaos, we all seek to be a little bit “greener”;

• We buy organic produce, shop with reusable tote bags, and recycle just a bit more than we used to;

• With sustainability and natural movements front and centre in our minds, these conscientious practices are becoming more prevalent in the agricultural world, too;

• You may be familiar with what organic farming entails, but in wine making we go much further than organic, through natural and to biodynamic wines.

• To explore this, we have to break the wine making process down to what happens in the vineyard and what happens in the winery;

Equally, we need some definitions to help us here. What is;

• Organic - is an agricultural approach to farming first discussed in the 1940's by British agronomist Albert Howard, promoting composting and the use of fertilisers from renewable resources;

• 1963: Organic farming really took off when a couple of French farmers created the French Association of Organic Agriculture (AFAB), to address the bovine TB crisis, the methode Lemaire & Boucher was created based on the application of marine algae;

• 1964 then saw this develop to the name of 'Nature & Progres';

• The aim of the initiative is to grant an organic quality guarantee on the basis of its 15 different production standards (vegetable, livestock, cosmetics, wine, beer, etc.) and of its own Ethical Charter, defined through a participatory approach by its members.

• 1946: In the UK – it was the Soil Association that formed with just a single farm, with a certification scheme being launched in 1973. It now certifies some 70% of all UK organic produced food and drink;

• The German Organic Winemaking Association for example, Ecovin, was founded in 1985. It agreed to unify national guidelines for Germany. At that time, these already embraced the entire production cycle from grape growing to cellar management;

• Since 1992 there have been uniform Europe-wide regulations for organically grown grapes which regulate matters including the use of plant protection substances as well as fertilisers and establish the necessary working practices.

• Since 2012 there have been Europe-wide regulations for cellar management and winemaking, these too are audited, permitting the term ‘organic wine’ to be applied to labels. Included in these winemaking regulations was a lowered limit of sulphites present in the finished wine.

The permitted logos of for organic wines from specific regions.

• Biodynamic - is a “spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, gardens, food production and nutrition.”;

• Like fine tuning a radio, biodynamic farmers go beyond organics and strive to have vines growing in tune with the cosmos, by coordinating their soil treatments with the lunar calendar. The basic idea is that plants are more receptive to certain practices such as fertilizing or pruning on particular days or phases of the moon.

• Created in the 1924, the biodynamic movement was born in Germany by Rudolf Steiner (he of educational fame) and became the first to develop the brand “Demeter” (biodynamics) certifying the origin of its products;

• In 1985, Demeter USA was founded, a nonprofit organization dedicated to biodynamic practices in wine. Demeter International represents 45 countries;

• It boasts a broad understanding of human nature and life;

• Biodynamics has a large tribe of devout followers, and an equally large band of skeptics;

• In essence, Steiner preached the gospel of living and farming with the earth and its movements, as opposed to using a purely scientific, nutrient-based approach;

• Biodynamic farmers and vintners refrain from using any chemical pesticides in the vineyard and winery, and adhere to strict regulations for common additives like sulfur and fining agents;

• Followers of biodynamic farming go beyond using organic fertilizers – they combat powdering mildew with tea made from stinging nettles, and spread compost during ascending moons;

• But the most interesting element of biodynamics is that the beliefs don’t end in the field. Winemakers and gardeners alike believe the results of biodynamics extend right into your wineglass, thanks to the moon.

• The lunar calendar categorizes days into four groups–flower;

  • Fruit days (harvesting - occur when the moon is on any of fire sign days (Sagittarius or Aries));

  • Leaf days (watering);

  • Root–based Days (pruning, however this flips for root based vegetables);

  • Flower Days (vineyard remain untouched);

• Each day is optimal for various plants or procedures; for example it’s best to harvest radishes on a root day since radishes are a root;

• If you’re already drinking the biodynamic Kool-Aid, this reasoning makes a lot of sense when it comes to vino: wine tastes better on “fruit” days, because it comes from grapes, and grapes are a fruit;

• Supporters of biodynamics claim wine drinkers experience this phenomenon regularly–ever gone wine tasting and felt like everything tasted amazing? Had other nights where even favourite bottles fall flat?;

• Biodynamic farming calls for specific and sometimes strange compost and field preparations (9 in total);

• One of these is known as cow horn manure or preparation 500-508;

• Cow horns are stuffed with manure compost and buried into the ground all through the winter, then later excavated;

The 500-508 ground preparations are created in cow horns within the vineyard.

• Upon excavation, the stuffed material is spread throughout the vineyard as a diluted spray;

• There is little information out there about why specifically a cow horn is used (never a bull’s horn), or why it’s buried in the soil;

• The horns are getting more and more expensive and are shipped all the way from India sometimes;

• According to the website Biodynamie Services, preparation 500 is “essential.” “It is a powerful means for structuring the soil,” the site explains. It also “stimulates soil microbial activity of the soil,” regulates pH, stimulates seed germination, and dissolves minerals;

• 500 (calcium) for the ground/terroir, 501 (silica) for the upper vine & ripening, 508 (common horsetail) for anti-fungal & health;

• The other 6 compost preparations include 502 (yarrow), 503 (chamomile), 504 (stinging nettles), 505 (calcium/oak), 506 (dandelion), 507 (phosphorus-valerian);

• These are all fundamental in the development of a biodynamic vineyard;

• Vegetarian & Vegan - This might sound strange, but some animal based products can be used in winemaking to ‘fine’ or clarify the wine. This is true for all wines, not just organic.

  • Common products used include animal gelatin, isinglass (a fish based product), egg whites or casein (milk based);

  • As we find out how all our wines are made each year, we pass this information on via the ‘V’ and ‘VG’ symbols;

  • Vegan wine (VG) is often unfined, left to clear naturally by gravity or with a product like ‘Bentonite’ which is an inert clay.

• Low & No Added Sulphur - Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is the most widely used and controversial additive in winemaking;

  • Used as an antiseptic to kill off unwanted bacteria, yeasts and moulds, and as an antioxidant to inhibit oxygen spoiling the wine;

  • An increasing number of people are sensitive or have allergic reactions to sulphur (headaches, wheeziness, a more groggy morning after feeling), and want to avoid it or ingest as little as possible;

  • The good news is that organic wines have lower set levels generally - EU levels show 150mg per litre for red (100 in US - made with organic grapes) and 200mg per litre for rose/white;

  • USDA don't allow organic wines to have anything added;

  • For wines with residual sugar of more than 5g per litre, then this increases to 200mg per litre for red and 250mg per litre for white & rose;

  • For late harvest and specific sweet wines (beerenauslese, spatlese, tokaj, eiswein) then it can be even more;

• Natural Wines - This more recent wine terminology relates to ‘low intervention’ wine. It includes organic growing, very low or even ‘no-sulphur’ in winemaking with the philosophy of ‘letting the wine make itself’;

  • Natural wine makers are an enthusiastic and passionate group who have formed their own movement, though as yet the term ‘natural’ is not clearly defined;

  • Natural yeasts and zero intervention;

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