Natural, Organic, and Biodynamic Wine, explained

Wine club members are more curious than ever about what exactly goes into their food. And those who are looking for the “healthiest” food often choose the organic product, because it is free of chemicals, pesticides and often, additives.

The same goes for wine.

Natural Wine

Isn’t all wine “natural”? After all, truly ripe wine grapes have enough sugar and yeast to ferment without any help. However, largescale commercial winemaking sometimes relies on chemical manipulations in both the vineyards and the cellar to ensure wine consistency. But at small, artisan wineries, low-intervention winemaking is much more common.

So, what is a “natural wine”? While there is no official designation, The Oxford Companion to Wine defines it as:

•          Grapes grown by small-scale, independent producers.

•          Grapes hand-picked from sustainable, organic, or biodynamic vineyards.

•          Wine fermented with native yeasts (no added yeast).

•          No additives included in fermentation (like sugar).

•          Little or no sulfites are added.

Natural winemaking methods also include organic farming, dry farming, or using drip irrigation, hand-sorting fruit, minimal intervention, and bottling wines unfiltered and unfined.

“Margerum Wine Company has been making wine naturally prior to it becoming the fashion,” says Founder Doug Margerum. “We use the natural by-products of fermentation, co2, and lees as antioxidants instead of sulfur. We preserve the wine by fermenting very cold, keeping the lees suspended in the high retained co2 environment. We are low-intervention. We add yeast and for the Rosé we do fine but with pea shoot powder – so all of our wines are vegan. We farm organically and sustainable – we are good stewards of the land. While I’m a proponent of natural I do believe in making clean wines and we do filter some of the wines – just like you filter your coffee.”

Organic Wine

Wine lovers wanting to “drink green” will reach for an organic wine. However, a few caveats are in order.

First, like all wines, organic wines may have been fined with animal products, including egg whites or animal enzymes, so vegans be warned.

Second, all organic wines are not created equal. Meaning, some organic wines are more organic than others.

There are three categories for organic wines:

1.        “Organic” – This wine will bear the USDA organic seal. It’s made 100% from organically grown grapes. You’ll find the name of the agency that certifies the vineyards as organic on the label. It cannot have any added sulfites, however, naturally occurring sulfites are okay, as long as they don’t exceed 20 parts per million.

2.        “Made with Organic Ingredients” – Sulfites may be added, however, they cannot exceed 100 parts per million. The U.S. maximum for wine 350ppm — far less than the 2,000 ppm limit recommended for dried apricots.

3.        “Made with Some Organic Ingredients” – Sulfites may be added.

Important to Know: Certification is expensive and time-consuming, and sulfur is the best available preservative, so although many small wineries farm organically, their wines might not be certified USDA organic.

 

What Wineries Say About Organic Wines

Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles is one of largest growers of organic grapes in the country. Farming organically takes more care, but Founder Niels Udsen explains that “it’s a rewarding challenge, despite the naysayers, who complain that organics are way more expensive — as if expense is always the guiding light. They surround their neighbors and themselves in chemical soups we wouldn’t want to be in. We want a healthy environment for our employees, the grapes, and the wines. And we are constantly improving. Our solar panels allow us to completely offset our energy use for both production and other winery events. 100% of our vineyards are farmed organically and SIP certified.”

Organic farming also showcases terroir. “The concept of terroir is rooted in the idea of place,” says Ivo Jeramaz, Winemaker and Vice President of Vineyards & Production at Grgich Hills Estate in Napa Valley. “Organic farming allows the land to be unadulterated, thus the wine will show the true essence of the vineyard.”

Biodynamic Wine

“While all of the organic requirements for certification under the National Organic Program are required for Biodynamic certification, the Demeter standard is much more extensive, with stricter requirements around imported fertility, greater emphasis on on-farm solutions for disease, pest, and weed control, and in depth specifications around water conservation and biodiversity.”– demeter-usa.org/

What Wineries Say about Biodynamic Wine

“It is an ultra-organic way of farming,” explains Maysara Winery Founder Moe Momtazi. “The biological aspect includes companion planting and integration of animals throughout the farm. The dynamic effects include planning and planting by a calendar (i.e. near and far stars), biodynamic composting along with homeopathy.”

At Hawk and Horse Vineyards in Lower Lake County, Scottish Highlander cattle provide necessary elements for their biodynamic farming. “On the ranch we pursue a true biodynamic ‘closed system,’” says Proprietor and Winemaker Mitch Hawkins. “Biodynamic farming practices enable us to increase the vitality of our soil, promote the health of our vines, and optimize the overall quality of our fruit. The majority of vineyard preparations are made on site – compost and manure are vital ingredients.” Red-Tail Hawks patrol the vineyard, keeping the rodent population in check.

Sustainable Wine

Certifications for sustainability abound, but most involve water management as well as soil management and restrictions on pesticides.

What Wineries Say about Sustainable Wines

What is the difference between organic, biodynamic and sustainable winemaking?

The main difference between organic and biodynamic winemaking and sustainable winemaking? “The first two only deal with the environment. They are not about how we can help our workers or whether we are good community activists,” says Steve McIntyre, McIntyre Vineyards, Co-Founder of Central Coast Vineyard Team’s Sustainability in Practice program (S.I.P.).

At Shannon Ridge, they have developed their own sustainability program. As part of a farming family, Clay Shannon began Shannon Ridge Winery in the high hills of Lake County with an eye on keeping a balance between nature and his vineyards. Part of his effort includes what Clay calls the “The Ovis Cycle: The Ultimate Sustainable Farming System” (ovis is Latin for “sheep”). With this symbiotic model, the winery’s sheep, land, and vines work together to the benefit of all.

Labels to Look For:

• Demeter Certified: Demeter USA is the only certifier for Biodynamic farms and products in America.
• Napa Green Certified Winery: Napa Green is one of only four sustainable winegrowing programs nationwide offering the opportunity for comprehensive soil-to-bottle certification in both the vineyard and winery. 40% of all of the certified sustainable wineries in CA are in Napa County.
• Napa Green Certified Vineyard: Napa Green Vineyard certification provides a pathway for growers to improve soil health, become carbon neutral to negative within six to nine years, and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.
• LODI RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s original sustainable viticulture program. This program truly began from the ground up, with grape growers deciding it was important for the future of the Lodi region. It includes 100 sustainability practices and a Pesticide Environmental Assessment System (PEAS).
• S.I.P. Certified: In practice, this looks at the three P’s: People, Planet, Prosperity. SIP Certified is committed and dedicated to protecting natural and human resources, also producing high-quality wines by supporting social responsibility, sustainable winemaking and wine growing practices, and sustainable vineyards, wineries, and wines.
• Salmon Safe: Through our peer-reviewed certification and accreditation program, we are leading the movement to implement farming practices and developments that protect water quality, maintain watershed health and restore habitat.
• Fish Friendly Farming: A certification program for agricultural properties managed to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality.

Vegan Wines

While most wines are considered vegan, some wines are grown or made with animal biproducts, whether in the soil or in the cellar. Egg whites or isinglass (from fish bladders) may be used in the fining, which is the process of clarifying wine.

Gluten Free Wines

There is a possibility of wheat contamination during the fining process or when aging in oak barrels sealed with wheat paste. Wine can be labeled “gluten-free” if they have not been made with gluten-containing grains and having less than 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten. This is includes the vast majority of wines.

 

About Sugar

Without sugar, there is no wine. Wine is made when the sugar in ripe grapes is converted to alcohol through the process of fermentation. A small percentage of wineries may add sugar during fermentation to increase the final alcohol in a wine If their grapes did not achieve desired ripeness. This process is called chaptalization.

Important to Know: Chaptalization is only allowed (an only to a certain degree) in cool climate regions like France, Germany, and New Zealand. It is not allowed in warm climate regions like California, Italy, and Australia.

About Sulfites in Wine

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) protects wine from bacteria and prevents it from turning into vinegar — in other words, it allows a wine to age gracefully. Wine naturally contains sulfites, and most wineries add a minimal amount during winemaking.

This may be why you don’t see that many “organic” wines. A good compromise for winemakers and consumers is the “Made with Organic Ingredients” and “Made with Some Organic Ingredients” categories. These allow the addition of sulfites, but not very much (100 parts per million or less). So the wine can be preserved, and the sulfite load can be managed.

A small percentage of people, often those with asthma, report reactions to wines with added sulfites – headaches, hives, itching. Experts disagree as to how sulfites in wine cause this, or even if they do. Nonetheless, some people avoid sulfites in wine. Sulfites are also present in many foods we all love including dried fruit, cheese, and frozen potatoes.

Important to Know: Europe’s organic wines can include the addition of sulfites. U.S. organic wines can’t and therefore they will undergo changes in flavor over time that their European counterparts won’t.

Give Small Wineries a Try

Though not every wine featured in The California Wine Club is certified organic, wine club members can be assured that the small, artisan wineries we feature practice sustainable farming. Try the club for yourself or send a wine club gift and uncork handcrafted, artisan quality.