Conscious Choice: Raise a Glass of Organic Wine

February 2003

Raise a Glass of Organic Wine

Celebrate Your Love for the Land Too!

by Mary Ross

Wine is a product uniquely branded by the land from which it’s produced. No other substance can claim this. For instance, you may prefer Florida orange juice but even an orange juice expert would be hard-pressed to discern county and grove of origin by brilliance of hue or texture of pulp alone.

The sensual expression of Mother Earth, on the other hand, is wine’s stock in trade. The "Old World" has codified thousands of years of tradition into law, regulating growing practices and typical flavors in vineyards often no bigger than a generous backyard. In the "New World," even if the consumer can’t taste the difference between wines labeled "California" and "Napa Valley," one difference is clear: it’s about $30 difference at the cash register.

So now that humankind has learned to cultivate vineyards (Genesis, 9:20-1), developed the wine cellar, barrel, and bottle (circa 2500 B.C., 50 B.C. and 1650 A.D.), defined fermentation (1857) and manufactured vine training systems, hydrometers, automated bottling lines, mechanical harvesters, and thermal-jacketed, computer-operated, stainless steel tanks (20th century, thank you) — winemakers have turned their attention to the environment...once again.

Organic, sustainable, and biodynamic viticulture is the new big noise in the wine world, from esoteric estates to the wine spigots of multi-national investment. Many wine producers have embraced a commitment to the land and often because of first-hand experience with anti-environment approaches. For instance, Robert Drouhin of Burgundy’s famed Domaine Joseph Drouhin, recalls a fishing trip with his son. Digging for worms, Drouhin realized there were none (or anything else alive in the soil among the heavily fumigated grapevines). He now works alongside France’s top researchers to develop natural alternatives to artificial pesticides and herbicides.

Another example involves former Milwaukee, WI, resident Susan Sokol-Blosser, who drove her 1960 Volkswagon van to Oregon’s Willamette Valley to plant a vineyard. She thought she was hip, returning to the land. Then, after Sokol-Blosser Vineyards had grown from 18 to 80 acres, she watched the agro-chemical trucks line up at her winery with deliveries. "When I realized what I had done, I was horrified." She began to free her property of chemical dependency, a long and often conflicted journey.

Organic, Biodynamic, and Sustainable

While international standards vary and sometimes contradict, there are three major thrusts in environmentally friendly viticulture.

First, organic viticulture aims to increase microbial activity in the soil while eliminating inorganic additives from it. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, "organically-grown" wines are free of genetically modified organisms, radiation, pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. The crops are supported by using practices such as composting and buffer zones monitored by a state or federal agency, such as the California Certified Organic Farmers, in a three-year application process.

Secondly, biodynamic viticulture works to reconnect soil and vine with the ecosystem and, often, in concert with the sun, moon, and stars. Natural (if unique) preparations — including yarrow, nettles and manure aged in a cow’s horn — are applied, for instance, as the moon passes through Taurus, favoring root growth. Moreover, the list of adherents reads like a roll call of the world’s top producers: Nicolas Joly, Domaine LeRoy, and Domaine LeFlaive of France, Alois Lageder of Italy, and Nicolaihof of Austria. Labels may carry the trademark of the international biodynamics organization, Demeter.

All well and good...crop rotation and the biodynamic #501 Horn Silica field spray..., but as the vine weans itself from its chemical addiction, these techniques reduce crop. Since field workers are paid by tonnage, natural farming can have disastrous trickle down to vulnerable migrant communities. Hence, the collision of philosophy and economics has sparked the third and latest addition to environmentally conscious winegrowing: social responsibility.

Sustainable viticulture promotes social responsibility as well as environmental stewardship. Sokol-Blosser for instance, now pays pickers by time and quality, not tonnage. And while champions of nature don’t often convene in corporate boardrooms, the giant Fetzer Vineyards has defined sustainability since the 1980s with initiatives including: company-wide recycling centers, a power mix of 100 percent renewable-energy and the commitment to grow and purchase only organically-grown grapes by the 2010 harvest. (As America’s sixth largest winery, that’s a lot of grapes.)

Answers for the Organic Wine Enthusiast

So what’s it all mean to me? Do environmentally sound wines, for instance, taste better?

The jury is out. Some producers nebulously describe their organic wine as "more alive." Others are even more vague: "A chemical-free vine is a healthy vine; a healthy vine gives healthy fruit; healthy fruit makes better wine."

Are organic wines less expensive?

Yes and no. "Start-up costs are enormous," says Paul Dolan, president of Fetzer and Bonterra Vineyards. "One of our investments was planting an orchard adjacent to a vineyard. The trees attract a wasp that eats a leafhopper that feeds on vines. It’s faster and cheaper to spray insecticide, but spray weakens the plant. A healthy plant is like a healthy body; it fights off pathogens without chemical intervention. Eventually, the reduced consumption of chemicals will re-pay our initial investment."

Are "green" wines healthier?

Possibly. Healthy fruit is less prone to bacterial spoilage and requires fewer preservatives, such as sulfites. When sulfites are added to wine, most of the sulfite molecule becomes inert as it binds with other substances. A smaller part wanders freely, eager to complete its mission of binding with oxygen and preventing spoilage.

Free sulfites pack the aroma of burnt matches — nice in firecrackers, not so much with dinner. So, since 1910, the wine community has reduced added sulfites from about 500 parts per million (ppm — a total of free and bound sulfites) to under 175 ppm today. The USDA allows 350 ppm as contained in dried fruits and other processed foods.

There are numerous inconclusive reports blaming free sulfites for side effects that include anything from headaches to the ultimate side effect, death. The one serious documented adverse reaction may result in severe asthmatics who are corticosteroid-dependent (about one-quarter of 1 percent of the population).

Please note that it is impossible to produce sulfur-free wine, since sulphur dioxide is a natural by-product of fermentation. Many wines are "organically grown" with small amounts of sulphur added during winemaking. Few producers, including California’s Frey Vineyards, add no sulfites and may label their wine as such.

Today, organic winegrowers are in the market mainstream — although it’s difficult to nail down hard data on the sales of organic wines. This is attributed partly to the fact that it’s tough to keep track of the innumerable small wineries that contribute to sales. Additionally, there are no clear-cut categories in which to lump organic wines that can be defined as not only organic, but also biodynamic or sustainable.

Nonetheless, if one can extrapolate from research that Time magazine (August 2002) reported showing that natural and organic foods are growing at 18 percent per year, it’d be a safe conclusion that "green winegrowing" is also on the rise. Many wine experts would say this is a matter of "what goes around comes around" as the wine "industry," for its first 6,000 years or so, did not rely on technology, but on the cooperation of man, plant, and planet.

Mary Ross is internationally recognized as an authority on wine. She is an Advanced Sommelier, a Certified Wine Educator, and has been honored with The Wine Spectator’s Grand Award of Excellence.

For information on organic, biodynamic, and sustainable viticulture:

California Certified Organic Grape growers

Wine from Sky to Earth: Growing & Appreciating Biodynamic Wine, Nicolas Joly (Acres USA Publishers, 1999).

The Code of Sustainable Winegrowing, prepared by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Contact Wine Institute at 415-356-7525 or e-mail swp@wineinstitute.org

Organic Wine Picks

Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross knows her wines and suggests some of the best wines on the market from organic, biodynamic and sustainable methods.

Bonterra Vineyards (Mendocino County, CA) — Loosely translated "the good earth," Bonterra began as Fetzer Vineyards’ six-acre test of organic and biodynamic viticulture. Today, Bonterra’s 1,500 acres make it a leader in both quality and popularity among natural food products. The Chardonnay features caramel "appley" aromas, a creamy texture and rich, dry flavors of apple, ripe pear, and toasty oak. The Syrah is a sturdy mouthful of ripe blackberries, black pepper, and brown spice. Both cost less than $20 at most wine shops.

Nicolas Joly (Savennieres, Loire Valley, France) — The Joly family farms land planted in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, to produce some of France’s rarest and most esteemed wines. The Savennieres balances bone dry flavors of stone fruit and minerals with aromas of wild honey and an endless finish. It costs about $35 in fine wine shops. The Coulee de Serrant is dense and earthy, a perfect complement to white truffles, costing about $75 in fine wine shops.

Sokol-Blosser Winery (Willamette Valley, Oregon) — Nine grapes (e.g., gewürztraminer, chardonnay, pinot gris, etc.) harmonize in not-too-dry, not-too-sweet flavors, low-low alcohol (11.5 percent) and a refreshing finish. It’s a new favorite at restaurants around town and costs less than $20 in retail shops.

Nikolaihof (Wachau Austria) — The Romans documented winegrowing at Nikolaihof in 470 A.D. Today, tradition and biodynamic viticulture guide production of bone-dry and "minerally" wines, made from Riesling, gruner veltliner and weissbugunder. Limited supply and prices vary at fine wine shops.

Frey Vineyards (Mendocino County, CA) — Established in 1980, Frey is the oldest and largest organic winery in the United States. All grapes are organic, with estate-bottled wines certified biodynamic by the Demeter Association. All wines are made with no added sulfites. The 2001 Syrah received a Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair for rich plum and currant flavors. For direct order or local availability visit www.freywine.com ($11.25 plus shipping).

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