Someone I know, who has not consumed red wine in years because it gave her headaches, has joyfully started drinking red wine once again. The cure, she said, was organic wine. But when she explained to me that the wine contained no sulfites, and, thus, was the reason for her pain-free sipping, I had to politely correct her just a little. Organic wines technically still contain some sulfites, however, at much lower levels than non-organic wines. In organic wine, there are no additional sulfites beyond what occurs naturally during normal fermentation of grapes. However, in the vast majority of wines, more sulfites are added because they are necessary to preserve the flavor and integrity of the wine throughout its shelf life. But there was still another correction that I had to make after I read the label of the bottle she was talking about. It turned out that the wine was not really 100% organic, but instead made from organically grown grapes. These are two very distinct categories. Organic wine certification requires years of compliance with certain standards in growing and making wine. Then an independent certifying organization audits and qualifies a vineyard and winery on its soil management, record keeping and other ecologically friendly practices that meet strict standards set by the US Department of Agriculture. For example, the producer must not use chemicals in the vineyard, such as herbicides, fungicides and pesticides and, most importantly, must not introduce additional sulfites into the winemaking process. Therefore, a wine label is permitted to state that the bottle contains organic wine if two conditions are met: the wine’s grapes were grown organically and the total amount of sulfites is below the government limit. On the other hand, if grapes were grown organically, but the level of combined sulfites, both naturally occurring and added, are higher than government limits, the label is only permitted to state that the wine was made from organically grown grapes, if the producer chooses to say so at all. (It is not a requirement to mention whether grapes were grown organically or not.) Wine made from organically grown grapes is not exactly the same as organic wine but it might be enough to make a difference to some people who have allergies. Unless a doctor is consulted, it is impossible to know the true reason for one wine being a “headache” wine and another being a “headache-free” wine. But trying organic wines, or at least wine made from organically grown grapes, can be a step toward minimizing, and maybe avoiding side effects that come from drinking wine. Just remember that the shelf life is limited with 100% organic wines, so it is not recommended that you buy these wines for long-term aging in your home wine cellar. Also bear in mind that a winery is free to practice organic farming methods without acquiring certification, or even mentioning it on the wine’s label. Sources –Winecountry Wineology
