Organic California Wines

From LoveToKnow Organic

California is often known for being ahead of a trend, so it makes sense that there are a huge number of organic California wines available to consumers around the country. California Wine Mall, for instance, lists more than 50 wineries making organic wine, and one can bet the list isn't exhaustive.

Organic wine is a great choice for a celebration.

What Makes Wine Organic?

The world of organic wine is a little murky because to be certified organic the grapes must be grown using organic methods and the wine itself must be produced without adding chemicals or anything that isn't natural. In the case of organic California wines, or any wines made in the United States, they can only be called organic if they were organically grown and produced and haven't had sulfites added.

Like other types of organic food and drink, there are variations of organic depending on whether the wine was made with organic ingredients or completely produced in an organic way. Wines labeled 100 percent organic are made with certified organic grapes, produced in an organic fashion, and limit the amount of naturally occurring sulfites that make it to the bottle. A label that just says "organic" that means that up to 5 percent of the grapes or other ingredients in the bottle may not be organic. The low-sulfite rule still stands. You might also see labels that say the wine was made from organic grapes, but the wine itself is not certified organic. This label can be used if the wine is made from at least 70 percent organic grapes.

Finding Organic California Wines

Wine is a very personal thing; everyone has their favorites. It is not within the scope of this article to recommend specific varietals or vintages, but there are a few names in organic California wine that are consistently named as among the best and are worth checking out:

If you have the means to go on a winery tour in California, that can be the best way to find great organic wines. Or, if you have a local organic food store that sells wine, ask for a recommendation from the resident wine expert.

When you start trying organic wines, you'll likely want to start a wine journal or notebook where you write down information about the different types of wines you have tried and how you liked them. You might also include the wine label and information about where you bought the wine and how much it cost.

This will help you remember which wines you liked and let you know which ones to steer clear of the next time you're shopping for organic wine.

Enjoying Organic Wine

Organic wine is just like any other kind of wine. Some vineyards do it well; some aren't as spectacular. Some people work magic with one type of grape and aren't so good with others.

It pays to take some time to investigate the organic wine world and try a few different wineries and grapes before settling on your favorite. Taste California Travel has a good collection of basic wine reviews, but doesn't mention which wines are organic. Wine.com also has good information about organic California wines.

Organic wine is great with a simple meal of organic cheese and bread, roasted vegetables, or anything else you like. It is just as versatile as conventional wine, but better for the planet.

Benefits of Organic Wine

Wine grapes traditionally are very heavily sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals, so choosing organic wine keeps those chemicals out of your system and out of the environment.

Sulfites, which are limited by law in organic wines, are thought to cause headaches in some people, so if you are normally sensitive to wine you may find organic wine treats you better.

Because care of the soil is emphasized in organic agriculture, wine from different regions, and even different wineries in the same area, will have more distinctive personalities because the soil is cared for better. Different varieties of grapes may be grown because there is more emphasis on what the earth is able to grow rather than forcing a certain variety through chemical means.

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Comments

Hello Ms. White,

I write you on behalf of not only our company, Organic Vintners, but also on behalf of the organic industry in the spirit of education and avoiding misinformation and confusion about organic wine.

Your article Organic California Wines on the lovetoknow website serves to confuse rather than clarify the issues of organic wine production, certification and labeling. Organic wine is unlike other food and beverage categories covered in the USDA’s National Organic Program. Through our exhaustive reading of the entire National Organic Program regulations, I summarize the facts:

1. Wine is singled out in a “product composition” statement requiring 100% organic ingredients as follows in CFR, Title 7, Subpart D, § 205.301 (f), (5) and (7): (f) All products labeled as “100 percent organic” or “organic” and all ingredients identified as “organic” in the ingredient statement of any product: (5) must not contain sulfites, nitrates, or nitrites added during the production or handling process, except, that, wine containing added sulfites may be labeled “made with organic grapes”; (7) must not include organic and nonorganic forms of the same ingredient.

2. Since organic and nonorganic ingredients cannot be blended, and the single ingredient in wine is “wine grapes,” there is no such thing as 70% or 95% organic wine.

3. There are only two organic wine categories: a) “Organic Wine” (no added sulfites) which is allowed to use the USDA Organic seal. b) Wine “Made with Organic Grapes” (total sulfites not to exceed 100 parts per million) which is prohibited from using the USDA Organic seal. • Both must be made from 100% certified organic grapes. • Because wines made with organic grapes may contain no more than 100 ppm of sulfites (translating to 0.01%), the final product has to be and actually is 99.99% (or more) organic grapes and .01% (or less) sulfites.

While I appreciate the fact that you chose to cover organic wine, I believe you assumed the regulations for “Made With Organic” grapes are the same as for all other foods. I hope you take note of the important facts that are most often misquoted by the press.

Your readers are likely wine enthusiasts and concerned about the environment and their health. I hope this information is helpful in eradicating the errors in organic wine reporting. I am also happy to serve as a resource to you in the future on organic wines and the overall organic industry.

Respectfully,


Paolo Bonetti, Presiden

-- Contributed by: Paolo

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