Made without pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, organic wine is known for having a more expressive flavor that honestly reflects the characteristics of the soils where it was grown. Here we’ll tell you some of its characteristics and the ways it is produced.
Today interest is growing in wines that have been made in a more eco-friendly manner. According to data gathered by Direcon-ProChile in 2017, Chilean wineries exported more than USD 43 million dollars of ORGANIC WINE. That is not a small number.
As this article in Wine Folly explains, organic wine production must implement a set of practices to maintain their quality, of which Viñedos Veramonte does. And as they contain no additives from animal origin, Viñedos Veramonte’s wines are also vegan.
Regulations to obtain the organic certification are different in each country, although there are similarities around the world. But one difference is the quantity of sulfites allowed in a wine.
In the United States, for example, the accepted quantity is much lower than that allowed in Europe or Canada. But what are sulfites? They are derived from sulphur, and they’re used as a preserving additive in foods and beverages, to help them maintain their quality during long trips from their country of origin.
There are many. For example, creating compost from the residual waste generated during harvest; the prohibition of any pesticide of chemical origin; the fomentation of biodiversity and natural enemies; using native yeasts in the winemaking process; cutting grass without using herbicides; planting between rows that help maintain the soils healthy and alive.
On the blog 5 reasons to fall in love with organic wines, we told you that if you choose an organic wine, you’re confident you’re getting a wine with a straightforward winemaking process. This is because the certification requires a series of specific steps to be confirmed, such as the absence of any harmful chemicals, low levels of preservatives, etc.
Since chemical fertilizers are not used, the vines nourish themselves from the soils and the minerals contained in it. This is why organic wines show the true character of their origin. If you want to compare them to a food, we can use hydroponic lettuce as an example. It is clean and looks perfect, but is lacking in flavor, versus a lettuce grown in the ground.
To sum up, an organic wine means a return to winemaking methods used five decades ago, of course with the disclaimer that today we have technology and agricultural knowledge we didn’t have before. For winemakers, the task is to produce a strong, healthy grape that can resist disease, inclement weather, and nourish itself naturally, while highlighting the quality and expression of the fruit.
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