What is the difference between organic wine and wine made from organically grown grapes?
Strictly speaking ‘organic wine’ is wine made from grapes grown organically (ie. without man-made compounds such as fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides) AND without the addition of sulfur dioxide during winemaking. In the European Union the directive only covers organic viticulture not the wine production side, whereas in the USA and Australia a distinction is made. However in practice, only a very, very few wines are made without the addition of sulfur dioxide during winemaking as this makes them more susceptible to bacterial spoilage. Organic certification bodies forbid chemical additives but do allow sulfur dioxide but at levels that are two-thirds that used in conventional winemaking. In other words, if you buy wine made from organically grown grapes, less sulfur dioxide has been used.
