Gorgeously Green: Sustainable, Organic & Biodynamic® Wines Take Off
by Courtney Cochran
As the panoply of green products on the market proves, there’s no shortage of enthusiasm for eco-conscious products of all stripes in today’s society. When it comes to eco wines - whether they’re classified as sustainable, organic or Biodynamic®, green wines are turning heads more and more with their vibrant fruit profiles and authentic transmission of terroir.
Which leads us to ask: what more could you ask for?
SustainableSustainable winegrowing is the least restrictive of the various methods of making wine “green.” Incorporating farming techniques that nurture land to ensure its soils, animals, rivers and fish will thrive for generations to come, sustainability extends from the vineyard to the winery, where winemakers respect natural processes and use minimal additives and preservatives in crafting their blends.
A number of certification groups have been created to recognize sustainably made wines, and California and Oregon have even gone so far as to produce state certifications that are easily recognizable to consumers. Look for “Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing” and “Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine” indications on web sites and – for Oregon wines – on bottle labels, too.
Organically Grown Grapes & OrganicWhile both “organic” wines and wines “made with organically grown grapes” incorporate fruit grown in vineyards that are certified organic, truly organic wines, according to the USDA, must be made without the addition of sulfites in the winery. Sulfites are preservatives that allow wine to spend time in your cellar maturing and to better withstand the rigors of transport, and are added to just about all wines you see on store shelves. The exception, of course, is the group of wines that are labeled “organic;” these are truly natural wines and are often enjoyed best young and fresh.
Wines made with organically grown grapes (and labeled as such) make use of sulfites for preservation purposes, though they receive the same rigorous green treatment as organic wines in the vineyard. With organic vineyard certification taking some three years to achieve, producing these wines is a notable accomplishment, indeed. Look for organic certification indications on back labels for both types of wine.
Biodynamic® BasicsMade with grapes grown in vineyards treated with special soil additions and farmed according to the lunar calendar (we’re not kidding), Biodynamic® wines incorporate the most extreme form of organic agriculture into their methods. Created in the early 20th Century by noted Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Biodynamic® farming is a truly holistic approach to agriculture and takes into account our need to not only nurture the soil and its surrounding environment, but to add back key nutrients along the way.
Crazy though it may sound, Biodynamic® farming results in wines that are incredibly nuanced, complex and interesting – in other words, worth seeking out. And while this certification is still in the early stages of consumer recognition, we predict it will take off in years to come. Look for the Biodynamic® indication on the back labels of wine, or inquire with producers to find out if they’re using this method.
| Courtney Cochran is a Millennial generation sommelier and author of "Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine" (Viking Studio), for which she won the 2007 Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year award. In addition to contributing to WineAnswers.com, Courtney writes a wine column for WineCountry.com and has written about wine for Maxim Magazine. San Francisco Magazine called Cochran's popular HIP TASTES events "Wine without the snob factor," and she has been profiled in Vogue, Business Week Online and C Magazine, which dubbed her "San Francisco's Most Wanted Wine Guru." |  |