5 myths of organic wine
Does it have preservatives? Is it hard to find? Let’s tackle the myths and the most common doubts about organic wine.
What is an organic wine?
There are two things that are very important to mention: First, organic wine is made with organic grapes, this means, grapes free of any chemical agents and certified as such. Second, the care for the environment is paramount in the entire production process.
In the organic vineyard management products that may damage the soil are not allowed, natural fertilizers, like compost, are used in order to maintain a healthy soil and preserve its biological balance. The same goes for pesticides and herbicides, all natural; no chemicals are allowed. So, if you’re looking in decrease the amount of food related chemical intake, organic food and organic wine are good options.
Another benefit of organic wine is that, by consuming it, you support wineries and companies that comply with responsible practices towards nature, helping to perpetuate these iniciatives and incentivizing other producers to follow their lead.
The differences between organic and traditional wine
The main difference between organic and traditional wine lies in the vineyard. While traditional growing allows the use of chemical products, organic does not. The organic growing is extremely regulated and legislations vary according to each country.
In the cellar, the production processes is exactly the same, but the supplies are different. Any material used in the vinification of the organic wine must also be organic and certified as such.
Organic wine myths
Various erroneous beliefs are often mentioned regarding organic wine. These are some of the fundamentals.
- Poor quality. Could not be farther from the truth. The quality of any wine, organic or not, depends on how they were produced, from vineyard, to cellar, to bottleling. Rather it is organic or not. The quality relies in how the grape is grown, how it is vinified and distributed.
- They have a short life. An organic wine, once open, lasts the same as a traditional wine: from 3 to 5 days if it is properly stored (closed and refrigerated). What makes the wine “go bad” is the contact with oxigen, the speed this happens is more related to the variety than to how to wine is made. White wines usually lasts less than a red wine, because red wine have great amount of antioxidants.
- They have a short self-life. Also not true. The self-life of a wine depends on many many factors, not if the wine is organic or not. It is true that organic wine have no sulphites, or little amounts of sulphites, which is a preservative, but this has little impact on the wine’s shelf-live, which will be more determmened by how the wine is stored. Proper storing conditions include little light and cool temperatures.
- It is a vegan wine. People often confuse the concept of organic with vegan. Organic wine may use animal products in their production process. But they are still organic, since no chemical agents are used. For vegan wines, all supplies, all materials are plant based. However, there are wines that are both organic and vegan, like Cono Sur’s Organic certified vegan by V-Label since 2019.
- It is an expensive wine. Although organic wine tends to be more expensive than traditional wine, due to its manual production processes and natural elements, its price is not unattainable for those who enjoy and appreciate a good wine, especially when its elaboration process brings such a positive impact on consumers and the environment.
In conclusion, the best way to dispel these myths is by trying for yourself, an organic wine. Cheers!