Organic wine is simply wine made using organically farmed grapes. So the real question is, what does organic farming entail and how does that affect the final product?
What is Organic Farming?
Organic farming is all about trying to keep the final product as pure as possible. That means free from the influences of potentially harmful checmical pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides. They opt for natural alternatives such as bone meal from animals or pyrethrin from flowers. The result is a plant that does not have any chemicals introduced into the system and essentially purer than if it wasn't farmed organically.
How does organic farming affect Wine?
Without chemical fertilizers and other chemicals getting into the plants system, none of these harmful chemicals are absored into the roots and ultimately passed onto the fruits of the plant. This means the grape that is used to make wine is free from harmful chemicals.
Is organic wine better than normal wine?
Non-organic wine farming can leave residues in the wine and could contain more harmful chemicals compared to non-organic wine. Is it therefore safe to say that organic wine would usually be better for you than normal wine. The only exception is that Suplur Dioxide (SO2) is important during the wine-making process, which, if used, would mean the crop is n non-organic. It is for this reason that you find different definitions of organic:
- USA: "a wine made from organically grown grapes without added sulfites"
- EUROPE & CANADA: "a wine made from organically grown grapes that may contain added sulfites"