Organic, Natural, Biodynamic, Regenerative...

What's the difference and why should I care?

I should probably tell you up front that my reflexive reaction to the word “organic” in any food and beverage context is a pronounced eye-roll. It’s a category that is often poorly defined and thrown around as an excuse to charge more money for products purchased by people who then look down their noses at the hoi polloi trying to scrape by with our pesticide-covered produce.

That said, we’re also in the midst of an environmental crisis, and along with the dire state of the climate, harmful agricultural methods (like those pesticides) are showing their long-term effects on soil and ecosystems. So those of us who care about the earth both now and in the future we pass on to those who follow us are paying more attention to sustainable consumption - even if the word “organic” makes us cringe.

Photo by Kaja Reichardt on Unsplash

Fortunately, more and more wineries are also paying attention to sustainable farming and production, in ways that are not cringy at all, but rather are deeply in tune with the environment we all rely upon for our food and, of course, for our wine. But there are so many different ways to describe their practices! Organic, natural, biodynamic, regenerative, etc. How do we sort out the differences and know that what we’re getting really is a responsibly-produced wine and not just a pricey gimmick?

And, less important in a broad, ethical sense, but still crucial to those of us who love wine: will it be any good?

A quick note: I’m just focusing on the U.S. here, as regulations in other countries can vary widely.

Organic wine is made from organically farmed grapes, meaning they have not used chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides. During fermentation, things get a bit more complex; certain additives are allowed, but they must fall within the permitted list and be less than 5% of the total product. A quick perusal of the list of allowed substances will tell you that perhaps organic is in the eye of the beholder. But one of the benefits of organic wine in the U.S. is that they are not allowed to add sulfites or coloring agents, which are probably responsible for most people’s adverse reactions (allergies, asthma, headaches) to red wine in particular. So, if you’ve resigned yourself to never drinking wine because it gives you a rash or a wicked hangover, you might want to try an organic wine…in small doses. See some recommendations for organic wines here.

I confess that natural wines also tend to give me a gut reaction leaning toward strong skepticism, in this case not so much because it’s a gimmick - I respect the intent! - as because so many of the natural wines I’ve tried have been perhaps a little too natural for my taste. I’ve experienced a whole lot of the stereotype of hazy, unpleasantly funky wines that made me wonder if they threw some of the vineyard soil into the batch for good measure. I’ve been assured that is not the case.

Natural winemakers are simply trying to make wine with as little intervention as possible. Instead of synthetic pesticides, they’ll encourage owl or bat populations, or plant crops that repel insects. Rather than introducing an outside yeast strain, they will allow the yeast naturally present on the skin of the grape to ferment spontaneously. They don’t add color or flavor agents or preservatives, and the wine is unfiltered - hence the sediment that gives the wine its haziness and texture. Natural wine can be a little fizzy, and yes, unpredictable in its taste. But I’m finding that as my palate adjusts to the funk, I have more appreciation for it, which I suppose is a bit like learning to enjoy bleu cheese. And, as natural winemakers gain experience, their wines are becoming more refined (though no less natural) and probably more appealing to traditional wine drinkers like me. Which is to say, don’t write it all off because of the “natural” label. See a fun article about natural wine with some non-intimidating recommendations here.

When I was in Europe this summer, I heard a lot about biodynamic farming, which seemed to be simultaneously a growing movement and a generations-old assumption about how vineyards should be run. The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association defines it as “a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, gardens, food production and nutrition,” which frankly sounds a little woo-woo to me, but essentially biodynamic wine is made with farming practices that view the whole vineyard (or extended farm, as they may be growing other crops as well) as one organism. They are caring for the entire ecosystem, understanding each part of it as interdependent with every other. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides aren’t used because they damage the health of the soil. Farm animals live right in the vineyard, fertilizing the soil and gently tilling the top layer.

Because biodynamic farming focuses on the quality of the fruit as well as the environment as a whole, biodynamic wines can be quite high quality, with excellent taste profiles. They can also run a little higher in price, but not always! Portuguese and Spanish wineries in particular are putting out some excellent biodynamic wines around $12-15/bottle. For American biodynamic wines, I can recommend Benziger out of Sonoma, or check out this list.

Regenerative viticulture takes elements of organic and biodynamic farming one step further and focuses on restoration of an already-damaged environment. Cover crops, biodiversity, improvement of the water cycle, and capturing and storing carbon dioxide strengthen not only the soil and ecosystem of that vineyard, but also work more broadly against climate change.

Photo by Nicl on Unsplash

I got interested in regenerative agriculture a couple of years ago when I saw the documentary Kiss the Ground, which suggested that climate change is not the inevitable and insurmountable problem many of us assume, but can in fact be shifted by farming practices that begin with restoring the soil. However, I’m not a farmer or even a gardener, so my potential involvement seemed somewhat limited. But then I heard the GuildSomm podcast on regenerative farming with Meghan Zobeck from Burgess Cellars in the Napa Valley, and now I’m a little obsessed. Like, run out to California next fall to work a harvest even though I know that is backbreaking work, obsessed. Their wines run at a pretty typical Napa price point, i.e. not cheap, but if your budget will accommodate an occasional $50-100 bottle of wine, I strongly recommend Burgess.

What are you drinking this week? Will you be trying any interesting wines: organic, natural, biodynamic, regenerative, or otherwise? Leave me a comment and let me know what you’re drinking, or if you have questions for future newsletters! Next week I am taking my WSET Level 2 exam, so I may be on a brief hiatus from writing, but I promise I will get to you when my brain recovers from memorizing the primary growing regions of all the major grape varietals.

Finally, Bottles and Plates is a reader-supported publication, and my ongoing wine education depends on you! At this time all content is free, but I offer both free and paid levels and hope you will subscribe as you are able and share with friends who may be interested. Thanks, and cheers!