Organic viticulture and winemaking

'Organic' is a way of growing grapes and producing wines with the intention of preserving the natural environment. It has long been associated with not using artificial chemicals and fertilisers, but organic farming is actually much more than that - with it's overall aim to promote biodiversity within the land, and by doing so to encourage natural pest control, rather than use pesticides which can affect the natural balance in the vineyard. 

As an example, In the EU there are over 300 pesticides permitted for use, but for organic certified wines, only 20 are permitted, and these are all derived from natural ingredients. Vignerons (wine growers) may use some of these pesticides, but they may opt to encourage natural predators into the vineyard, by planting other crops to attract certain insects and birds. They may also use natural methods to deter reproduction of certain pests. In organic winemaking, any natural material used in the process (such as egg white for fining) must also be organic for the wine to be certified. 

In general, it's not always obvious if a wine is organic just by tasting it, and many wines that are not certified organic have been using organic practices for many generations, because this is how wines were historically made without chemicals. Therefore, it can sometimes be tricky to identify wines unless they are certified. Many people will choose an organically certified wine as it aligns to values they hold about the food they eat, and often (but not always) organic wines will also be made with less interventions, such as added sulphur. 

We host a range of fantastic organic wines at The Wine Shop. If you'd like to explore the range, please click here