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A CLEAN AND GREEN WINE INDUSTRY
Organic certification
by Charl Theron
The organic cultivation of wine grapes with a view to making organic wines is gaining increased prominence throughout the world. A wide variety of wines made from various cultivars, in different styles and by a number of countries, is commonly available. This, despite the fact that the primary producers of such products struggled to make ends meet. To foster the credibility of organic products, regulations have been implemented by several countries.
When purchasing organic wine, the consumer has to ensure that the product is certified as such and although differences exist among countries, organic certification should confirm that:
- No synthetic products such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilisation were evident in the vineyard, but rather only products with regulatory approval.
- No - or as few as possible - sulphites were added during vinification.
- No synthetic additives were used during vinification, only approved natural products.
- In the case of European products, these may not contain any genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
(www.organicwineforyou.com)
When comparing the standards of the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU), there are slight differences, but the following requirements apply in both instances:
- Certification should take place by a third party.
- Annual terrain inspections and audits are required.
- Accreditation of the certification process is important.
- A sustainable farming plan must be submitted.
- Only approved production material may be used.
- The term "organic" implies that 95% of the product ingredients have to be organic.
- The term "produced from" implies that 70% of the product ingredients have to be organic.
- Transition periods for the changeover from normal to organic cultivation are defined.
(www.ota.com)
Current EU wine legislation does not contain any definition for "organic wine" and consequently does not permit any such claim on wine labels. Prescriptions for the cultivation of organic grapes do exist, but all grapes thus cultivated are not necessarily certified as such. Labels claiming that the wine has been certified constitute a valuable guarantee for the consumer. Various deceptive labels and logos occur (www.morethanorganic.com).
In Australia seven different instances certify organic practices. All of these are accredited with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The basic requirements for accreditation may be summarised as follows:
- The soil should be managed in such a way that it contains sufficient minerals, constitutes a balanced source of nutrition for plants, retains moisture and is biologically active. Practices such as composting, crop rotation and green fertilisation are recommended.
- Pest control must be facilitated through biodiversity where some surfaces are not cultivated, to enable habitats for organic pest control.
- Weed control should be mechanical and not chemical, using methods such as beating, cutting, ploughing, heat treatment and sunlight.
- Diseases such as black spot, botrytis, oidium and downy mildew should be restricted through good hygiene practices, quarantine and cultivation practices. Copper, sulphur and trichoderma treatment are approved practices for the organic cultivation of vines.
- Practices should also be in place to restrict or prevent contamination of non-organic environments.
(Austin, 2008)
References
Austin, Lyn. 2008. Introduction to organic certification. Australian Viticulture, March/April 2008: 26 - 30.
www.organicwineforyou.com
www.ota.com
www.morethanorganic.com
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