Look for wines marked with our France
44 tag “Eco Wine”… (see icon above) |
| The term “organic” has been getting a lot of attention
recently, especially in the wine world. Several of our local sources
of wine information have focused on organic and biodynamic wines
and have in turn raised our awareness of what is happening in an
area of agriculture that interests us. |
The use of organic processes to grow and produce
wine is not a new trend, in
fact “trend” is an unfair term to use. Organic farming of grapes,
including biodynamic farming (farming that responds to the earth’s natural
energies and cycles and focuses on self-contained ecosystems) is a practice that
has been used throughout the world and in the United States for decades.
What is “new” is perhaps the importance we as wine buyers now place
on these agricultural practices. We think of our health and the health of our
environment when we actively seek out wines recognized as organic. |
| Also new are the labeling regulations that
have been passed by the US Secretary of Agriculture. Previously,
wines that were labeled “Certified Organic” indicated
that the grapes used to make the wine were not treated with artificial
fertilizers, pesticides, or fungicides and contained less than
10 parts per millions sulfites. The new labeling system allows
for wine labels to indicate, “made from organically grown
grapes,” thus allowing for the addition of sulfites during
the winemaking process. |
| It is important to understand the legalities
behind “certified” organic products because it would
be easy to mislead. It is, perhaps, equally as important to recognize
those winemakers who are dedicated to environmentally sound agricultural
practices that contribute to the overall quality of the wine as
well as our quality of life. It is for this reason that we wish
to recognize those wineries that
adhere to organic & biodynamic farming ideologies and practices, but do not
indicate so on their labels. Look for wines marked with our France 44 tag “Eco
Wine.” |
Staff Wine Specialist
-Kristine Igo |
For more information please visit these Websites:
www.wineanorak.com/biodynamic1.htm (Wine Anorak, On-line Wine Mag)
WWW.ECOWINE.COM , WWW.OTA.COM (Organic Trade Association)
WWW.ISGNET.COM/OGWA/ (Organic Grapes into Wine Alliance) |
