1. The winery must demonstrate that the organic wines are not mixed with non-organic wines. The segregation of organic wines from conventional wines protects the integrity of organic wine, so that consumers have a 100% guarantee that the wine is made solely with organically grown fruit, as claimed on the label. From the transport declarations, to weighbridge dockets, processing, storage and bottling records, it is possible to trace the journey of organic wine from the vineyard block to the finished product.

2. Certain additives and processes are restricted or not allowed at all. The Organic Standard outlines the inputs which are permitted in organic winemaking, with the main restriction being placed on the use of sulfur dioxide (see next page). Essentially, sulfur has been used for hundreds of years, and is safe when used correctly. In organic wines the recommended maximum is 125 parts per million total sulfur, which can be difficult to achieve in some years, as a minimum of free sulfur is required to preserve the wine, and all the added sulfur can become “bound”, thus increasing the total sulfur levels. Natural proteins for clarifying the wine such as egg whites and milk powder (casein) are not restricted. In the US wines labeled as “organic wines” must have no additives whatsoever, a USDA ruling which has caused much angst among the majority of producers, who must keep their total sulfur below 100ppm just in order to say “wine made from organic grapes” on the label. Source

3. Increased management efforts is required. Organic fruit delivered to the winery is more likely to have a percentage of bunches affected by fungal diseases, especially mildews and botrytis, since organic growers cannot control disease outbreaks by the use of systemic fungicides. Organic growers can only prevent such outbreaks early in the season with elemental sulfur, or other less effective products such as soap and milk. In a humid year, the fruit may be affected by fungal disease on delivery to the winery. In red wines this less common, but quite disastrous as red wine is fermented on the skins to extract colour. In white wines it is possible to press very gently thus minimsing the presence of yeast in the juice. However, the remaining yeast may “tie up” additions of sulfur dioxide. Dealing with these factors requires a high level of management skill on the part of the wine maker, who needs to closely monitor each batch of wine to prevent spoilage.

4. Organic wine is more about ethics than money. Even in France , where organic viticulture has been practiced for many decades, the link between the movements for organic food and wine has not been strong, as explained by Jean-Marc Carité, winemaker and editor of the French "Vin bio magazine": “Organic wines are not more expensive to buy, but they are more expensive to produce. The problem is that consumers of organic foods are not great consumers of wine, whilst the traditional consumers of wine do not want to pay more than for a conventional wine. If organic wine production has increased, it is because the producers have realised that they could make better wine. They are also conscious of the need to protect the environment.”

5. Organic is GM Free. We thought it would never happen, that the ancient art of fine winemaking would fall to the modern faustian technology of Genetic Engineering. We knew there were some Engineered vines in research stations, with a low risk of escape into the wine industry generally. But the premature release of commercial GM yeast in the US may have changed all that. We suggest you find out more at the ISIS website. Of course, Australian wine is not known to be affected, and organic winemakers have been ensuring their yeasts are GM free for many years now.