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Why choose organic wine?

What could be a better accompaniment to a meal of organic food than a glass of organic wine? Wine is one of humanity's oldest beverages. It's been used in medicine and religious rituals, and it is all over our social calendars. A lot of research has been made to study its effect on human health. Is it a coincidence that the French, who are second in the world in wine consumption, also have the second lowest occurrence of heart disease?

That alone is a good reason to enjoy a glass of wine. But why select an organic wine over one made with conventional methods?

First, as with all organic food, organic wine is produced without any pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. According to some estimates, seventeen such substances are used in conventional wine grape production, making grapes one of the most heavily sprayed crops. After years of spraying the soil, as well as a season of spraying the grapes, the grapes contain contact as well as systemic pesticides. They may not only harm the plants, the soil, and ultimately the environment, but may also be present in the wine as a residue.

Organic farming promotes "biodiversity" and allows other plants to grow in and around the vineyard. Instead of using chemical substances to eliminate weeds, vintners let them grow. In place of herbicides they cultivate the soil and plant cover crops. They use only natural fertilizers, such as composted animal manure, and cultivate beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, to keep the less-welcome ones away.

Grapes are hand picked, which allow only the ripest and healthiest to be used in wine production. An independent body of certification (accredited by the USDA), has to control each winegrower, once or twice a year, to test if he meets the standards for organic farming.

But being "organic" doesn't stop when the grapes are picked. The winemaking process itself is a factor. Organic wineries keep physical treatment of the wine to a minimum level, although the temperature is controlled throughout.

Further, to call a wine "organic," it must not contain added sulfur dioxide, or sulfites. A natural byproduct of the fermentation process, sulfites are essential to prevent oxidation or bacterial spoilage of the wine. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows organic wines contain up to 100ppm of sulfites in the final product, many contain less than that; organic red wine, for example, often contains only 40ppm. Conventional winemakers generally add sulfites, and the sulfite levels of their wines will be twice as high.

Organic wines haven't had a good reputation throughout the years, but you'd be surprised at how far they've come. Add a glass of organic wine to that next organic meal, and make it tasty, heart-healthy, and environmentally friendly.

About the Author

Debbie O'Meara is the owner of www.organic-food-and-drink.com, full of resources and information about organic food and beverages, including wine.

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This precise electronic ice bucket makes it push button easy to serve every kind of wine at its proper temperature for optimal taste and aroma. Simply press select to enter its Wine Library database, then choose from 33 types of sparkling, red or white wine. That's it, no need to know or look up any temperatures. The backlit LCD shows both the current and optimal temperature, when the target is reached, you'll hear a beep. The serving temperature is maintained indefinitely by clean, quiet Peltier electronics. Holds one standard wine or champagne bottle, up to 3.5" diameter. Double bottle model also available, WA253. Plugs in with included AC adapter. Five year warranty on motor.
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Bordeaux: A Consumer's Guide to the World's Finest Wines (Hardcover)

Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2007 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course) (Hardcover)
by Robert M. Parker (Author).Here Editorial Reviews of the book
TFirst published in 1985, this landmark consumer guide launched one of the most illustrious careers in wine criticism. Robert Parker's mission, in his newsletter The Wine Advocate and his many bestselling books, has always been to give wine drinkers honest, informed advice about which wines are worth their money, and which wines aren't.
The fourth edition of Bordeaux presents a complete guide to vintages between 1961 and 2001. This latest volume brings readers up-to-date on the abundance of new producers in France's most important wine region and for the first time includes more than 700 wine labels. Parker has retasted and reevaluated many of Bordeaux's finest wines -- and adjusted their ratings accordingly -- so readers of his previous editions will discover herein a wealth of new material.
Parker begins with an overview of each year, which includes insight into growing conditions and yields, notes on anticipated maturity, general price ranges, and lists of best wines. The heart of the book is the chapter "Evaluating the Wines of Bordeaux," in which he meticulously reviews wine producers of every appellation. Organized geographically, the chateaux are listed in alphabetical order, and entries include contact information, vineyard size, details about the wine-making style, and a general evaluation of the chateau's wines. Best of all, each entry includes extensive tasting notes on important vintages, all of them featuring Parker's celebrated rating system -- in which every wine is assessed on a scale ranging from 50 to 100. In later chapters, he also offers essential information about the elements of a great Bordeaux wine, practical travel information about the region, a glossary of wine terms, and more.
An invaluable guide for consumers, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s Bordeaux provides all the information amateurs and connoisseurs alike could possibly need in their search for that perfect bottle.

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