Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of the grocery aisle, one hand holding a bottle of wine, the other scratching your head as you try to make sense of the label? You\u2019re not alone. Wine labels are designed to give you lots of information in a compact space \u2013 and sometimes that information can be difficult to understand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One thing that tends to befuddle people is the different ways of describing organic and natural wines. What is the difference between a bottle labeled \u201corganic\u201d and one that says \u201cmade with organic grapes?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The key to understanding the distinctions between these phrases lies in understanding how organic wine is made. Creating wine is a complex and delicate process that involves so much more than simply juicing grapes. If you understand the different elements of the winemaking process and how organic methods fit in, you\u2019ll have a much better grasp of wine label nomenclature. This guide will help you understand why this variation exists in labeling organic wine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Key takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n First, remember that winemaking is an art form. Anyone can send fruit through a juicer and create a beverage, but it takes special skill and a specific process to ferment that beverage into a beautiful and refreshing bottle of wine. Winemakers strategically utilize ingredients like yeast, sugars, and time to create the final product. Often, conventional producers also use synthetic additives like sulfites, preservatives, and dyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These producers will also commonly use pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers to increase the yields from their fields. The fruit from the vineyard will be treated with these synthetic elements, and then harvested by machine \u2013 resulting in a low-quality starting product that must then be enhanced artificially in the processing plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Organic winemakers seek to distinguish their healthier farming and processing practices with organic labels. Organic wine is set apart from these unnatural operations and that fact is noted on the bottle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not all organic processes are the same, however. Specific terminology will alert the consumer to a vineyard\u2019s individual farming and processing practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A label that reads \u201cmade with organic grapes\u201d is not, strictly speaking, an organic wine. At least part of the winemaking process is organic, however.\u00a0 Typically, this phrase means that ONLY the grapes harvested to make the wine are organic, and not that the entire wine production has to adhere to organic standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This means more for the grapes than just avoiding pesticides. While it is true that organically-grown grapes are free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizer, there are several other important components to organic farming. The soil must not be amended with any non-organic additives. The varieties grown must be sourced from organic, GMO-free seeds or cuttings. Irrigation methods, too, must be tailored specifically to match the needs of an organic field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The fruit from organic grapes is certainly better for your health and the environment than its conventional counterpart. That said \u201cwine made with organic grapes\u201d does not have to adhere to strict organic standards during processing \u2013 this wine may contain genetically-engineered yeasts, added sulfites, flavor enhancers, and more. Keep this in mind when making your wine selection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In contrast, organic wine uses fully organic processes and ingredients from start to finish. <\/span>Earth-friendly farming practices are standard form, with fruit grown in rich, biodynamic soil and carefully tended to produce a lower yield with deep, rich flavor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fruit clusters are then harvested with care and processed in accordance with organic standards. <\/span>Organic winemakers are not permitted to use synthetic dyes or additives.<\/span><\/a> This means that organic wines do not rely on additives or synthetic compounds to improve wine quality. What you see is what you get \u2013 and the sweetness and depth of organic wine are entirely dependent on the skill and mastery of its maker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, the next time you find yourself standing in the grocery store deciphering labels, remember to look for the key difference between these two phrases: \u201cmade with organic grapes\u201d, and \u201corganic wine\u201d are not the same product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We recommend that you look for the certification seal. Wines that have organic certifications, such as the <\/span>USDA Organic certification,<\/span><\/a> must be able to demonstrate strict adherence to established organic farming and production practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In obtaining high-caliber certifications, a winemaker demonstrates its commitment to straightforward and transparent farming and factory processes. To receive these certifications, companies must follow strict standards and submit to inspection by the certifying authority.<\/span><\/p>\n We believe that the healthier the vineyard, the better the fruit and, of course, the wine. All of our wines are certified organic. Our organically grown grapes offer a quality of fruit and vibrancy of taste that is unparalleled in the world of ordinary wines. <\/span>Visit us online<\/span><\/a> to learn more about our exceptional wine varieties, schedule a tour and wine-tasting at our beautiful winery, or find more information about retailers and distributors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sorting out wine labels can be confusing \u2013 here\u2019s what you need to know about the difference between organic wine and \u201cwine made from organic grapes.\u201d\u00a0 Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of the grocery aisle, one hand holding a bottle of wine, the other scratching your head as you try to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Understanding organic labels<\/b><\/h5>\n
Made with organic grapes<\/b><\/h5>\n
Organic wine<\/b><\/h5>\n
How to recognize organic wine<\/b><\/h5>\n
Naturally classic wines at Domaine Bousquet<\/b><\/h5>\n