Decorked: Organic vs Natural Wine

Welcome to Decorked, Delectable's new wine advice column, where we answer your burning beverage questions! First up, we have a question from Donna B., where we discuss what it means for a wine to be "organic," "natural," and more. Donna B.: I’ve heard that pesticides are forbidden in France and Italy, however I have noticed they are now making “organic” wines there. Wouldn’t all Italian and French wines be organic already if they’re not using pesticides? Decorked: That's a great question – and one that touches on many points in the wine world's growing conversation of what it means to be "organic" and "sustainable." On the whole, pesticides are not illegal in France and Italy. In fact, France consistently ranks as one of the world's highest consumers of pesticides. Organic viticulture has steadily increased in France, however. Roughly 7-9% of French vineyards meet organic standards today, up from 0.5% in 1995. It's important to distinguish between "organic wine" and wine made from organically grown grapes. The latter refers solely to what happens in the vineyard. While countries employ different organic certification bodies with varying requirements, typically organic vineyards must comply with a series of practices that eliminate synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Organic wines go a step further. Not only must organic wines come from organically grown grapes, they must also adhere to organic winemaking processes, namely the restriction of added sulfites. The organics situation in Europe is a bit complicated, but recent changes in organic labeling legislation may provide one answer to your question. In 2012, new EU regulations took effect that allow wineries to label their bottles "organic wine" so long as they simply come from organic vineyards. For the two decades prior, the opposite was true – European wines could only be designated as "organically grown," regardless of what happened in the cellar. To confuse matters further, when European wines are imported to the United States, they must revert back to the phrase "made with organic grapes" on the label, in compliance with the USDA's standards. European labeling laws aside, what you alternatively may have observed is the rise of "natural wines" in today's beverage zeitgeist. While the exact definition of "natural wine" remains somewhat nebulous, on the whole it's inclusive of wines that champion non-interventionist practices such as spontaneous fermentation, no filtration, and no added sulfites, to name a few. By default, these producers usually meet the definition of "organic wine," but "natural wine" connotes something further. It's a stylistic movement that has assumed the position of wine's counterculture – wines that often pride themselves in "funky" flavors. Over the past few years, we have seen natural wines migrate from the fringes of the wine world to finding a bit of their own spotlight. This has certainly been the case in France, where regions like the Loire Valley have amassed a number of leaders in the category and Paris boasts a growing map of natural wine bars. With no official "natural" certification in existence, its growth is hard to quantify. But the chatter is out there – and perhaps has contributed to the new wave of "organic" European wines you're alluding to. Do you have any wine, beer, or spirits questions? We’d love to answer you in an upcoming Decorked column. Write us at decorked@delectable.com with your questions today!