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Interesting news out of Santiago. Concha y Toro has bought Mendocino County’s Fetzer Winery. What makes it interesting is that both Concha y Toro and Fetzer have significant organic and (partially) Biodynamic vineyards: Concha y Toro has Emiliana and Fetzer has Bonterra. Bonterra has been organic since 1987 and with sales of 300,000 cases annually; it’s more than three times the size of its nearest organic competitor. For my posts about Emiliana, click here.
With its purchase of Fetzer, Concha y Toro brings together 2 strong players among organic wines. My bet is that Concha y Toro believes that, someday, all wines will be organic wines.
Fetzer itself is also a leader in sustainable practices and is recognized as an environmental leader, which I’ve written about before.
As a fan of organic and Biodynamic wines, I anticipate that Fetzer and Concha y Toro will learn much from each other. It's a big vote of confidence in organic wines and a boost to sustainability.
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Decanter reports that Agence Bio (France's organic certification label) recently granted, for the first time, organic status to two Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé estates: Chateau Pontet-Canet in Pauillac and Chateau Guiraud in Sauternes.
In fact, Pontet-Canet was Biodynamic back in 2005, wavered during the difficult 2007 growing season, but now is back on its way to Biodynamic certification. And converting to Biodynamic practices is just one element in the long rehabilitation of the Pontet-Canet estate (a neighbour to Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild) since Guy Tesseron took over in 1975. The Tesseron family continues to innovate: the latest is to bring working horses back into the vineyard instead of tractors, with the view that horses cause less damage to the vines.
Pontet-Canet doesn’t make a big deal about being organic or Biodynamic in its marketing...no mention of their certification will appear on the label and you have to review their website carefully to find references to their practices. They know that organic, even Biodynamic, is the way to go and they just get on with it. It's not a gimmick for them. Perhaps their illustrious neighbours will take note.
To learn more about what Pontet-Canet is up to, check out their video.
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Vintages is offering a selection of “eco-friendly” wines from eight producers for phone-order. Order now, with a 50% deposit, for delivery this autumn (yes, six months from now). Ugh. Hey, Vintages, don’t get too far out on that green limb.- Domaine Weinbach, Alsace
- Benziger, California
- Southbrook, Niagara
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In a recent post about Biodynamics, I wrote that organic grape growers focus on improving soil health, which makes their grapes more reflective of terroir. Well, there’s more to the story.
First, what is terroir? There’s no official definition, but this French term often is translated as “sense of place” and refers to the holistic influence of:
- geology (soil, rocks, minerals)
- topography (altitude, slope, exposure)
- hydrology (water supply & drainage)
- climate (sunlight, temperature, rainfall, sunlight)
How these natural factors interact can contribute significantly to the wine’s aromas, tastes, and textures, depending on the approach of the winemaker. Some winemakers follow the philosophy of having the influence of terroir expressed as much as possible in the wine. Other winemakers decide to wipe out much of the subtleties of terroir, often to match the wine to popular taste.
In response to the post, Liam commented, “Some people think soil has nothing to do with it,” and shared a link to a Decanter article (US geologists challenge 'gout de terroir'). The article briefly summarized a half-day session entitled Terroir -- The Relationship of Geology, Soils, Hydrology, and Climate to Wine at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. The session featured 12 presentations, concluding with “Winetasting of Terroir Wines”. (Good on these researchers for their dedication to more fieldwork!)
After reviewing the presentation summaries, it seems to me that the researchers agree that terroir exists and influences a wine, but “how” this happens is very complex and, they admit, not yet well-enough understood. The researcher who got the most attention from Decanter, Alex Maltman from Wales, debunks the notion that the taste of minerality in wine relates directly to the minerals in the soil being absorbed through the vines root structure. He does not argue that wine drinkers don’t perceive “minerality” in wine, only that we don't taste minerals from the soil itself.
Chablis is an oft-cited example of a wine whose mineral character matches the soil in which it grows. Chablis vines grow in a mixture of limestone and clay on top of the Kimmeridgean geological formation composed of fossilized oyster shells. This geology has long been reputed to be the cause of Chablis’ traditional minerality and steely, flinty character. The geologists’ work indicates that the source of Chablis’ character is far more complex than the geology alone.
Of course, this is consistent with the source of almost all other aromas and flavours in wine. (We may perceive citrus aromas and flavours in Riesling, but that’s not because the winegrower is spraying lemon juice in the vineyard!) Wines (through terroir, viticulture, and vinification) can express an incredible array of aromatic molecules. Researchers are just at the beginning in understanding how terroir makes its contribution. There are even researchers in France (!) who are working on making a synthetic wine, bypassing the grape entirely.
Where does that leave us with the organic and Biodynamic growers who place such importance on improving the quality of soil in the vineyard? It is important but, no doubt, I am guilty of an oversimplification in stating previously that, “Grapes get a lot of their taste from the type of soil that the vine grows in.” The wine’s character depends on much more than just the soil in which the grapes grow. The very complex interaction among geology, topography, hydrology and climate, along with viticulture techniques and vinification methods, all contribute to the wine’s characteristics. Which of these is the pre-eminent factor, or if there is even a factor that is consistently pre-eminent, remains for the researchers to work out.
If you’re interested in learning more about terroir, I highly recommend Jamie Goode’s excellent articles:
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In my previous post, I looked at what Biodynamic, organic, and natural wines are. Now that we’ve got definitions out of the way, let’s look at why we should be seeking out these wines. What makes these wines better? For me, there are three reasons: distinctive and better taste, they’re better for your health, and it’s better for the environment.
Taste
Grapes get a lot of their taste from the type of soil that the vine grows in. [Oops...this was an oversimplification. See my follow-up post.] And soil composition can be very individualistic; varying significantly even from the soil in a neighbouring plot. Because the goal is to draw all their nutrients from the soil itself (rather than being fed any synthetic fertilizers), organic vines are more reflective of their specific place (what us wine fans call terroir). If the winemaker then takes a classic Old World approach to vinification, allowing the wine to express what the terroir contributes to the grape, then wines made from organic and Biodynamic grapes reflect a distinctive nose and palate. If like me, you tire of too many wines manipulated to taste the same, and you long for wines that are distinctive, that reflect from where they come, then start looking at organic and Biodynamic wines.
OK, distinctive, but is it better? Lots of blind tastings say, yes! One example. In 2004, Fortune magazine organized a blind tasting of 10 pairs of wines, where the grapes were grown near each other, from the same vintage, one Biodynamic and one conventional. The result? The tasters judged that the Biodynamic wine was better in 9 out of 10 cases: better aromas, flavours, and textures. Over the past 15 years, Biodynamics has become more popular among winemakers who care about making better wines. An accurate count can be hard to come by, but one source lists 529 winemakers in 16 countries using Biodynamic practices, including several high-profile vintners. And the list is growing. Although it’s possible that some growers are jumping onto the Biodynamic bandwagon as a marketing gimmick, many more have gone Biodynamic because their passion is to produce the best wine that they can.
Some critics doubt that Biodynamic practices themselves will produce better wines. Rather, they argue that Biodynamic practices are very painstaking and that’s why the wines are better: these Biodynamic winemakers simply put even more care and attention into growing the grapes and making the wine. Ah, but many wine drinkers don’t care why it works, just as long as we have more wines that are delicious!
Health
Various research studies show that consuming wine in moderation yields health benefits, with one compound, occurring naturally in grape skins, singled out: resveratrol. Researchers link resveratrol to, among other things, improving cardiovascular health and endurance, fighting cancer cells, and slowing aging. For a grape, resveratrol acts as a natural fungus killer. But in vineyards where the vintner uses synthetic fungicides, the grapes produce significantly less resveratrol. Of course, this means that organic and Biodynamic grapes have higher levels of resveratrol. Want more of the benefits of resveratrol? Look for wines made from organic and Biodynamic grapes.
Environmental Responsibility
The debate continues on the toxic effect of pesticides on people, animals, and the environment. It’s clear, though, that organic and Biodynamic viticulture reduces synthetic pesticide, fungicide, and nutrient runoff, simply because growers shun such practices. So if you want to help reduce pesticide levels, support organic and Biodynamic wineries.
So, how do you find these wines? Ask at the store where you buy wine. If they don’t know about organic or Biodynamic wines, find another store. In Ontario, Vintages is doing a good job of identifying organic and Biodynamic wines in their catalogues, and their stores now have a separate (if too small) section for organic wines. Check the back label on the bottle. If a winery uses organic or Biodynamic practices, they’ll want you to know. Many wineries have a website and aren’t shy about telling you about how their grapes are grown and their wines are made. And you can always check back here. If I find one, I’ll let you know!
Organic and Biodynamic practices are no panacea. A winemaker is still at the mercy of the climate and can still mess up in the cellar. But whether you want wines that taste better and distinctive, or you want a greater health benefit from wine, or you want to support winemakers that are using more environmentally responsible practices, keep an eye out for these wines.
I’m always on the lookout for wines certified as biodynamic, organic, or even natural. But what do those terms mean? And why make the effort to look for them?
First off, Biodynamic, organic, and natural are not synonyms, although they do have elements in common.
Organic: Let’s start with organic. Organic viticulture (growing the grapes) avoids the nasty synthetic stuff like fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and anything genetically modified. Organic growers focus on:
- improving the health of the soil, and
- long-term prevention, rather than short-term cure, in dealing with problems.
Organic vintners improve soil health mostly through composting, which boosts water- and nutrient-retention as well as root penetration. Because they draw more nutrients from the soil, the grapes from organic vines should be more reflective of their specific terroir. With rare exceptions (see natural wines, below), organic practices do not extend to winemaking and so winemakers may use sulphites and various non-organic clarification agents. Like most agriculture standards, certification of organic viticulture is generally organized nationally, and so the definition of “organic” can vary from one country to the next.
Biodynamic: Rudolf Steiner developed the concept of Biodynamics in the 1920s. Biodynamics treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining closed system: everything that the vineyard needs comes from within the vineyard. Because it’s self-sustaining, the vineyard usually integrates with other forms of agriculture. Like organics, which is where most Biodynamic growers start, Biodynamics prohibits synthetic stuff. From there, Biodynamics uses specially-prepared homeopathic sprays (made of manure-stuffed horns and horn silica…holy cow!) and compost, preferably generated within the vineyard. These mixtures are applied – OK, this gets a bit weird – based on seasonal, solar, lunar, and astrological cycles. Numerous other practices in Biodynamics seem irrational to many people, including me, and some winegrowers adopt only some of Steiner’s practices. Like organic, there’s a distinction between Biodynamic grapes and Biodynamic wine. A biodynamic wine starts with grapes that are farmed biodynamically, and then winemaker does not use artificial yeasts, or adjust the sugar or acidity. Wines "made from biodynamic grapes" means that a vintner used biodynamically grown grapes, but followed “conventional” techniques in winemaking. The internationally-recognized Demeter Association provides most Biodynamic certifications, although there are rival organizations.
Natural: There’s more buzz lately about “natural” wines. There don’t seem to be any verifiable standards for natural wines, but descriptions include:
- Handpicked, organically or biodynamically grown grapes
- Low-yielding vineyards
- No added sugars, no artificial yeasts
- No fining or filtration
- No adjustments for acidity
- No other additives for mouth-feel, colour, etc
- No micro-oxygenation or reverse osmosis
- Little or no added sulphites
In my next post, we'll look at why these wines are worth seeking out.
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