Organic Wine
Scinagro! What’s that? That’s Organics spelled backwards. I got so fed up with the present definition for organic wine that I threw myself into a mission: reframing organic wine as a positive in the fine wine lovers mind.
Organic Wine, as a legal term in the US, includes no sulfites added to the wine. This means that (with no sulfites added) a single yeast cell could lead to a microbial invasion. Sulfites are a story for a different article. Now it’s time to get back to my adventuring into redefining the meaning of organic wine.
What if we threw away all organic certifications, laws, governmental and marketing this and that’s, and ask a few questions to re-discover a meaning for organic wine that just makes sense? Here are some questions we might ask about wine and winemakers:
–Who’s farming without any synthetic chemicals in the vineyards whatsoever? I’m reminded of the line I’ve seen on bumper stickers & refrigerator magnets: “Organic food, what our Grandparents used to call Food.”
–Who sees the farm as a whole system? A living system that nurtures itself and doesn’t take from the resources required for the surrounding environment?
–What animals were on that land before agriculture showed up there? I love to see farms that include animals, and get told stories of birds in the area that have come back recently because of the holistic approach applied to the farm.
–Who’s making wine without adding yeast, enzymes, acid, sugar, heavy fining and filtration, and other supports that “make” the wine?
If the immune system of a farm is strong, the soil, plants, and fruit can be too. Then that vitality can be translated into the wine. (I love this as part of the definition of an organic wine or living wine… or ConsciousWine!)
I started searching for these kinds of organic wines in the US a number of years ago. One of the things I discovered is that wine made this way, from an organic, holistically run farm, will unfold like a good book. What does that mean?
It can taste good on the first sip but, like we wake up in the morning and stretch… have some coffee, get a little fresh air and come alive, so will a natural or living wine. This kind of organic wine will change with air unveiling it’s story over time. How much time?
That’s another really good question!
In this video, I’m with Matt Taylor (former winemaker at Araujo Estate), and presently creating an amazing project called Front Porch Farm outside of Healdsburg in California’s Dry Creek Valley. His passion for biodynamic farming and natural winemaking is an inspiration and the heart & soul of what I think of as organic wine.
I had been given 2 bottles from Jason Lett (owner and winemaker of Eyrie Vineyards based in McMinnville, OR). Jason had asked me to enjoy the wines and see how they unfolded for at least a week. Matt & I talk about the wines after they’ve been opened 7 days! Ready?!
TITLE: Tasting Eyrie Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir with Matt Taylor at Front Porch Farm
Organic wine is living wine, made naturally and come from a holistically farmed farm. I do believe in the addition of sulfites at bottling, but that’s another story…
