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 Organic Wines Fight for Respect in the Marketplace By Nathan Hill and Nicole M. DiDomenico Excerpted from The Bohemian, Sonoma County September, 2001 |
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| Picture this: On a moonlit night after a hard day, you pour yourself some wine, swirl it around the glass. Raising it slowly to your lips, you notice the crisp redolence of fruit and accents of oak-spice. The wine's fresh acidity coats the tongue, followed by an aggressively ripe fruit bouquet and dry finish. You polish it off, but instead of finding yourself lulled into a pleasant state of relaxation and calm, you are instead assaulted by a pounding headache. Unbeknownst to you, it wasn't your workday beating you senseless, it was the wine. For many people, this is an all-too-common occurrence. Headaches or other ailments that arise after wine consumption usually have less to do with the alcohol and more to do with the unseen chemicals floating in the glass. Grapes of Wrath Studies show that wine grapes are bombarded with a medley of poisons. In fact, 17 different insecticides, herbicides, and fumigants are used in wine production, many containing possible carcinogens. In California, where 90 percent of domestic wines are produced, grapes receive more pesticides than any other crop: 59 million pounds in 1995 alone, according to Californians for Pesticide Reform. In Sonoma County, grape growers applied chemicals to their crops at twice the state average, and anecdotal evidence indicates that the amount is rising in the North Bay in the wake of a possible infestation by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a pest that carries the vine-withering Pierce's disease. So it's no surprise that grape production accounts for a full third of all pesticide-associated illness in the state, most more serious than headaches. Since tending to the vines involves considerable contact with foliage, most illnesses are suffered by workers exposed to pesticide residue. Typically, grape laborers experience dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin, at a rate 10 times higher than other agricultural workers. But farm hands aren't the only people suffering: according to a Californians for Pesticide Reform study, there is also a link between pesticide use and increased birth defects among both farmers and nonfarmers residing in these agricultural regions. The problems aren't unique to California, either. Pesticide use here is typical of most conventional vineyards worldwide, says Michel Ginoulhac, vice president and winemaker for the Organic Wine Co. What's more--and here's where your headache comes in--minute traces of these toxins often find their way into your glass. "The levels aren't dangerous in the bottle," says Ginoulhac, who is also a medical doctor. "The problem is their cumulative effect." Many pesticides are stored in the body's tissues and accumulate over time, thereby magnifying the danger. Ginoulhac says this may explain why many people, especially older individuals, experience headaches or other maladies after drinking wine. "This doesn't happen with organic wines," Ginoulhac says, and with good reason. In most organic vineyards, compost has replaced fertilizers, biological control has replaced pesticides, and the use of any synthetic chemical is strictly prohibited. In addition, cover crops, which are commonly used to sustain populations of beneficial predatory insects, promote biological diversity and prevent soil erosion. Vines of the Times Although organic wine makes up only 1 percent of the total domestic wine market, the industry is experiencing a steady annual growth of 20 percent. Organic winemakers and enthusiasts alike expect, with the recent upswing in environmentally conscious consumers, that organic wines will make up half of the total wine market within the next two decades. "Making wine without added sulfites is one of the hardest things you can do," says Tony Marti, owner of the Sebastopol Fine Wine Co. Marti has high praise for companies like the Mendocino-based Frey Vineyards of Redwood Valley, the grandfather of organic wines. "I find many of their organic wines to be bold and innovative," Marti says. "I have no problem recommending them at all." But How Does It Taste? "The quality of wine is getting better every day, and we want to demonstrate that organic wines can compete on a world level," says Fetzer winemaker Robert Blue. Most growers say organic grapes offer pure flavor, superior aromas, and better fruit intensity than their chemically altered counterparts. Not only are organic wines competitive on the palette, they're also competitive in the wallet. Their price ranges from $7 to $30, depending on quality and vintage. "I think it's the wave of the future," says Tony Marti. "People are turned off by the science-knows-everything attitude, since it's resulted in degradation of the environment and pollution of our bodies. To be honest, I wish there were even more organic wines on the market." |
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Home - Order Here - Winning Medals - What is Organic & Biodynamic®? No Sulfites Added - Our Wine Selection - Photo Tour - History - Articles - Links Frey Vineyards, 14000 Tomki Rd, Redwood Valley CA 95470 U.S.A. Email us at info@freywine.com Tastings by appointment only. copyright Frey Vineyards
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