Today more and more wineries are changing over to organic farming practices, some certified, some not. Alsace and Beaujolais are two regions with a particularly strong culture of organic viticulture, so this week we will explore what the term involves and why a producer may switch to it.

First what does organic mean? Typically, when something has an organic certification, it means that they are rarely if ever using manmade chemicals in the vineyard to control anything from insects, to weeds to fungus. There is also the more intense Demeter Certification for people practicing Biodynamics which, we often explain as being organics plus, absolutely no chemicals and a few extra steps are involved.

Why might a vineyard switch to organics? Well, it depends. One of the biggest factors is the location of the vineyard. If someone is growing grapes in Alsace organics tends to be easier because they are in what is called a rain shadow, a dry area near mountains. This rain shadow means less disease pressure when it comes to fungal infections, making it easier to switch to organic farming. However, somewhere like Bordeaux which is much wetter and more prone to disease could make it difficult to switch.

Another reason for organics may be tradition. Some areas of wine production, particularly in Europe, are historically poor. So when modern farming techniques came along in the way of herbicides or fertilizer many of the winegrowers couldn’t afford the innovations, and over the years never switched. Finally, there are some who believe that organic viticulture is what is best for the planet, and the wine, with some having evidence that it makes their soils better long term.

Does it make the wine better? Well or Director of Fine Wine, Luke, previously worked on an organic vineyard and in a winery that made organic wine and here are his thoughts: "It is hard to say if the final product is better, but what I do know is organics/biodynamics is much more labor intensive, with people up and down the rows of vines every day, so if there is a problem with the grapes it tends to be noticed and corrected earlier, which I think is great for vineyard health"

Whether you are looking for a great organic wine, or just something delicious, stop into Crown and we’ll help you pick out the right wine!