The phrase “organic wine” freaks out most Americans, summoning up images of pot-smoking hippies living in communal sin. But organic vegetable farming, aka “green farming,” is quickly moving towards mainstream.
How many times in the past two years have you been lured in by organic tofu, spinach or milk? (I have been so lured many times.) But organically labeled wine still wallows in the disdained category. That’s strange, since about 60 years back, before Big Chemical arrived on the scene, pesticide-free wine was all you could buy. And people drank a lot of it. Many vineyard tenders throughout the wine mecca, France, mistrustful of synthetic chemicals on their beloved land, never stopped using traditional methods. Meanwhile America fell prey to the sales pitch. Less work, more crop? Sounds like the American Farm Dream, right? But as the damaging proof of chemicals’ long-term effects becomes clearer, grapegrowers are returning to their roots.
Like a human being, if a plant is pumped up with chemicals year after year, at some point its natural immune system weakens. In this environment, a vine cannot produce its highest quality grapes. So the saying “you are what you eat (and drink)” applies to fruit as well as people. Thus it behooves grapegrowers to make the transition.
But like so many things in life, several roads lead to this clean, promised land: sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming methods. Sustainable farming, like the cafeteria Catholic, borrows the more palatable lessons from the official organic scripture. It’s self-imposed and an easier, scientifically-based system to responsibly foster land health, introducing beneficial pest- and weed-eating critters, limiting pesticides and conserving water. There are also relatively new certification programs for sustainable farming, separating these choir boys from the priests.
Many wineries opt for farming sustainably after seeing the expense, time and bureaucratic maze that must be navigated to become certified organic or biodynamic. Organic farming is very similar in practice to sustainable farming, but the government regulates organic. Wines can be produced from “certified organically grown grapes”—which are free of synthetic chemicals—and “organic” wines are made from organically grown grapes with no added sulfur. (A side note: Sulfur acts as a preservative to destroy bacteria that can spoil fermenting juice. Despite all the grossly exaggerated hype about sulfites, only around three percent of people are truly allergic. The true culprit for most sufferers is histamine, a naturally occurring byproduct of winemaking, especially reds.)
Then you arrive at biodynamic farming, the snake-charming, speaking-in-tongues southern Baptists of the “green” grape religion. This method takes organic to astrological levels, treating the farm as an ecosystem, incorporating lunar cycles and harmonizing the world’s energies. It’s controversial—if you ask 10 winemakers about biodynamics, you’ll get 10 different answers, ranging from disgust to admiration. But it’s hard to deny its success when you’ve toured the green, vigorous biodynamically farmed vineyards of Bonterra, one of the oldest wineries to be farmed this way.
But why take this step? It’s not for marketing. Using these certifications as a promotional tool is a tough choice for most wineries. The lingering stigma against organic wine can affect sales, so most wineries practice green grape farming quietly, seeing the true value in keeping the land healthy. Other winery owners, like Mike Benziger of Sonoma’s Benziger Winery, cite their swing to biodynamics as a way to pass on superior soil, and continued profits, to the next generation.
These “underground” wineries might surprise you: Fetzer, Frog’s Leap, Ridge, Susana Balbo, Shafer, Robert Sinskey, Quintessa, Torbreck, Yalumba, Lurton, Pascal Jolivet, Domaine Carneros and Honig, to name only a few. So the organic concept shouldn’t evoke flavors of grape swill, or turn you off. You’ve probably already had some in your glass.”Recommended Sustainable, Organic or Biodynamic Wines
Torbreck 2008 Cuv?e Juveniles Barossa Valley (Australia). $22. 5 stars.
Domaine Carneros 2005 Brut (California). $20. 4.5 stars.
Villa Maria 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (New Zealand). $14. 4 stars.
Errazuriz 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Aconcagua (Chile). $15. 4 stars.
Looking Local?
Try these:
Pioneer Valley Vineyard
41 School St., Hatfield (413) 387-7193
Green River Ambrosia Meadery
324 Wells St., Greenfield (413) 522-2007
Hardwick Vineyard and Winery
3305 Greenwich Rd., Ware (413) 967-7763
Echo Hill Orchards and Winery
101 Wilbraham Rd., Monson (413) 267-3303
