The current wine consumers trend is increasingly moving towards finding lesser-known wine labels that’s more boutique and quality oriented. Often, this happens to be small wineries tended with passion and love by a singular family unit. Husband tends to the vines while wife does the marketing and selling, supported by their children in various positions too. We love such projects, and 90% of the time, the wines are Organically / Sustainably produced. So, we’d like to help explain what is Organic Wine?
In short, an Organic wine is a wine that’s not being anywhere in contact or processed with anything artificial, chemically induced from the Vine to the Bottling Process (except for a much lower proportion of Sulphur Dioxide during bottling to stabilize the wine). Some would argue that Organic Wines means it’s a better wine, frankly it is incorrect to say so. What we search for in wine is the overall balance and fruit qualities that exuberates sense of identity, being Organic is a plus point, not the main point. As a rule of thumb, Organic Wine do not 100% mean it’s a good drinking wine. But it’s a huge PLUS if the good wine is Organic Wine. So why?
With the liquid has little to no exposure to artificial / chemically induced process, it’s understandably the content is 100% natural. All things being 100% natural will be less cancerous / harmful to our body. I think that’s a given (Always believe in consuming alcohol in moderation regardless!). But what’s getting more common is that, our body in general will react less aggressively to Organic Wines, for example I have encounter consumers suffering from skin rashes, headache and stomach upset upon consuming a glass or maximum two glasses of conventional wines (non-organic). Similar to folks who are gluten intolerant, allergy to nuts etc.. So for them, we recommend to choose only Organic / Biodynamic Wines, the result is immediate. All the previous mentioned symptoms are kept at bay.
To be exactly clear, Organic Wines do not mean it’s 100% no Sulphur, as Sulphur is the natural element on earth that helps to prevent bad bacteria from destroying our products too quickly. So even Sulphur may not be added into the wine, all wines do contain Sulphur naturally. What differs is the amount / trace of Sulphur Dioxide in the liquid.
How could we find organic wines then? Look out the back label of the wines, a wine that’s been certified by external certification body will have the seal / emblem with a green leaf or would says Demeter. This certification process is not only expensive but also very time consuming. The certification requires a series of steps that would take at least 3 years to achieve. And the entire time, the vines are subjected to all the various threats such as Powdery Mildew, Grey Rots, Pests attack and more. So, hats down to wine producers around the world who cultivates their vines Organically. One would then ask, why would the producers decide to do it? Because of the love of their land, their future generations and greater good. Sounds like a cliché but it is the way of life one chooses.