Organic Pride

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As I was reflecting the other day over the fact that my very first shipment of the Domaine de La Bousquette had arrived from France into Oakland on a cold January day, thirty years ago, I went down and visited my wine cellar. I was so moved by the sight of all these bottles and their meaning to me that in that moment I decided to bring my team together, share with them those treasures and do what’s called a vertical tasting. We pulled out some twelve bottles of different vintages from my La Bousquette collection. The first vintage was … Continue reading →

“Sulfite’s Headache is in Labeling” by Bill St John

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“Fermentation by product is in all wine, but only U.S. requires warning This is the time of year when people tell me, as they return from their European vacations, that they drank bottle after bottle of wine with their meals and “never got a headache.” They explain this miracle by saying that wines in Europe “do not contain sulfites,” unlike wines sold in the U.S., the labels of which clearly state “Contains sulfites.” Because wine bottle labels in Europe do not print “Contains sulfites,” the assumption is that the wine does not as well. But it does; the label merely … Continue reading →

Q & A: Wine Without Alcohol?

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Q : “Please make wine without alcohol in it. The type of alcohol is Ethanol and is a carcinogen. It causes cancer. It destroys good bacteria and enzymes in the digestive tract. It is addictive and does not promote a healthy lifestyle. While there are great qualities about wine, leave the ethanol out of it. It can be done. Thanks” -David A : Hello David, Thank you for your concern. First of all, even though I have been a winemaker myself, I am not involved in that part any longer. Secondly, there have been numerous attempts to make wine without … Continue reading →

Sulfites: Can’t Live With ‘Em, Can’t Make Wine Without ‘Em

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– By Rebecca Gibb. New research finds that those who suffer from headaches would pay for less sulfites in their wine. Sulfur dioxide use in winemaking has been coming under the spotlight as a minimal-intervention movement agitates for less reliance on the compound. Sulfur has taken flak for causing health problems, although the scientific community is divided on the issue. That prompted a Colorado State University study of consumer perceptions of sulfites and whether drinkers would pay more for a bottle labeled “low in sulfur.” The findings, published by the American Association of Wine Economists, are that consumers would be willing to … Continue reading →

Millésime Bio: World’s Largest Gathering of Organic Wineries!

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The 19th annual Millesime Bio took place in the South of France at the end of last month! We have several posts from our new friend Mr. Howard Hewitt who did a wonderful job of reporting what took place. What is the Millesime Bio? The Millesime Bio is the world’s largest gathering of organic wineries and organic wine trade press, it is a yearly competition in which organic winemakers from across the world compete for awards and medals and members of the wine industry present seminars and speeches. The fair takes place every year in January in the heart of … Continue reading →

The Languedoc Countryside with Organic Leaders

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By Howard Hewitt. Southern France organic wine producers, and the Languedoc in particular, face an uphill battle in the United States trying to convince consumers that organically grown grapes and “organic wine” isn’t a simple discussion about sulfites. That is the shared opinion from two of the movement’s leaders and founders. The AIVB’s current president goes even further. He suggested in a late afternoon interview in his office in St. Bauzille de la Sylve that some U.S. producers (and perhaps others) suggest no wine with sulfites can be called organic not for the most definitive definition of organic but simply … Continue reading →

The EU Decides “Organic Wine” Can Contain Sulfites!

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– by W. Blake Gray. While “organic wine” in the U.S. is a minor category, it’s about to become big in Europe. The EU has ruled the exact opposite of the US: that “organic wine” can contain sulfites. The EU will restrict the amount of sulfites they may contain: 100 ppm total for red wine, 150 ppm for white or rosé, as opposed to the 10 ppm allowed (and only when naturally occurring) in U.S. “organic wine.” (Conventional wines in the US are allowed 350 ppm.) This is a huge difference. In covering this issue, I have spoken to several natural … Continue reading →

Q & A: What is the Typical Alcohol Content of Organic Wine?

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Q: “What is the typical alcohol content of organic wine. I am considering ordering the Chateau Bousquette 2001. I am not very familiar with organic wines but am interested in learning more.  Thanks -Cathy” A: Hello Cathy, You can find the alcohol content of each wine in the Product Detail page accessible by clicking on each label or link (on the left side) of the shopping cart. Most of our wines contain 12.5% alcohol which is kind of ideal. The difference is not due to organic growing but to the climate/soil combination between Europe and most of the US. Domestic … Continue reading →

Q & A: Sulfites, Allergy and Diabetes

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Q : Hello, I am trying to obtain as much information as I can in reference to organic wine and sulfites. I am a diabetic and I am also allergic to sulfites. I have not been able to get any sound information on the subject. I would like to know if organic wine has any of it’s own natural sulfites. It would be great to have an occasional glass of wine but I am afraid to attempt it until I can get a better definition about the sulfites. I am allergic to sulfur in medication which is how I found … Continue reading →

“What Drinking Organic Wine Really Means,” Interviewed by Howard Hewitt

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Wine columnist Howard Hewitt wrote an article on his blog Grape Sense after we had a great talk this month. Here it is! “Late last year I met one of the real iconic figures in importing organic wines to the U.S. Veronique Raskin has been fighting the good fight in the name of organics since 1980. She helped arrange my inclusion on a January press trip to France’s Millesime Bio trade fair in Southern France. I got to meet Veronique during a March trip to California. She has written this piece about organics. So for the second time in a … Continue reading →