Organic Wines

Organic Wines, alcoholic beverage made from the juice of grapes. During fermentation, microscopic single-celled organisms called yeasts digest sugars found in fruit juice, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide gas in the process. Although grapes are the most common fruit used to make wine, wine is also made from the fermented juice of pears, apples, berries, and even flowers such as dandelions. Wine naturally contains about 85 to 89 percent water, 10 to 14 percent alcohol, less than 1 percent fruit acids, and hundreds of aroma and flavor components in very small amounts. Wine character — its taste and smell — is derived from many factors including the grapes it is made from, where they were grown, and the production techniques applied by the wine maker, or enologist.

The practice of making organic wine is as old as our most ancient civilizations, and wine has played a central role in human culture for more than 8,000 years. In contrast to most foods and beverages that spoil quickly or that can spread disease, organic wine does not spoil if stored properly. The alcohol in organic wine, called ethanol, is present in sufficient concentrations to kill disease-causing microorganisms, and throughout history, wine was often safer to drink than water or milk. This property was so significant that before the connection between microorganisms, poor sanitation, and disease was understood, ancient civilizations regarded wine as a gift from the gods because it protected against disease.

Organic Wine Grapes and Vineyards Vegetarian and Vegan Wine

The main grapevine cultivated for wine production is the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera. Native to areas along the Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas, today there are more than 5,000 varieties of Vitis vinifera grown in the world. Because this grape plant prefers warm, dry summers and mild winters, successful cultivation is limited to temperate climates in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The most popular red varieties in the United States are zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, merlot, and pinot noir. The most popular white grapes are colombard, chardonnay, chenin blanc, and sauvignon blanc. Other noticable organic wines are Australian and South African wine.

Natural factors make wine from a particular region unique. Known in the wine industry as terroir, these factors include local climate (temperature, rainfall, and sunlight), location of grapevines (altitude and slope), and soil (structure, composition, and water drainage). In general, a grapevine produces the best fruit when the moderate climate provides much sunshine and cool nights without frost, and the soil is well drained. Grapevines grow best in sandy, chalky, or rocky soils.

Wine grapes are grown in vineyards, where individual vines are grown or trained on a system of stakes and wires, called a trellis, to optimize sun exposure. The first harvest of grapes can be made in the third year after planting, and a full crop suitable for commercial use can be expected after five years. Grapevines may produce fruit for 20 to over 100 years. The grapevine growth cycle begins in early spring when new shoots appear on the buds of the grapevine. These shoots develop flowers that blossom and then produce clusters of tiny green grapes. The grapes begin to ripen in midsummer and are ready to be harvested beginning in midfall, depending on the location, grape variety, weather, and the type of wine to be produced. By the end of fall, the vines lose their leaves and become dormant until the following spring.

Organic Wines