Public demand for organic wine is great

Public demand for organic wine is on the rise in the US. In most wine shops today you are able to find an organic section, unlike years ago when you had to hunt them down. The public demand for organic food and wine is attributed partially to a more sophisticated understanding of and belief in organic methods. More so, it is likely being driven by public outcry over pesticide-laden foods, irradiated or genetically altered crops and an overall desire for a safe and more wholesome food supply. Recent news of studies linking pesticides to ADHD in children just reinforces the public demand for safer foods.

While it used to be that most organic wines were made in small boutique wineries, today many large wineries are now converting to more sustainable methods. Giants like Beringer, Buena Vista, Fetzer, Gallo of Sonoma, Mondavi and many other big producers are converting to organic methods.

Tim Mondavi of the Robert Mondavi family of wineries, says that in the past, when faced with using a repressive technology, like pesticides, or an inspired technology, like using a cover crop to help establish beneficial insects that control pests naturally, the inspired technology always proved to be a better method. Most organic growers believe that healthy soil produces healthy vines and healthy vines produce healthy grapes which translates into excellent wine.

So what qualifies as organic wine?

Organic wines are produced under the watchful eye of USDA-approved certifying agencies, like Stellar Certification Services, Quality Assurance International, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Oregon Tilth, Washington State Department of Agriculture's Organic Food Certification Program and several others. These certifying agencies make sure the vineyards follow the guidelines set by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). To be certified organic, the wine has to be made with organically grown grapes and without any added sulfites. The sulfite issues divides many winemakers with both sides firmly planted in their beliefs. However, to be CERTIFIED as an organic wine under current US organic standards, the wine may not include any added sulfites.

So why look for organic products?

Many consider organic farming to be superior to more "conventional" farming. These people claim organic grape farming yields more nutritious fruit, improves the farm's overall soil condition, as well as being safer for farm workers and yields great results of higher quality grapes that make excellent wines.

(This is a multi-part series on certified organic wines and winemaking. Read part 2 of this article series here.)

Some great online organic resources:

http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/new_farm
http://www.organic-center.org
http://www.ota.com
http://organicconsumers.org
http://organicconsumers.org
http://ifoam.org
http://omri.org
http://biochar-international.org