Are you curious about “Organic” wines?  Do they taste the same as non-organic wines?  Do they eliminate the red wine headache?  What makes them “Organic”?

I was curious to and decided too find the answers and sample some wine!

First lets look at the technical side.  Wines that carry the “Organic” tag on their label are required to consist of certified organically grown grapes.  For grapes to be certified organic, they must have been grown without any prohibited substances (chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or chemical fertilizers).  Only natural methods of pest preventions are allowed in the vineyard growing “Organic” grapes.

Another requirement for the “Organic” label is that the wine may only contain 20 parts per million of sulfates.   My next question was “What is a sulfate and why do I care if they are in my wine?

Sulfates occur naturally during the fermentation process.   They act as a preservative against certain yeast and bacteria (which will quickly destroy a wine if they start to multiply). Because of the benefit of Sulfates, over 99% of commercial wines contain them.   Sulfates are recognized as an allergen, so there are some wines out there labeled “Sulfate Free”.  They must have less than 10mg/L of sulfates to make this claim.  I have tried a number of the “Sulfate Free” wines and decided I would give up drinking wine if this was the only option.  Yuck!

A lot of people are concerned that sulfates in red wine cause the famous “Red Wine Headache”. There is no conclusive proof that the sulfates are responsible.  Some contributing factors to the headache may be that wine is de-hydrating and that red wine can affect your blood pressure, both of which can cause headaches.  For me, I will deal with the headache and skip the “Sulfate Free” wines.

If you want to explore “Organic” wines, check out wine tastings at local retail outlets where you can experience several wines and see where your taste buds guide you.

One of my favorite “Organic” wines is Hall Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is one of those wines that get better with time.  It has a smooth finish and for me had a little sweetness with vanilla and dark cherry/plum flavors coming through.Enjoy the exploration!  Join me on FB @VineVibesUncorked and let me know your favorite “Organic” wines!