We have addressed on these pages previously the sometimes-confusing terms of Organic Wine, Natural Wine, Biodynamic Wine, Sustainable Wine, not to mention the new discipline of ‘Regenerative Viticulture’ (which is its own rabbit hole). Some recent changes regarding the import of organic wine have brought all this to the fore again, so while its front of mind, we thought we’d address organic wine again.
First & foremost, there is a big difference between organic wine and wine made from organic grapes. In the U.S., organic wine must not only be made from organic grapes (meaning more restrictive, limited-input farming), but must also follow organic winemaking protocols, the biggie being zero added* sulfites. Sulfites are anti-oxidants and a preservative of sorts–used to maintain the flavors and freshness in wines (just like jams & jellies or orange juice). However, if the winemaker forgoes using any sulfites in the winemaking process, in the opinion of this writer, the wines start to spoil minutes after being bottled (note that some folks disagree with this characterization—they like the funky taste of spoiling wine). To give some clarification, imagine cutting an apple in half and leaving it on your kitchen counter. After an hour, the apple will start to brown. After a day, it will be quite brown and start to dry out. After a week, it will start to rot. Wine is made from grapes, and like apples, grapes are fruit. Wine made from organic fruit on the other hand, typically does have small amounts of sulfites added during the winemaking process. So, the wines are sound and are basically the same as most table wines…just with a slightly lower level of sulfites. Note that the regs of the E.U. for organic certification of vineyards are different from the rules in the U.S. (our regs are a bit stricter).
Now we can add this wrinkle: as of March of 2024, all imported wines claiming organic status will be heavily controlled and scrutinized. Anyone touching the wines (except retailers…for now) must get an organic certification. This means that, in addition to all sorts of paperwork and tracking capabilities, the importer (like us) must confirm any shipping containers are properly sterilized before shipping here. This would be virtually impossible to do. And breaking the rules/making false statements come with hefty fines and the risk of losing your license to import. Some producers are now omitting the word organic from their labels and invoices. Some will cease making organic wine: unintended consequences.
So…you might be drinking organic wines and not even know it!
*note that tiny amounts of sulfites occur naturally during the fermentation process itself. There is no such thing as a sulfite-free wine. It’s the added sulfites that people scrutinize