What is Organic & Biodynamic Wine?

Sam Statham gives his opinion...

As a grower of organic wines for over 12 years, and a founder of this wine show, I still find it difficult to answer this question simply.

The strict definition of organic wine is that it is grown according to a Standard that excludes all wine growing practices that are damaging to the health of the environment, consumers and farm workers, especially pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, soluble fertilizers, and dangerous additives, as well as enhancing biodiversity and ensuring traceability.

This detailed Standard is developed by the organic industry itself, with the support of government, and will hopefully soon underpin a legal definition and protection of the word "organic" from use without 3rd party certification for compliance with that Standard.

A broader definition of organic wine follows on from this, that when artificial inputs are replaced with natural farming practices, there is a qualitative change in the fruit that is grown. Research has shown that organically grown fruit has more antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, because the vines are able to access so much better nutrition through a health soil food web, than through drip-fed soluble fertilizers.

The wine loving world has now begun to make this connection. Organic wine is more than just "chemical free", "preservative free", or "medicinal" wine. Some organic wine is also preservative free, but this is a narrower and more controversial concept. Organic wine is a return to the wine that nature intended us to enjoy, and which is true to its origin, reflecting purely the soil and environment in which it is grown.

This is so simple, but requires the wine lover to realise that the majority of the wines that we drink today, especially the cheaper wines, are a far cry from the 'clean and green', romantic and natural images that we have of modern vineyards. Mass produced, industrial, "high intervention" wines are not only bland and boring to the wine lover, but are actually causing negative reactions in many consumers, some of whom now believe they simply can't drink wine.

Well, the good news is that there is a revolution afoot, as more and more winegrowers realise what is going on, and convert to organic and biodynamic methods. The growth of this wine show is proof of this, and as more high profile, icon vineyards join the revolution, the more the rest will soon follow, as well as growers of other food and fibre.

Organic wine, to the consumer, is therefore a better way to enjoy our natural, earthly pleasures, and to also look after our own health and to support the viability of organic and biodynamic farms. We hope you will convert to organic and biodynamic wine, and through it, better enjoy and explore the delicious range of flavours from across our beautiful land.