WHAT IS ORGANIC?

For many people, organic wine is a mystery. It is largely associated with ‘healthy’ eating & ‘green’ consumerism, but few people are really sure what it is. The key idea behind organic is that no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or growth regulators have been used. So, organic means that a product has not been exposed to any sort of chemical that people have created. Organic products use natural elements of the earth.

The trend to go green has been on the rise for quite a few years now, driven mainly by increased awareness of what’s good and bad for our planet. With so much talk of rising pollution, global warming and the need to fix it, the wine made its way into the discussion first, but organic may also be applied to other products.

Wine is also becoming organic…

As you know, wine is the product of natural fermentation of grapes. How can it be NOT organic? The answer is in difference between “natural” and “organic”. For a wine to qualify as organic, it must be made with ingredients that qualify as organic and have no added sulfites. Grapes must be grown organically, without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or any other chemicals. The winemaking processes (once the grapes enter the fermentation and bottling process) cannot include any synthetic or chemical additives.

It is of utmost importance that in North America organic standards are backed by government regulation and oversight. Wines claimed as organic have to meet the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards. The organic logos and names of certifying bodies are your assurance that a product has been grown and processed according to internationally recognized organic standards