Organic wine

At its most basic level, organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Organic Certification and Natural wines

When a label says "organic," in countries with organic regulation, it means the wine has met certain standards that are set by a government agency. Different nations have their own certification criteria, so what's organic in one country may not be so in another.

Many wineries that are technically organic still choose not to be certified. There are many reasons for this. Some do not want the added costs and bureaucracy of registering. Others may disagree with their government's standards. It can also be a marketing decision. Whatever the case, in countries with organic regulation, they are not allowed to use "organic" on their labels.

Some feel that organic certification standards are inappropriate, and that although grapes can be grown organically, winemaking itself is not organic. The process can tend to little or no manipulation of wines by reverse osmosis, excessive filtration, or flavor additives (such as oak chips), use of wild yeasts for fermentation. Some winemakers, although not meeting organic criteria, feel their methods are superior and choose to label themselves as "natural" wines instead..

Sulfites

Organic wines are not necessarily sulfite-free.

The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use, in extremely small quantities, to help stabilize wines, while others frown on them completely.

In the United States, wines labeled "organic" cannot contain added sulfites. Wines that have added sulfites, but are otherwise organic, are labeled "wine made from organic grapes." .

See also

• Natural wine
• Organic farming
• Organic food
• Biodynamic wine