Greenville Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 72) after hours Choosing the Best Organic Wines by ri c h a r D pe c k N o we’re not talking about Vinho Verde, which translates to “green wine” but actually refers to a type of young white wine with a bit of sparkle).Vinho Verde can be lovely, but this month our topic is “green” production techniques. With many wineries moving toward sustainable, organic and even biodynamic production, just what do these terms mean and why are they important? Farming would be easy, if bugs, birds and fungus didn’t attack the crops, and if soils always contained every nutrient needed. Unfortunately, that perfect agricultural world doesn’t exist. As a result, farmers – grape growers, in this case – actively intervene to protect and nourish their crops. For many years, this intervention included the use of chemicals to fertilize the vines and to shield the grapes from hazards. More recently, however, concerns about the effect on humans of fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives (along with the environmental impact of certain chemicals) have prompted a swing toward more natural or sustainable farming. Organic produce now seen in many supermarkets is just one example of this trend. Several natural techniques are employed by vineyard managers. Inteapril 2008 grated pest management (IPM) is one. For every bad bug, there’s a good bug that can be released in the vineyard to counter other pests. A technique like IPM won’t be noted on the bottle, but if a good bug can prevent the vines from being treated with chemicals, everybody wins. Sustainable viticulture goes beyond IPM. While sustainable techniques allow limited use of agrochemicals, most vineyard managers attempt to use mechanical and organic approaches whenever possible. A mechanical technique might include plowing or turning over the soil underneath the vines to eliminate the need for herbicides to kill plant growth between the rows of vines. An organic technique could be as simple as using composting for fertilization, rather than chemical fertilizers. Most vineyards in Europe and the western U.S.A. are at least moving toward sustainable farming. Organic wines are a big step beyond those produced using sustainable practices. For a wine to be called “organic,” it means the vineyards were managed in accordance with the regulations of the certifying agency in the state. In California, for example, the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) fills that role. Organic farming forbids the use of most synthetic chemical products but also seeks to protect employee health and the environment from natural practices that might have harmful side effects, for example, water contamination from natural fertilizers. Be diligent if you are seeking fully organic wines. Regulations allow potentially confusing terms. There is a difference between fully organic wines and wines made with organic grapes. For information visit www.ccof.org/ pdf/Cert_News_Resources/Wine_Label_Notice.pdf. Finally, biodynamic viticulture is significantly different from organic farming, although it incorporates many of its elements. Based on the principles of philosopher Rudolph Steiner, biodynamic viticulture is a very narrowly defined form of organic farming – one that includes a strong “spiritual” element, such as timing vineyard and winery work in accordance with the celestial calendar. Wine enthusiasts seeking to know more should seek out Monty Waldin’s books, “The Organic Wine Guide,” as well as “Biodynamic Wine.”These books can be hard to find, but can be located by a bookseller specializing in used books or through online sources. n 72 Greenville MaGazine | http://www.ccof.org/pdf/Cert_News_Resources/Wine_Label_Notice.pdf http://www.ccof.org/pdf/Cert_News_Resources/Wine_Label_Notice.pdf http://www.ccof.org/pdf/Cert_News_Resources/Wine_Label_Notice.pdf
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