The interest in “organic” wine is growing. According to Nielson tracking data, in the United States alone, the category grew from $27 million in 2017 to more than $160 million in 2021. And because consumers are becoming more conscious about what they put into their bodies, and how the foods they consume affect the planet, the interest in organic wines is expected to continue.
The question is, however, what exactly is organic wine? Who regulates, certifies, and/or monitors its health implications, and/or the inputs and processes that go into growing and making it?
First, no regulatory body specifically tracks the health implications of consuming any wine, let alone a particular subcategory such as organic. Second, standards are in place for the inputs and processes of growing and making organic wine, but confusing nomenclature clouds and obscures the concept.
One might imagine that all organic wines are made from grapes grown according to organic farming principles—no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, or GMOs—and that the wines adhere to the same constraints. However, peruse a wine shop’s organic section and you might be confronted with a multitude of different monikers that imply “organic.”
A wine labeled as “organic” might instead be labeled as a “wine made with organically grown grapes” or “biodynamic” or made with “biodynamically grown grapes” or “sustainable.” Maybe the wine proudly announces that it is “natural” or “additive-free” or “sugar-free” or “vegan-friendly” or with “no sulfites added.”
Not all such-labeled wines are created equal, and only a few actually mean much when it comes to being required to adhere to some set of strict guidelines.
For many, the gold standard for organic wine is to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s seal of approval. Such certification signifies that the entire winemaking process—from grapes in the vineyard to the wine in the bottle—adheres to USDA organic guidelines. Beyond these requirements, only native or non-GMO yeasts are allowed during fermentation, and no sulfites can be added while making wines that are so labeled.
Wines made with “organic grapes” means the grapes were grown in accordance with the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations, with no chemical pesticides or chemical herbicides allowed in the growing of the grapes. The grapes used may also meet the quality standards of a state agency, such as the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). Some sulfites may be used in the winemaking process (less than 100 ppm), along with a few processing additives such as acacia gum, oak chips, pectolytic enzymes, tannins and a few other items, including GMO yeast.
Biodynamic wines usually meet and exceed the standards for certified organic farming. Demeter USA owns the copyright “Biodynamic” and is the only certifier for biodynamic farms and products in America. This agency certifies that wines are biodynamic, which means that the grapes were grown and the wines made without synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, growth stimulants, or GMOs. Sulfites in the final wine may be present but at concentrations of less than 100 ppm.
Some labels tout being OK’d by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) — a partnership between the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The CSWA promotes sustainable grape-growing and wine-production practices by requiring an annual self-assessment that highlights 144 vineyards and 105 wineries’ best practices using the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing. This code encourages such things as ensuring that “nitrogen is only applied when needed and when vines can best utilize it” and “lower-risk pesticides are used whenever possible and risks to environmental and human health are considered.”
“Sustainable” wines are not regulated and winemakers are not required to disclose their practices and ingredients, so it is impossible to trace or even define this category. As in any wine, sulfites must remain under the legal limit of 300 ppm.
One key aspect of how “organic” wines are made relates to how much sulfur (sulfur dioxide, sulfites, SO2) can be used during winemaking. In the U.S. no sulfites can be added to any organic product, including wine if it is to receive the USDA organic seal of approval. However, other countries, such as France and Italy, have different ideas on the topic of sulfur and allow small amounts during the making of their “organic” wines. Italy is the world’s leading organic wine producer—making 36 million cases of organic wine in 2013 and estimated to make 83 million cases by 2023. So most wines that are labeled “organic” in Europe are only able to carry the “made with organic grapes” label in the United States.
At some future point, there may be labels that help consumers navigate the world of “organic” wine. Until then, because no consistent, universally-recognized certification system exists, I expect the confusion will continue.
