Welcome to the first part of our nine-part series on organic and biodynamic wine. Here we lay the foundation, so the rest of the journey makes sense. Before we talk about biodynamics, natural wine and certifications, it is worth getting a handle on the most basic question: What is organic wine really?
You already drink wine with pleasure and curiosity, and perhaps you have noticed that more and more bottles bear a little green leaf or the word "organic". In this article we look at what that means in practice, both out in the vineyard and inside the cellar.
What you will learn
- What organic wine involves out in the vineyard
- The difference between cultivation and cellar practice
- What a certification broadly requires
- Why the cultivation method matters so much for the wine
What organic wine means
Organic wine is first and foremost about how the grapes are grown. The idea is to work with nature rather than against it, and to avoid synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers in the vineyard. Instead, you build on healthier soil, a more diverse plant life between the rows and natural methods to keep pests and fungal diseases in check.
It is worth remembering that the cultivation method affects the quality of the wine at least as much as the grape variety itself. So when a grower converts to organic farming, it is not just a matter of removing a few products from the shelf. It is a different way of thinking about the whole vineyard, from the soil under your feet to the grapes that end up in the cellar.
The term covers two different things, though, which it is useful to keep apart: what happens in the vineyard, and what happens in the cellar. Let us take them one at a time.
In the vineyard
Here lies the heart of the organic approach. The vineyard is a living form of agriculture, and a vine has a whole annual cycle to live through, from winter dormancy through bud break and flowering to the ripening we call véraison, where the grapes gather sugar and aroma and gradually lose acidity in the run-up to harvest.
In conventional cultivation, synthetic pesticides are often used against fungi and pests, along with chemical fertiliser to provide nutrition. In organic cultivation this is not permitted. Instead, the grower works with:
- Natural remedies against fungal diseases rather than synthetic preparations
- Cover and intercrops between the rows that nourish the soil and promote a rich microbial life
- A healthy canopy of leaves and shoots, where for example leaves near the grapes are removed to give better air flow and thereby less disease
- Careful pruning that limits the yield, because fewer grapes usually give more concentration and flavour
The point is to make the vine and the soil resilient in themselves, so that the vineyard is less dependent on intervention from outside. It requires more handwork and more attention throughout the year, but in return many growers find a vineyard that over time settles into a more natural balance.
Why the soil is the focal point
Healthy soil is the backbone of organic cultivation. The soil holds most of the vine's roots and nutrient network, and its structure determines drainage and access to minerals. When you forgo chemical fertiliser and instead nourish the soil through plant life and organic matter, you promote a living microbial life. It is this long-term care of the soil that most clearly sets the organic approach apart from the conventional one.
In the cellar
Here the picture becomes more nuanced, and that is an important point to take along. Even though the grapes are grown organically, the work in the cellar is not necessarily free of intervention. Winemaking has always rested on a number of well-known techniques, and some of them have been in use for centuries. Sulphur, for example, has been used to stabilise wine since the late 1400s.
The rules for organic wine typically set a framework for what may be used in the cellar, and how much. As a general rule there are stricter limits on additives, and sulphur among others may only be used in smaller amounts than in conventional wine. But it is still a cellar practice with permitted interventions, not a completely untouched wine.
This is precisely where many people are surprised. "Organic" first and foremost says something about the grapes' origin in the vineyard and only partly something about how little has been done in the cellar. If you want to delve further into the least interventionist approach, we look more closely at it in the article on natural wine later in the series. And the role of sulphur gets its own chapter, if you want to understand what the substance actually does.
What the certification requires
When a wine is allowed to call itself organic, there is a certification behind it. Broadly speaking, this means that an independent body checks that the grower follows the rules, both in the vineyard and in the cellar.
A few main features apply almost always:
- Conversion period: A vineyard cannot switch to organic from one day to the next. There are typically several years of cultivation according to the rules before the vineyard may be certified. This gives the soil and the vines time to find a new balance.
- No synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers: This is the core of the requirements for the cultivation itself.
- Control and documentation: The grower must be able to show what has been used and when, so independent inspectors can keep track.
- A framework for the cellar: The rules also set limits for additives and treatments in the winemaking itself.
Note that the labels can vary from country to country, and that they do not all say exactly the same thing. We go into depth on the different labels and symbols in a later part, so that you can decode a label yourself.
In short
- Organic wine is first and foremost about how the grapes are grown: without synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
- The cultivation method affects the quality of the wine at least as much as the grape variety.
- It is useful to distinguish between the vineyard (where the organic standard is strictest) and the cellar (where certain interventions are still permitted, just with stricter limits).
- A certification typically requires a conversion period, fixed rules and independent control.
- "Organic" says a great deal about the vineyard and only partly about how little has been done in the cellar.
Frequently asked questions
Is organic wine the same as natural wine?
No. Organic wine is primarily about the cultivation in the vineyard and follows a set of rules with certification. Natural wine is a broader and less firmly defined concept covering wine made with as few interventions as possible, including in the cellar. We look more closely at natural wine later in the series.
Does organic mean there is no sulphur at all in the wine?
Not necessarily. Sulphur may still be used in organic wine, but typically in smaller amounts than in conventional wine. What sulphur actually does, and why it is used, is something we cover in a separate part.
Ready for the next step?
Now you have the foundation in place: You know what organic wine means in the vineyard, how it differs from cellar practice, and what a certification requires. That is a good starting point for the rest of the series.
In the next part we build further and look at an approach that goes a step beyond organic farming, namely biodynamic wine. Do bring your curiosity along, and have a look at our selection of organic wines as you go, if you feel like tasting your way forward. At the end of the day, the best wine is the one you like yourself, with the food you feel like eating.
