I am in the middle of some thoughts about the whole question of organic wines that was discussed in this earlier post. I have the ol' noodle going on an idea for an upcoming post, but I wanted to get some thoughts on something right now.
What is more important to you, that a wine be organic/biodynamic, or that it just be made conscientiously from both an environmental and quality standpoint? Is it good enough that the winemaker be trying to make the highest quality wine possible, with a sustainability mindset, and only the necessary amounts of additives (like sulphites), or is it important to you that they do enough to meet the standards required for organic certification? I guess there is also a third option, maybe you aren't concerned one way or the other. Just curious what you all think.
For me, it’s more about what the winemaker is claiming, both literally, and what their marketing infers. If they are trying to ride coattails on the whole organic foods movement, they need to fit the bill.
If they’re essentially quiet about it, not trying to sell on “earth-friendly” terms, but are maintaining decent standards, I think that’s awesome. The second they try to really latch on to the whole “thing” of it, they need to come correct.
Good question!
In my humble opinion organic and or Biodynamic certification provide a frame work (checks and balances) for the winemaker to follow, so as to ensure his or her efforts conform to the greater good. Now that by no-means means that the winemaker does not need to have a conscious intention to make the the best wine possible. I personally feel that wines with organic and biodynamic origins are true to place (have tipicity). It does however not ensure that the results is aways a great wine! I have tasted my fair share of bad Organic/Biodynamic wines.
To put it in food terms: There will always be those do could care less about the origins and ethics of how their food is produced, and for them there is Hormel Chili and canned spam! But for a growing number of foodies origin, production, and ethics lies at the heart of their choice, and for them there are Farmers markets and home made meals.
Cheers!
Here in Virginia, and I would venture to say in TX too, winemakers seem to be doing what they can (Sustainable Practices) – what the vintage year allows. With overall heat, humidity, morning dew,and precipitation – going fully organic or bio-dynamic may be challenging here. I feel that those that push such may sacrifice quality in the end. I guess it all depends on the vineyard managers convictions and philosophy. I lean more towards quality fruit w/ sustainable practices with less intervention in the winery. I’m sure you have tasted wines where the fruit may have been good and the winemaker worked it too much
Nice post.
Dezel
You all make good points. Steve, I think you are right about the marketing. I want winemakers to be honest about what they are or are not doing with their wines. I think that the problem is that organic certification doesn’t tell consumers as much as they think it does.
Chris, I agree that organic and biodynamic wines generally show more typicity. You are more likely to be getting the actual flavor of the grapes and location than with a more manufactured wine. I am working on some more thoughts about this, which I will expound on in a future post.
Dezel, you are exactly right. That is actually one of the things that got me started thinking about this. I met with a winery here in West Texas who is really trying to do things the right way, but is certainly not making organic wines. They really try to do as much as possible in the vineyard to prevent the need for additives in the winemaking process. I think that they are doing a great job, and I have respect for the fact that they are trying. I think that you are exactly right.
Thanks again for all the great comments.
Ben, Nice post on this topic of constant relevance. I am fortunate in that I can observe and evaluate for myself the farming and winery habits of most of the wineries where I buy my wine. I don’t particularly care if they have any certifications, but I want them to have a committment to sanitation, good environmental practices, and basic sustainable farming. You know before organics and biodynamics became buzz words, and even long before deisel powered tractors and synthetic pesticides were developed, grape growers and wine makers were producing quality wines by simply following good manufacturing practices. Organic farming was called… farming.
Many of the things now under scrutiny, sulfites or fining ingredients, were practices developed through the ages to address spoilage issues such as unwanted bacteria and to insure that the product that goes in the bottle stays safe and desirable to drink for the many years that it can sit there.
Like Dezel, I live in Virginia, and 90% of the wines I drink are VA wines bought direct from wineries. Just as I do with my produce and beef, I look for sustainable farming as much as possible. I’d love it if everything were organic, but it’s not realistic, and the hoops farmers have to jump through to get organic certification, even if they’re farming organically, are nuts. I also often think “organic” doesn’t hold a lot of water. Lots of things that are natural are dangerous for the environment, and organics often create a false belief that what is natural is good. As for biodynamics, once you start talking about phases of the moon and such, you loose me. When someone can show me why it would really matter (with quality scientific research controlling for the care taken with the plants) I’ll buy in – until then, it won’t be a big factor in my wine purchasing.
Chris, I think you hit on a pretty key point when you mentioned being able to observe and evaluate for yourself. That is the best way to make your wine decisions. Unfortunately, I think that a lot of people are in situations where they have to either take the word of something that they read on a website or publication, or else look for some kind of certification to determine whether the winery is doing things the right way.
VA Wine Diva, you are right about “organic”. Organic really is just a marketing tool. There are some really great producers who won’t pursue organic certification because of the cost involved, or even philosophical problems with the guidelines used for certification. You are also right about the fact that everything natural is not good for the environment. Great points!
The only thing that is important to me is that the wine won’t make me physically ill, and that it tastes good!
The rest is nice, but not really important to me…
Engaged probably matters more to me.
I like simplicity; I like my food responsibly grown and minimally processed. I am interested in what the grower/maker actually does, not what they claim to do for marketing sake. I don’t care if a wine is not certified organic if it is made in a natural, sustainable way. I’m not a fan of green washing, I’m a fan of conviction.
I do think that wine is especially interesting in regards to this question. I find it pretty easy to say that natural/simple foods produced natural, sustainable, and “old-school” way are just better. Grapes grown this way do not always translate to better wine, however.