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My Wine’s More Organic than yours

San Francisco's an hour away from wine country, so it makes sense that our office is full of wine snob-I mean, connoisseurs. But whether you're a connoisseur, or hate the stuff and just keep a bottle of pinot noir in your pantry in case of unexpected wino guests, it still helps to know what some of the vocab words on the label stand for.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is the government department that handles wine labeling, and it's created four categories of green vino:

1.       100% organic wine is made from 100% certified-organic grapes grown on an organic farm, and doesn't contain any added sulfites (a preservative in most wines).

2.       Organic wine contains at least 95% organically grown grapes from an organic farm, without added sulfites.

3.       Made with organic grapes means the wine has at least 70% organic grapes. Added sulfites are allowed.

4.       Contains organic grapes just tells you the wine contains some level of organic grapes (less than 70%), and producers can add sulfites.

-Toshio...off to drink a beer...

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April 30, 2008 | Read the Related Tip | Comments (12)
There is a great California orgainc winery that was left off of your list. Sobon http://www.sobonwine.com Wines are all organic and all the ones I have had are great! We got all Sobon and organic wines for our wedding and it was a big hit.
Posted by: Paul | April 30, 2008 at 08:28 AM
Glad you are pressing the point about this; I just can't get over how many non-organic wines our tiny co-op fills its store with. As if alcohol were a "health food" in the first place . . . . Wanted to point out, too, that of course the farm workers who slave away in the sun--often without proper breaks and restrooms and water to drink--are spared of pesticide spraying, too, when working in the fields of an organic grower of grapes. That's good. This doesn't mean, however, that they are treated well/with dignity. If anyone's interested in their plight (all farmworkers--not just grape harvesters), please sign up for UFW (United Farm Workers) e-bulletins. I've learned much about this hidden corner of the world from their excellent updates and advocacy campaigns, such as that "even" organic growers can be tyrant employers.
Posted by: Elizabeth | April 30, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Thanks for the link to recycle corks! Pack rat that I am I have bags of them. We had been cutting them in half lengthwise and gluing them down to a piece of board to make very cool bulletin boards that show the names of the wineries or other decorations on the cork. But cutting them by hand with a serrated knife is - um - dangerous, and we are NEVER going to use all the corks we have collected over the years! I'll be happy to have Yemm & Hart make tiles from them :^)
Posted by: dottie | April 30, 2008 at 10:56 AM
Also forgotten.... Frogs Leap Winery
Posted by: Lory | April 30, 2008 at 11:08 AM
I find that Moore Brothers, an excellent wine shop in NYC, New Jersey and Delaware, has a good selection of organic and biodynamic wines. You have to do a bit of searching online to find them. The mention of the organic and/or biodynamic vineyards is in the description of individual wines. Visit their stores if you can! http://moorebrothersblogs.com/
Posted by: Stefanie | April 30, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Anyone know of any good wine of the month clubs that specialize in organic wines?
Posted by: Ariel | April 30, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Actually, studies have shown that in terms of environmental impact, WHERE you get your wine is a lot more important than exactly how it's grown. In NYC it's better to get your wine from Europe than from CA. http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newyork/science/ar...
Posted by: Evelyn | April 30, 2008 at 01:49 PM
We're from SF but frequently travel to NY and have found a biodynamic in Long Island that is worth the trip: Shinn Vineyard. The "Wild Boar Doe" and the Rose are phenomenal. And it's a beautiful B&B to visit, if you are in the area. www.shinnvineyard.recipesfromhome.com
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Posted by: Becky | May 01, 2008 at 11:18 AM
One of my favorite biodynamic wineries is Benziger: http://www.benziger.com/
Posted by: Selina | May 01, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Unfortunately as I've found (headache wise), organic does not necessarily = no added sulfites (sulfites are naturally occuring but many wineries add more as a preservative). Check the label carefully.
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