Preparation
Organic wine is made from—you guessed it—organic grapes. To be certified organic, grapes need to be sourced from vineyards that exclude the use of synthetic chemicals. These can include fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and any genetically modified products. Farmers applying for organic certification have to keep detailed records of their production practices, and they’re subject to site visits by inspectors from the certifying agency. The requirements to become certified organic vary from country to country but usually, the farmland has to be free of prohibited chemicals for three years before it can qualify as organic. This often means that their neighboring farms also have to be organic, as it’s easy for chemicals to blow over in the breeze or affect the groundwater of a neighboring farm.
Although achieving an organic certification is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive for a winery, it doesn’t always mean that organic wines are higher priced. You can find some affordable and delicious organic wines, whites, red, and sparkling. Here are some of our top picks.
Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2020Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir 2020Bonterra Organic Rose 2021Cleto Chiarli Organic Lambrusco Grasparossa di CastelvetroSybille Kuntz Estate Mosel Organic Orange Riesling Trocken 2020Lanson Le Green Label Organic ChampagneCune Rioja Organic 2019Yalumba Organic Viognier 2021Santa Julia Organic Malbec 2021
