Five Reasons to Drink Organic Wine
1) Better Flavor and Taste
Organic farming starts with nourishment of the soil which eventually
leads to the nourishment of the planet and ultimately, our palates. Perfectly ripened organically grown grapes offer pure flavor and
great fruit intensity.
2) Keep Chemicals Out of Your Glass
Two-thirds of all pesticides on the market are not registered under current
EPA health standards. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before researchers linked chemicals to cancer and other diseases.
Now the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides to be potentially carcinogenic. The
bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can also be harmful to humans. In addition to cancer,
pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage, and genetic mutation.
3) Support Organic Farmers and Their Health
Most organic
wineries are small, independently owned and operated family vineyards, concerned primarily with the environment and itsentire life-chain.
Farmworker health is a major concern. A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a six times greater
risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. An estimated one million people are poisoned annually by pesticides.
4) Protect Groundwater
Quality
Organic farming protects and conserves our water resources. According to EPA estimates, pesticides are contaminating the groundwater
in thirty-eight states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country's population.
5) Prevent Soil
Erosion
Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. Due to our history of conventional farming
methods, we are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.
_________________________________________________________________________
...A few more
(Here's the pesticide load in just one County in America in 1998)
|
List
of the most Commonly Used Pesticides in Sonoma County, CA
| |||
|
Material
|
Pounds Applied
|
Crops
|
# Ag Applications
|
| Sulfur |
3,089,779
|
Grapes, Apples |
12,219
|
| Methyl Bromide |
210,011
|
Grapes, Structural |
58
|
| Metam-Sodium (Vapam) |
85,195
|
Soil (pre-plant), Grapes |
53
|
| Petroleum Oil |
73,305
|
Apple, Prune |
283
|
| Glyphosate, Isopropylamine Salt (Roundup) |
54,844
|
Grapes, Right of way Landscape |
3,351
|
| Mancozeb (Dithane) |
53,802
|
Grapes, Apple |
1,538
|
| Lime-Sulfur |
26,929
|
Grapes, Apple |
283
|
| Copper-Hydroxide (Blue Shield) |
26,262
|
Apple, Grapes |
1,595
|
| Simazine (Princep) |
20,526
|
Grapes |
805
|
| Phosmet (Imidan) |
12,875
|
Apple |
308
|
| Copper Oxychloride Sulfate |
12,810
|
Grapes |
172
|
| Oryzalin (Surflan) |
12,079
|
Grapes |
536
|
| Oxyfluorfen (Goal) |
11,889
|
Grapes |
1,304
|
| Sulfuryl Flouride (Vikane) |
10,002
|
Structural |
-----
|
| Iprodione (Rovral) |
9,088
|
Grapes |
738
|
| Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) |
7,982
|
Apple, Structural |
250
|
| Potash Soap |
7,741
|
Grapes, Flowers |
248
|
| Diazinon |
7,411
|
Apples, Landscape, Mushroom Houses, Structural |
540
|
| Cyprodinil (Vangard) |
6,302
|
Grapes |
680
|
| Diuron (Karmex) |
6,256
|
Right of Way, Landscape Grapes |
35
|
| Modified Phthalic Glycerol Alkyd Resin (Latron B) |
6,217
|
Grapes, Apple |
2,043
|
| Myclobutanil (Rally) |
6,163
|
Grapes |
2,952
|
|
Total
|
3,765,274
|
29,994
| |
|
|
|
| |
1998 pesticide total for Sonoma County, CA > 3,902,505
--------------------------
Nebel's thought on not so Noble Rot.
Now I realize that three fourths of those chemicals applied to the soil in just Sonoma alone was just Sulfur and Sulfur is used to control mold and fungus. Thats a good thing cause mold is a bad thing, right? And no, I'm not talking about the good Noble Rot that is allowed to grow on certain grapes on purpose.
I mean the mold and fungus that grows on things that are dead and decaying, like our soil.
Wait a minute... maybe I am on to something. Maybe our soil has become so unbalanced (dead and decaying) that wineries need all that Sulfur to control mold?
Maybe not so NOBLE after all.
________________________________________________________________________
What is Organic Wine?
Here is a quick explanation of Sustainable/Organic and Biodynamic
Sustainable agriculture was also addressed by the
1990 farm bill.
It was defined as follows:
“the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant
and animal production practices
having a site-specific
The term "organic wine" can be used only when 100 percent of the
grapes are certified organic
and where no sulfites are added. For
example, a wine that contains only organic grapes but also uses
sulphur dioxide (SO2),
yeasts, bentonite or egg white gases (e.g., N2,
CO2) in the winemaking process is not considered an "organic wine."
Instead,
these wines are commonly labeled "made from organically grown
grapes." It is important to remember that SO2 preserves the wine
for
shipment. Wines without tend to be very unstable and can even start a
secondary fermentation in the bottle.
“Biodynamics
is a wholistic farming approach developed in the 1920s by
the Austrian scientist-philosopher Rudolf Steiner. While it
encompasses many of the principles of organic farming, such as the
elimination of all chemicals, Biodynamics goes further,
requiring
close attention to the varied forces of nature influencing the vine.
It also emphasizes a closed, self-sustaining
ecosystem.” www.Benziger.com
Many Biodynamic preparations “replace” the chemicals used in farming
(like herbicides, pesticides,
fungicides etc.). There are more complex
issues in Biodynamics such as celestial “phases” but it is safe to say
the Biodynamics
literally means “dynamic life”.
With more wineries the world over embracing this vineyard/winemaking
technique, it’s fair to
say you are experiencing a major change in wine!
_______________________________
The Wine List
Organic / Biodynamic / Sustainable
Organic Wine
Abbona (IT)
Antinori (IT)
Babcock (CA)
Badia Coltibuono (IT)
Benziger (CA)
Bonny Doon
(CA)
Copain (CA)
Domaine Thiebert (FR)
Domaine Trillol (FR)
Enzo Boghletti (IT)
Felsina (IT)
King Estate (OR)
L'Ecole (WA)
Lee Family Vineyards
(CA)
Monte Antico (IT)
Mustilli (IT)
Pacific Rim (CA)
Palladino (IT)
Prager (Austria)
Rossignol-Trapet (FR)
Sacha Lichine (FR)
Saladini Pilastri
(IT)
Santa Julia (Argentina)
Snoqualmie (WA)
St, Urbans-Hoff (Germany)
Vida Organica (Argentina)
Westrey (Oregon)
Zinck (FR)
Biodynamic Wine
Alois Lageser (Italy)
Paul Zinck (Alsace)
Bonny Doon (Ca Del Solo label)
Bergtrom (Oregon)
Opus One (CA)
Loimer (Austria)
Joseph Phelps (Napa)
Domaine Leroy (Burgundy)
Frey (CA)
Chateau de Pierreaux (farming based on Biodynamics)
Ehlers Estate(Napa Valley)
Feudi San Gregorio (Italy)
Quivera (Sonoma)
Deloach (Sonoma - currently converting. New vintage are Bio)
Brickhouse (Oregon)
Rissignol-Trapet (Burgundy)
Justin (CA)
Benziger (Estate wines)
M. Chapoutier (France)
Espelt (Spain)
Alain Paret (FR)
Deloach (CA)
Ehlers (CA)
Gerard Bertrand (FR)
Justin Vineyards
(CA)
Le Bois Minestral (FR)
Morgan (CA)
Quivera (CA)
Sokol Blosser (OR)
Three Vineyards (CA)
Trinitas (CA)
Sustainable Wine
Bouchene
(CA)
Carmen Vineyards (Argentina)
Cellars Capcanes (Spain)
Chante Cigale (France)
Chateau d"Agradens (France)
Chateau d'Angludet (FR)
Chateau
Beauchene (FR)
Chateau Ste. Michelle (WA) {and all brands supported by them}
Cline Cellars (CA)
Clos du Boise (CA)
Cono Cur (Chile)
Cyt
Forntera (CHile)
Domaine de La Tour Boise (FR)
Domaine Serene (OR)
Domaine Ste. Michelle (WA)
Felino (Argentina)
Ferrari Carano (CA)
Feudi
San Gregorio (IT)
Graziano (CA)
J. Lohr (CA)
Kim Crawford (New Zealand)
Legadere (IT)
M. Chapoutier (FR)
Masi (IT)
Merryvale (CA)
Mommessin
(IT)
Monte Volpe (CA)
Montes / Montes Alpha (Argentina)
Napa Wine Co (CA)
Poliziano (IT)
Seghesio (CA)
Steele Vineyards [and all brands
supported by them} (CA)
Terres Doree by Jean Paul Brun (FR)
Torres (Spain)
Vermonte (Chile)
Villa Maria (New Zealand)
Vollereaux (FR)
Walnut
Crest
Yalumba (australia)
Zuccardi {and all brands supported by them} (Argentina)
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