The notion of organic, or biological, wine is quite vast. It encompasses organically grown and organically vinified wines, so-called natural wines, as well as biodynamic wines.

First of all, it must be emphasized that, for most of humanity, wine was organic, and this for the simple reason that the chemical molecules used in fertilizers and pesticides had not yet been invented! It was only during the second half of the 20th century that fertilizers and chemical treatments appeared in conventional agriculture. As a result of these excesses, a reverse movement was created from the mid-1970s onwards, in order to return to a more environmentally friendly agriculture. From the 90s onwards, a growing number of winegrowers began to adopt an organic approach in their viticulture. Even those who didn't want to go in the direction of organic certification gradually became aware of the need for greater consideration for their environment. This is what is known as the principle of "lutte raisonnée", i.e. the greatest possible reduction in the use of fertilisers, fungicides or pesticides.

Organic wines

In organic farming, the soil is seen as a living, dynamic environment that interacts with the flora and fauna found there. Legally, organic viticulture prohibits the use of synthetic chemicals. However, natural products such as copper, sodium nitrate or potassium chloride are permitted. The organic winemaker will also try to increase the microbial activity of the soil and use compost instead of adding chemicals to his soil. For a red or white wine to be considered organic, not only must the grapes from which it is made come from organic farming, but also the winemaking process must be organic. Wild or so-called natural yeasts will be used during winemaking rather than industrial yeasts. Sulphur dioxide or SO2, which is an antioxidant and antibacterial agent, is not prohibited in organic winemaking, but the oenologist will tend to limit its use.

Biodynamic wines

Biodynamics (or biodynamic agriculture) uses organic principles, combining them with the theories of Rudolf Steiner. Steiner was an Austrian anthroposopher who gave a series of lectures in 1924, shortly before his death. During this series of lectures, he laid the foundations for a form of agriculture that respected cosmic cycles. It is this base that will become the foundation of biodynamics, with the use of vegetable and mineral preparations intended to energize crops, applied according to the lunar cycle.

Natural wines

So-called natural wines are of course organic, but no sulphur (SO2) is added during fermentation or at the time of bottling. Also, sulphite-free natural wines are much more sensitive to temperature variations during transport or storage. They are therefore less stable and are much more likely than other organic wines to have quality problems at the time of tasting.