October 2007
Red,
White ... And Green — Wine Goes Eco-friendly and Organic
By Rita E. Carey, MS, RD, CDE
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 8 No. 10 P. 60
Not only are natural varietals tickling
drinkers pink, but they’re also proving kind to the environment.
Kit Hoult grows grapes and makes wine on soil
that has been organically managed since 1911. His nearly 100-year-old
farm in northern Arizona—now named Granite Creek Vineyards—is
an oasis of green grass and grand cottonwoods graced by wandering
peacocks, old barns, and, yes, fine wines. Children play in
the vineyard as their parents delight in a glass of cool Chardonnay
that tastes like caramel and apple pie, and no one worries about
toxic chemicals in the air, on the vines, or in their wine.
Visitors to Granite Creek belong to a growing
group of consumers who consider a vineyard’s agricultural
practices before they buy a wine. Consequently, organic wines
are being poured into more American glasses every year, as are
natural, biodynamic, and vegan varieties. The search for wine
produced in sustainable and eco-friendly ways, therefore, has
never been more rewarding or, sometimes, more confusing than
it is today.
In 2006, Americans sipped their way through
716 million gallons of wine—an all-time record representing
2.39 gallons per capita per year (that’s per resident,
or every man, woman, and child living in the United States).1
We are far from catching up with Italy or France, where per
capita consumption is roughly 13 and 14 gallons, respectively,
but we are drinking more than twice as much wine as we did 30
years ago.2 The growth trend currently enjoyed by the wine industry
is attributed in part to research linking vino with health.3
It is therefore not surprising that wine enthusiasts are increasingly
seeking out organically or naturally produced varietals to avoid
the health risks of pesticide residues in their favorite Merlot
or Cabernet.
Consumer polls and sales statistics confirm
American concerns with the social and environmental effects
of food production. A recent Natural Marketing Institute report
found that more than 70% of U.S. consumers indicate that knowing
a company is mindful of its impact on the environment and society
makes them more likely to buy their products.4 Growth in global
organic food production and sales corroborates these findings.
The market for organic products in the United States continues
to experience annual double-digit growth, and in 2002, North
America overtook Europe as the largest world market for organic
food and beverages.5
Those are some statistics—let’s
get back to the wine. Nearly every report on organic and otherwise
eco-friendly varieties mentions the organic wines produced 20
and 30 years ago—and not in a positive manner because
few, apparently, were good.
Today, critics are writing kinder words about
eco-friendly wines, and shops that specialize in natural, organic,
and biodynamic brands are popular in metropolitan areas from
New York City to Chicago and Los Angeles. Jamie Wolff, coproprietor
of Chambers Street Wines in New York City, has participated
in the growth of the natural wine industry. His shop specializes
in wines produced in environmentally and socially conscious
ways. He says production of these wines has increased dramatically
over the last few years, especially in Europe.
When asked about his enthusiasm for the wines
he sells, he replies that, in addition to ethical and environmental
reasons for buying naturally produced wines, he consistently
finds that these wines—when placed in blind, side-by-side
taste comparisons—are superior to conventionally produced
wines of the same variety and region. He believes that the additional
attention and care needed to produce natural wines is ultimately
expressed in the product’s quality, complexity, and taste.
And that, to consumers, is what really sells a wine and promotes
the manner in which it is produced.
Biodynamic Wines
Biodynamic wines are produced in accordance with the philosophy
of Rudolf Steiner, the father of the Waldorf system of education.
Steiner developed his agricultural ideas in the early 1900s,
as farmers were beginning to notice a decline in soil and food
quality with increased use of synthetic, ammonia-based fertilizers.
Steiner viewed farms as unique living systems and, consequently,
developed methods of pest control and soil enhancement that
supported the inherent land life cycles. He also expected farmers
to closely observe their own farms to determine how best to
deter pests and build fertility. Steiner’s approach developed
a strong following and was eventually labeled biodynamic. Today,
Demeter International is the largest certifying body for biodynamic
agriculture, but smaller organizations, such as Biodivin, which
some feel promote stricter regulations, are being established.
Many people consider biodynamic agriculture
the mother of organic farming. The two approaches follow similar
principles of natural pest control and soil conservation, but
biodynamic agriculture embraces a more complex view of the farm
in relation to the local environment, as well as the planet,
and has specific guidelines for the daily management of the
soil, compost, and fields. Michael DeLoach of De Loach Vineyards
describes some differences in the two farming practices in this
way: “While [biodynamic agriculture] embraces many of
the same principles as organic farming, such as eliminating
the use of chemicals, biodynamics is more holistic. The overall
approach behind biodynamics is to treat the farm as a self-sustaining,
living entity that avoids the cycle of dependence on fertilizers
and pesticides by maintaining a balanced, diverse ecology. It
differs from organic farming in three distinct ways: It treats
the farm as a closed, self-contained ecosystem and minimizes
the use of any external inputs; it recognizes that cosmic rhythms
influence life and utilizes the lunar calendar to guide practices
from the vineyard to the cellar; and it utilizes specific natural
preparations to improve the health and vitality of the soil.”6,7
Biodynamic farmers take the broad view and consider
their plots of land as part of the local ecosystem, which are
part of a larger bioregion (eg, North America), which is ultimately
and inextricably linked and influenced by the whole planet and
the universe in which it sits and spins. A biodynamic farmer
works with the timing of the seasons, as well as changes in
the moon and other celestial bodies, to determine the best times
to plant, prune, dust for bugs, or do any of the many other
required tasks. Cover crops and farm animals provide natural
weed control and fertilizer, plant, and other wastes from the
farm are converted to compost—thus, the farm is managed
so the inputs of fertility and outputs of produce are recycled.
Many wine enthusiasts believe biodynamic wine
most effectively imparts the unique flavors drawn from different
soils and grape varieties—a wine’s terroir (referring
to the attributes a wine picks up from its entire environment,
including the soil, climate, and neighboring plants). Chambers
Street Wines describes its love of biodynamic wines on its Web
site: “Biodynamic wines give us a pure and unmodified
expression of grapes and terroir through healthier vineyards
that are naturally resistant to plant diseases and extremes
of weather. (In the heat of 2003, for example, European biodynamic
vineyards produced far more balanced wines than their conventionally
farmed neighbors.) Along with the obvious environmental benefits,
we feel strongly that biodynamic wines offer the consumer a
level of purity, balance, and complexity that is superior to
that of ‘ordinary’ wines. Many of our favorite vineyards
in Europe are now biodynamic, and we are pleased to see the
increased interest in biodynamic farming in the U.S.”
It is important to note that when looking to
buy a wine produced in this fashion, some biodynamic vineyards
may not be certified. Biodynamic (and organic) certification
can be cumbersome and expensive, and some wineries choose not
to pursue it. These producers may not make any claims on their
labels, so identifying them can be challenging. (See the list
of resources for some Web sites that are helpful for finding
wines that may be biodynamic in nature but are not labeled as
such.)
Organic Wines
Gretchen Hoffman, hostess at the Granite Creek Vineyards tasting
room, wants customers to know several important facts about
organic wine: It is made from 100% certified organic grapes,
is bottled in a certified organic facility, and, because no
sulfites or other additives are used to manipulate fermentation
and flavor, organic wine, like biodynamic wine, naturally reflects
the unique characteristics of different grape varietals, as
well as soil types and changes in growing conditions from year
to year. This last point is ultimately the most salient one
as consumers, regardless of environmental concerns, buy wines
because they taste good.
Organic wine proponents generally feel that
sulfites interfere with the natural aging of wine and can mask
many of the flavor molecules that add to its complex nature.
Hoffman is one champion of organic wine who
thinks the extra care taken in growing, harvesting, and processing
organic grapes into wine negates the need for preserving the
wine with added sulfites. Sulfites do occur naturally in wines—there
are higher levels in whites than reds—but most conventional
winemakers and natural producers add them during production.
Sulfites used in winemaking are added as sulfur salts or sulfur
dioxide solutions to the juice before fermentation. These compounds
prevent dormant yeasts from “waking up” and further
fermenting it after it is bottled. Sulfites also act as antioxidant
and antibacterial agents.
Some winemakers who essentially follow organic
growing and production standards opt out of certifying their
operations as organic because they prefer to use sulfites in
small amounts to prevent spoilage. To be labeled “certified
organic,” wines must contain less than 10 parts per million
total sulfites, in addition to being grown and bottled following
organic standards. If the wine is organic but it contains more
than the allowable limit of sulfites, the label must state “made
with organic grapes” rather than “certified organic”
and must also say “contains sulfites.” Although
the legal limit in wine is 350 parts per million, most wines
with added sulfites contain less—generally 25 to 150 parts
per million.
Some stores do not carry organic wines because
the buyers believe they are more likely to “turn,”
or go bad, than wines containing added sulfites. Granite Creek
guarantees all their wines and, though they have shipped them
across the country in extremely hot weather, they have had wines
turn on only a few occasions. Organic wine runs a higher risk
of turning unless it is kept at cellar temperature than wines
that contain added sulfites, so it is best to store it at temperatures
of 55°F to 65°F from the time it is bottled until it
is consumed—though Hoffman confesses to keeping her organic
wine in a warm closet at home with no ill-effect. Stores that
buy from large distributors will be less likely to offer organic
wines because they cannot handle the wine with the care it requires.
Natural Wines
No official designation exists for natural wine, but it is assumed
that wines labeled as being natural are made in a manner that
limits human manipulation. Chambers Street Wines considers producers
of natural wines to adhere to the following criteria: The grapes
are grown using eco-friendly practices (sustainable, organic,
or biodynamic); grapes are harvested by hand; indigenous yeasts
are used for fermentation; and few to no additives (including
sulfites) are utilized to manipulate flavor, texture, or alcohol
content. Makers of natural wines follow traditional methods
and expect their wine to be an expression of specific terroir
and grape varieties. These wines, as with organic and biodynamic
varietals, are typically made in small batches and not manipulated
to taste the same from one bottle to the next.
Vegan Wines
You may ask how wine could be anything but vegan. Though no
animal products can be found in a bottle of wine, some animal
derivatives may be used in the process of fining, or clarifying,
a wine. Fining agents pick up solid matter in a barrel of wine
and eventually sink to the bottom of the container. The clarified
wine is siphoned off the top, leaving the fining agent and solid
residue behind. Casein, egg whites, and fish proteins are sometimes
used to fine wine, and, though no animal protein is left in
the wine, its use is objectionable to some people. Bentonite
clay, hydrolyzed wheat gluten isolate, and pea protein isolate
are the fining agents used in wine that bears a vegan label.
Resources
A small, local wine shop is more likely to carry natural, organic,
or biodynamic wines, though some larger producers have made
it into grocery stores and other big purveyors. Frey, Bonterra,
and Fetzer are just a few brands either certified organic or
employing organic practices in their vineyards that can be purchased
in grocery stores. If you don’t have a small, local wine
merchant near you, online stores that specialize in eco-friendly
wines are good places to shop. Liquor sales laws vary from one
state to another, so be aware that a store may or may not be
able to ship to you. Wine blogs and online newsletters can be
useful in getting to know more about these wines (see the resources
list).
If you enjoy wine, eco-friendly varieties are
worth the effort required to seek them out. Don’t expect
every vintage to taste the same—they are likely to vary
from year to year, but that is part of the fun in trying them.
In a world that increasingly expects conformity in the taste
and appearance of foods, it is good to know that some products
out there truly reflect the nature of the earth and climate
in which they were grown, as well as the care humans took in
creating them.
— Rita E. Carey, MS, RD, CDE, is a
clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at Yavapai Regional
Medical Center and the Pendleton Wellness Center in Prescott,
Ariz.
Resources
Appellation Wine & Spirits:
www.appellationnyc.com
Benziger Family Winery:
www.benziger.com
Chambers Street Wines:
www.chambersstreetwines.com
Fine Wine Brokers, Inc.:
www.fwbchicago.com
Frey Vineyards:
www.freywine.com/freywine
Nat Decants Wine Newsletter:
www.nataliemaclean.com
The Organic Wine Company:
www.ecowine.com/links.htm
Organic Wine Journal:
www.organicwinejournal.com
The Wine Anorak Online Wine Magazine:
www.wineanorak.com
References
1. The Wine Institute. Wine Consumption in the
U.S. Modified August 2007. Available here.
2. Wine Spectator Online. Per-capita wine consumption
declines worldwide. June 9, 2005. Available here.
3. Winemarketcouncil.com. Excerpt from the Wine
Market Council’s 2006 Consumer Tracking Study final report.
Available here.
4. The Natural Marketing Institute. Corporate
social responsibility and its impact on consumers. Available
here.
5. Organic Trade Association. Industry statistics
and projected growth. Available here.
6. DeLoach Winery Web site. Available here.
7. Barbara Adams Beyond Wonderful Web site.
Available here.
