GreenYour.com

Organic wines allow you to imbibe your favorite red, white, or bubbly libations made from "green grapes" that have been grown under earth-friendly, chemical-free conditions.

Find it! Organic wineries

Like other natural, organically produced food and beverages, organic wines are part of a niche market that's growing quickly. Expect a bit of hunting—especially if you reside in an area that's without a bevy of specialty liquor stores—and to pay more for a bottle of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified wine. If you'd rather shop from the comfort of your home, set aside that glass of conventional Pinot Noir and check out the domestic organic winemakers listed below that sell their sustainable spirits online.

Before you buy

The labeling for wines made from organic grapes can be bewildering to the newbie given that there are four degrees of "organic-ness" a bottle of wine can claim. (See Organic wine certification below.) While shopping for organic wines you may also stumble across biodymanic wines. Although wines sporting a Biodynamic Certified seal are similar to their organic brethren, they are not subject to USDA-established standards but follow regulations established by biodynamic certification agencies, such as Demeter.

Also, keep in mind that organic wines are meant to be consumed shortly after purchase since they don't contain added sulfites—preservatives that can lead to headaches and other allergic reactions. However, while green wines boast many eco-perks, they do not provide immunity to hangovers or provide a better buzz—so before you polish off that magnum of organic Cabernet, remember that alcohol is alcohol no matter how it's labeled.

Lastly, before buying booze online, keep in mind that regulations regarding the interstate shipping of alcohol vary by state. Be certain you are able to receive alcohol via mail before ordering it.

Choosing organic wine helps you green because...

• The grapes used in the winemaking process are not sprayed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are detrimental to humans, wildlife, and the environment.
• Certified Organic wines do not contain added sulfites, compounds that can trigger allergic reactions.
• Many wineries that follow organic farming standards also practice eco-friendly winemaking practices—harnessing solar power and avoiding the use of toxic cleaners are just two of them.
• Organic farming combats global warming through carbon sequestration.

Although not an incredibly pleasant fact to digest while unwinding with your favorite fermented digestif, wine-producing grapes are subject to 17 different fumigants, pesticides, and herbicides. In California—by far the most prolific producer of US wines—grapes are treated by more chemicals than any other conventional crop: a whopping 59 million pounds of toxic chemicals in 1995 alone.[1]

Due to bureaucratic conflicts between the USDA's National Organics Standards Board and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) (the federal agency that regulates wine labeling in the US), a limited number of wineries have become producers of Certified Organic wine. Although sales of organic wine totaled about $80 million in the US in 2005, this figure accounts for just 1 percent of the total domestic wine market. But in tandem with the growing popularity of organic foodstuffs, the Organic Trade Association expects the market for organic wine to rise significantly—around 17 percent in 2008.[2]

Organic wine certification

In accordance with standards established by the National Organic Program, wines can claim four varying degrees of "organic-ness" on their labels. These are:

• 100% Organic: The wine must be made from 100 percent organically grown grapes and may not have any added sulfites. The wine may have natural sulfites but the level cannot be more than 100 parts per million. Additionally, the labeling must provide information about the USDA-regulated certifying agency as well as an ingredient statement.
• Organic: Guidelines for "Organic" are essentially the same as "100% Organic." However, 5 percent of ingredients can be from a conventional agricultural ingredient that is not organically available; the remaining 95 percent must be organic.
• Made with Organic Ingredients, Made with Organic Grapes, or Organically Grown: To make any of these claims, a wine must be made from at least 70 percent organic ingredients that are identified on the label; the remaining 30 percent of ingredients must be conventional agricultural products that are not organically available. Additionally, the labeling must provide information about the USDA-regulated certifying agency but cannot display the official USDA Organic seal. These wines may contain added sulfites along with naturally occurring ones but the total number cannot be more than 100 parts per million.
• Some Organic Ingredients: These wines contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients, cannot display the USDA Organic seal, or refer to organic ingredients or certifying agencies on the label.

Organic farming combats climate change

Organic farming may also be key in fighting global climate change. A study of conventional versus organic farming methods by the Rodale Institute discovered that organic farming combats global warming through carbon sequestration. In agricultural applications, the more organic matter that is retained in the soil, the more carbon is sequestered. While conventional farming depletes organic matter through the use of chemical fertilizers, organic farming uses animal manure and cover crops, which actually build soil organic matter.

Organic farming further reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) by using 37 percent fewer fossil fuels than conventional farming.[3] The Rodale Institute estimates that if all 160 million acres of corn and soybean farmland in the US were switched to organic farming methods, it would be equivalent to removing 58.7 million cars from the road, and would satisfy 73 percent of the proposed US Kyoto targets for CO₂ reduction.[4]

Controversies

The move toward organic farming has received a fair amount of criticism. Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, believes organic farming techniques to be detrimental to the environment. In a December 2006 issue of The Economist, he cites that the low yields of organic farming call for the destruction of more land while the use of the synthetic fertilizers allows farmers to harvest vast amounts of, for example, grapes, in a small area of cultivated land. Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on high-input crops that have increased world food supply, but has been criticized because of the resultant increase in reliance on monoculture cropping and inorganic fertilizer use. His stats have also been challenged by a 2008 report by the Agronomy Journal, which concluded that many organic, low-input crops can yield as much dry matter as conventional crops (and sometimes more) given the right weed control conditions.

Related health issues

Sulfites

Can't shake that pounding "wine headache?" You may be suffering from a sulfite allergy, a sensitivity to the naturally occurring compound in grapes, onions, apricots, garlic, and other plants. Therefore, wines labeled "sulfite-free" are not truly free of them, but rather may not have added sulfites. Adding sulfites is commonly practiced by winemakers to preserve and protect wine—your bottle of Merlot would turn to vinegar in a few months without them—but those who want to enjoy a glass sans throbbing temples should reach for "young," organic wines free of added sulfites. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that one in every 100 people has a sensitivity to sulfites.[5]

Glossary

• carbon sequestration: The process by which carbon is captured (in the form of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere and incorporated into soil, ocean, and plant matter.

External links

• Organic Wine Journal
• New York Times - When the Wine is Green
• Salon.com - Does organic wine taste bad?
• Jamie Goode's Wine Blog Web log of famed Brit wine journalist, Jamie Goode. Also check out his main site, the wine anorak

Online retailers of organic wine

• Organic Vintners
• The Organic Wine Company
• The Organic Wine Press
• Valley Wines & Spirits