Benefits of Drinking Organic Wine

Organic wine is one that is made with organically grown grapes. These grapes are grown according to the tenets of organic farming. This includes not using fertilizers, artificial chemicals, pesticides, herbicides as well as fungicides. To tackle weeds as well as pests, farmers typically work with nature instead of working against it. They do this by boosting the biodiversity of their vine.

These all mean avoiding invasive as well as aggressive methods of growing grapes but rather using natural means such as manure, crop residues and compost for fertilization.

Farmers and vineyard owners typically implement a different set of practices for maintaining their vines. For instance, farmers can introduce crops that can provide habitats for insects that are beneficial in a way that prevents species that can cause problems. They may also have animals such as sheep graze amidst the farm thereby eating up grass and weeds.

Doing all these helps the vineyard to have a self-regulating, natural ecosystem. It is able to tackle any issues while eliminating the need for any form of artificial chemicals. You can continue reading about this here.

Additives in Organic Wines

Having an organic farm or winemaking process does not mean that the wine will contain no additives. There is a list of several ingredients that are added. Organic majorly talks about how the grapes are grown. It also relates to whether preservatives are used or not in the winemaking process.

In making the wine, additives such as animal enzymes, yeast, egg white, etc. can be used. Even with this, the additives used are not genetically modified but they are wild and as natural as possible. Whatever additive that is added during the fermentation process typically does not exceed 5% of the total.

Organic wine production and consumption has kept growing in the last couple of years as people have increasingly embraced it. Although when compared to non-organic wines, it is still low. In places like Australia, it accounts for around 6.9% of the organic market according to a 2014 report and that is steadily increasing.

Certification

To ascertain that a wine is organic, it needs to be certified. The certification is typically by an independent body or organization. The certifying organization will usually carry out vineyard audits as well as an audit of the winemaking process for farmers and winemakers who have applied for the certification. It is illegal to advertise any wine as organic when it is not certified so. Some wines though may be able to carry the label “Made with Organically Grown Grapes”.

Depending on where you live or where the bottle of wine is from, you should see logos from the independent certifying body on the label that shows that it has been certified.

Why You Should Drink Organic Wines

As seen from above, organic farming in addition to the organic winemaking process leads to having a wine that is certified organic. But why should you drink it? Why is it beneficial?

Health Benefits

It is no longer news that whatever is grown or made naturally helps to boost human health; same can be said of organic wines. The lack of artificial manipulations and chemicals both on the farm as well as during its processing makes for a real, more natural wine.

This makes them a healthier option when compared to non-organic ones. You can have the rest of mind that accompanies the knowledge that no chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides are part of your wine. Rather, they are rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins.

Organic wines are also healthy in the sense that they contain less sugar. They also do not contain cellar additives that may be harmful such as caramel coloring and other flavoring agents. A high level of sugar and these various non-organic additives typically lead to health issues such as headaches.

Having said this, keep in mind that although they taste better, they still contain alcohol and this can be harmful when taken in excess. Also, some might contain sulfite which is usually a preservative in wine that helps preserve its freshness, protect it from oxidation as well as unwanted bacteria. This sulfite content is most of the time usually about half the legal limit or less.

Asides from a reduction in sulfites, organic wines also do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). It is good for people who are allergic or intolerant to preservatives and many of the other substances found in conventional ones.

It Makes the Environment Better

There are tons of benefits for the environment when it comes to growing and making organic wines. As it is, farmers use less water as their vines do not need a lot of it. The soils are made of composts that contain natural matter which holds water better.

Artificial chemicals, herbicides and pesticides also negatively impact the ecosystem in the long run so it is much better for the environment when they are not used. These chemicals can leach into food and water supply systems. This can cause health issues for those living around and partaking in the resources there. Rather than using them, organic farming use practices that encourage biodiversity and this preserves the natural ecosystem cycle.

Additionally, by desisting from using unnecessary irrigation, local fauna as well as floras can thrive and they are preserved.

You can visit http://www.organichill.com.au if you would like to know more about this.

Conclusion

A big part of organic wine is its commitment to a better environment, so producing it entails getting involved in practices that support this. This includes not using such chemicals that can hurt the environment but using purely natural ways for enriching the soil.

Even during its processing, fewer additives are added and most additives used are natural too. Drinking it comes with some health benefits. With less sugar and less sulfite, this means lesser headaches and hangovers.

Remember to check the label on the bottle to be sure it is certified. If your desire is to live a healthy lifestyle, you will do well to make organic wines your wine of choice.