Wine Rack Store Blog

Like many people these days, I’m always looking for the green angle and the low price behind every purchase that I make and that includes what I choose to put in the wine rack. Organic wine is another popular buy these days but a little green wine education can ensure the wine you purchase is actually organically grown.

The first thought would be that wines are naturally organic. Well, at one time they were; grown without fertilizers, enhancing agents on virgin soils and crushed the old fashioned way by press or people power. Many growers claim to make an organic product and often place this claim on their label but there’s a little more to being a green grape grower in this day and age.

An organic label, especially one that appears on wines dating back to the 1990s may very well be misleading. In many cases these green claims were not regulated by any sort of certification agency and so were often used incorrectly. The laws on organic food regulation have changed recently and what classifies as organic depends on more than just how the grapes were grown.

Today, an “organic” label means that not only were the grapes grown without pesticides or chemical agents but that the finished wine has no additives or sulfites. Even natural sulfites must remain below the 20 percent of the total volume.

An “organically grown” label applies to those wines that use organic grapes but include sulfites in the finished wine. Sulfites are the preservatives added to most wines and this must be noted on the label due to the fact that some people are allergic to sulphites and they are not organic ingredients.

Many wine fans are not happy about the final taste of an organic sulphite free wine. They can be tart and unpredictable and in the long run, a waste of money. European organic standards are different from American standards and allow for sulphites and produce a more balanced consistent flavor.

Organic sustainable products are the way to go in the modern world but we must make wise decisions. Choosing wines that offer pesticide free naturally grown grapes is great. Purchasing expensive wines minus the sulphites? Not for everyone, not even die hard greenies.

Check the label on any organic wine you purchase for your wine rack and opt for those offering a little suphite if you don’t have an allergy, it will make all the difference to the taste as your organic purchase will make to the planet.