Going Organic

Once upon a time, organic products were mostly reserved for the hippie-types. Today, consumers are more eco-savvy and eco-friendly than ever before. Organic products have found its way into the mainstream market. This is great for the wine industry with producers and consumers embracing it on both sides of the supply and demand market.

Organic wine has been around for some time, though till now, has not been taken too seriously. There are varying differences of organically made wine and I will briefly discuss the differences between organic wines, bio-dynamic wines and preservative free/ low preservative wines.

Organic Wines:

Organic viticulture and production practices are designed to work in harmony with nature and the seasons in order for the vineyard to be self-sustainable, not only for upcoming vintages, but for future generations.

Organic wine is available in two forms. The first being, wine produced from organic grapes and the second is wine which not only contains organic grapes, but which is also processed using organic methods. Organic grapes are free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, weed killers or other synthetic chemicals. Essential natural preservatives like sulphur dioxide are kept to a minimum. (A standard wine may have 400 parts per million or more of sulphur. Most organic wines are limited to125 parts per million or less of sulphur.) In the vineyard, grapes are selectively hand-picked, whilst in the winery; wine is treated gently with minimal handling. Additionally, any winemaking equipment must be washed without the use of any chemicals. Winemakers pay careful attention to minimise the need of cultured yeasts in organic winemaking, as this is reduced by the farming itself, for wild yeasts remain present, not having been eliminated by weed killers or insecticides. Winemakers also practice minimal filtration and fining methods.

Bio-Dynamic Wines:

Bio-Dynamics is a method of organic viticulture that incorporates organic principles and is heavily influenced by the theories of Rudolf Steiner. Bio-dynamic vineyards are designed to be self sufficient. Work on a bio-dynamic vineyard is timed to coincide with the earths natural rhythms ( determined by the position of earth relative to the sun, moon and other planets) throughout the year. Another major element of bio-dynamic farming is the use of natural preparations to nurture and enlivened the soil.

As for organics, no synthetic chemicals of any kind (fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides etc) are used, but in addition, biodynamic preparations are sprayed on soil and vines. These preparations (made from cow manure, silica , and extracts from various pants) encouragenatural biological processes that result in a healthy structured aerobic soil. Healthy soil s form the basis of a balanced ecosystem in which vines can access nutrients in optimal amounts ,allowing them to produceidealfruit and avoiding many pest and disease problems which can occur if nutrients in the soil (and subsequently plant foliage) are out of balance.

In the winery, the bio-dynamic winemaker will also take into account the earths rhythms when carrying out certain winery activities.

Low Preservative / Preservative-Free Wines:
The main difference between organic wines and low preservative / preservative-free wines, the latter is made without sulphur dioxide and former may contain lower amounts than standard wines. Sulphur has also been used as a preservative in winemaking for centuries. To prevent wine spoilage, European winemakers pioneered the use of sulphur dioxide (SO2). Unfortunately, freshly pressed grape juice has a tendency for spoilage due to contamination from bacteria and wild yeasts present on the grape skins. Not only does SO2 inhibit the growth of moulds and bacteria, it stops oxidation and preserves the wine's natural flavour and colour. This is not to say that wines with very little S02 are impervious to oxidation, rather, the shelf life of low preservative / preservative free wines can be comparable to standard wines. The alcohol and tannin present will act as natural preservatives in wine, negating the need for huge amounts of SO2.

Whilst sulphur poses no danger to 99.75% of the population, the affected population are highly allergic with asthmatics, particularly highest at risk. Having said that, many people have little tolerance for sulphur. Even for moderate wine drinkers, the average level of sulphur found in many standard wines can cause side effects. Unpleasant reactions include migraines, hives, cramps and skin flushes. For those affected, preservative free or low preservative wines is a good choice as they contain minimal amounts of sulphur.

Certification:
Though there are seven certification authorities for organic farming in Australia, the vast majority of organic-wine grape growers operate under the Big Three.

Demeter is the oldest certification seal in Australia. It's administered by the Bio-Dynamic Research Institute and only certifies organic produce from biodynamic growers who follow the beliefs of Austrian philosopher/scientist Rudolf Steiner.

The next oldest organisation is the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia Ltd (NASAA), which holds the rights to the "certified organic" label and has strong links with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

Third of the trio is the more recently established Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), which merged with the Organic Vignerons Association of Australia to get a bigger share in organic wine production. The BFA administers the Australian Certified Organic scheme, which allows the display of its bud logo on certified products.

Organic production should definitely be considered. Whilst it is a matter of personal taste and opinion, organic winemaking increases the final quality of the product, which is what we are all after. Bringing with it many health and environmental benefits as additional positives.

Winemakers Choice now stock a variety of high quality Organic, Bio-Dynamic and Preservative Free wines from Happs, Botobolar, Hardys & More. Why not try them and see the difference. We're sure you will be impressed with the quality on offer.
Check them out here