In recent years a series of wines known as organic wines have appeared on the market in Spain. However, despite the advertising carried out by the wineries, there are still many unknowns about what this label encompasses and characterizes: what is an organic wine? What are the advantages?
The requirements that the regulations establish to enter the Organic Wine category are within the Generic Denomination “Organic Agriculture”, regulated in Spain in 1989 and whose control and certification is managed through the Autonomous Communities. In other words, organic wines follow the same precepts as in other organic products.
The most important rules in relation to this certification are two: that the farm or industry where the product has been produced or processed is subject to controls and inspections are carried out and, secondly, the non-use of chemical products.
In relation to the latter, it is necessary to know that in the winemaking process it is necessary to know that mineral fertilizers are forbidden in the cultivation and harvesting of the grape, and only those of vegetable origin (e. g. pomace shoots,…) and animal origin (compost and manure) are used. In crop protection from insects, pesticide use is prohibited, with the use of pheromones or more resistant strains to prevent pests. In the fermentation phase, natural yeasts will be used and, finally, small amounts of sulphur dioxide and tartaric acid will be allowed as preservatives and acidity correctors.
Once the difference is clear, the advantage of these wines over the rest is the guarantee that they will not ingest any type of chemical component, so it is aimed preferably at a sector with a great interest in the prevention of health and environmental conservation.
As for the people most reluctant to consume this type of wine, we must point out that quality depends on many factors and not exclusively on the production method, so we can find different types of organic wine, and therefore also exceptional wines.
Because organic wines can also be of quality!