Organic Wine - Production and Preservatives

Production and Preservatives

Wine production comprises two main phases - that which takes place in the vineyard (i.e. grape growing) and that which takes place in the winery (i.e. fermentation of the grapes into wine, bottling etc.). The baseline definition of organic wine as "wine made with grapes farmed organically", deals only with the first phase (grape growing). There are numerous potential inputs which can be made during the second phase of production in order to ferment and preserve the wine. The most universal wine preservative is sulphur dioxide. The issue of wine preservation is central to the discussion of how organic wine is defined.

Wine matures over time, and it is widely considered that certain types of wines improve with aging, as the flavors become more integrated and balanced. As a result the greatest percentage of wines are produced in a way that allows them to last, sometimes as long as decades. The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use in small quantities for stabilization of wine, while others frown on them. Currently the only effective preservatives that allow wines to last for a long period are 'non-organic'. While there are a growing number of producers making wine without added preservatives, it is generally acknowledged that these wines are for consumption within a few years of bottling.

The various legal definitions of organic wine serve to address this challenge regarding the use of preservatives. In some parts of the world, namely Europe, wine cannot legally be labelled as 'Organic Wine'. Wines that have added sulfites, but are otherwise organic, are labeled "wine made from organic grapes.". In the United States, wines certified "organic" under the National Organic Program cannot contain added sulfites.