The Green Bride: Don’t forget the wine!

In the past few years, the market has been flooded with new organic, eco-friendly and sustainable wines. Although some wine producers may be practicing environmentally positive viticulture, there are no federal regulations for ambiguous words like “eco-friendly” or “sustainable.” “Organic” is the only lawful and regulated term that consumers can depend on.

After all, wine grapes are an agricultural product. Like most agricultural products, conventional wine grapes are treated with harmful chemicals to deal with pests, viruses, weeds and fungi. While winegrowers are romanticized as purists, they are often dependent on a slew of chemicals to produce high yields and unspoiled fruit. These harmful chemicals unfortunately make their way directly into your glass of wine. “Grapes are among the most contaminated food products and receive a higher dose of synthetic pesticides than almost any other crop,” according to a March, 2008, study by the European Pesticide Action Network. The study revealed that conventional wines contained residues of pesticides potentially harmful to human health.

If you want to stage a true green wedding, don’t skimp on the wine. Only wine labels that read “made with organic grapes” or “organic wine” are legitimately certified organic. And that certification means dependability that you can count on. Below is a decoding of what wine labels mean:

Two brands of imported wine - on the left: Pircas Negras brand from La Rioja, Argentina; on the right: Cascina  Zerbetta from Piedmont, Italy

Made with Organic Grapes

• 100 % of the grapes used to make the wine are grown in accordance to the USDA’s National Organic Program standards.
• No toxic synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or fungicides are used.
• The wine has been produced and bottled in a certified organic facility.
• The sulfite content must not exceed 100 parts per million (ppm), whereas conventional wine may contain up to 350ppm.

Organic Wine

Same as above but…

• No sulfites have been added during the wine making process and the wine must contain fewer than 20 ppm sulfites. (Naturally occurring sulfites are produced during the fermentation process so although wines labeled ‘Organic Wine’ have no added sulfites, trace amounts of sulfites are still present.)
  
  

  

Organic Vintners' "Tinto" Red Wine - a private label from Spain

What about Vegan wine?

Wine labels are not required to declare the use of animal by products in the winemaking process. Animal by-products often used in clarifying or filtering wine include: Isinglass (derived from fish), gelatin (derived from animal hooves), casein (a milk protein) and egg whites. Vegan wines are not produced with any animal product and are instead clarified with bentonite clay.

Above and Beyond: How Green can you go?

Some wines go above and beyond basic organic standards set by the USDA National Organic Program. Nuevo Mundo from Maipo Valley, Chile, is one such example. Meaning “New World” the Nuevo Mundo wines from the De Martino Family winery are the first carbon neutral wines in Latin America. Greenhouse gases released in every stage of production are offset through wind power and the purchase of carbon credits—making this a wine with zero negative environmental impact.

Here’s how this is achieved:

• Eco-friendly bottles are made from 35% recycled materials and have been reduced in weight by 9%.
• Compost: one-seventh reduction of CO2 emissions generated by the use of organic compost vs. traditional methods.
• Energy and water efficient production processes: Reduction in water consumption for irrigation and production, 18% and 30%, respectively.
• Labels are made from recycled, chlorine free paper and have low ink content.
• Amount of packaging and weight of boxes have been reduced and are made from recycled cardboard.

A vine from a winery called Antica Enotria in Puglia, Italy from which Organic Vintners imports

When it’s time to make a toast, do so in honor of the environment and the occasion. Organic wines offer a safe alternative to the planet and your health. Cheers!

Photos courtesy of Organic Vintners.

Organic Vintners is an organic wine importer located in Boulder, Colorado. They import and represent more than 50 wines from 8 countries all vegan and made with certified organic grapes. Come taste the true terrior of our wines! www.organicvintners.com