Conventional viticulture, organic and sustainable: Explaining the ever changing vocabulary behind wine productions - and the best ones to try

Do you care whether the man who picked the grapes puts chemicals on the vineyard? What about his children? Does it matter whether they have a school to go to? Does organic mean anything in particular or is it just a feel-good factor in your decision making?

There is a proliferation of organisations, standards, symbols and ‘movements’ that are changing the way wine is made.

Most of these are addressing significant aspects in the cycle of production and pointing the way to improvements. Is it worth taking note of all the symbols, what exactly do they mean, and do they just add to the price?

Conventional viticulture

It is the total lack of symbols on the back label that indicates conventional viticulture – and this accounts for 75-80 per cent of the world’s wines, so you probably have plenty of these wines in your collection. And conventional viticulture is not bad.

No-one wants to spend good money on sprays and treatments if they are not necessary. So conventional farming means that the vines are grown in much the same way as for the last 60 years or so, with occasional doses of fertilisers, weedkillers and anti-fungal sprays.

There are laws preventing sprays being used too close to harvest, so residues should not contaminate the wine.

Wine making will be fairly conventional with a small dose of sulphur to prevent bugs growing in it. For those who claim that they are allergic to sulphur in wine and it brings them out in a rash, please note that the dried apricots you put in your muesli or eat in a snack contain around ten times more sulphur than your glass of wine.

Your ready-prepared fruit salad and dilutable fruit drink also contain sulphur which goes by the name of E220 on all food labels.

Sustainable

In the same way that we all want to look after our environment, sustainable viticulture takes a long look at the whole process of growing grapes and the supply chain to market.

New Zealand led the way almost 30 years ago defining which sprays can and cannot be used, and when, but also requires members to adhere to water, energy, soil health and waste standards.

There is even a requirement to look after the health and safety of workers in the industry.

Annual checks ensure that each producer is adhering to sustainable standards, and the goal posts move on a regular basis towards targets of zero emissions and zero waste.

Other countries such as UK, Chile, South Africa and Australia also have their own organisations, as well as California and Pacific North West areas of the USA.

Around 20 per cent of global vineyards are now in some kind of sustainable programme, which is good news for the planet and for people who work in the industry.

Regenerative

Here the focus is on the health of the soil and if you are a gardener then it is mainly common sense. No-till viticulture keeps moisture in the soil, and allows the millions of bugs, fungi and small animals to go about their work undisturbed.

Regenerative viticulture encourages cover-crops and the integration of animals and even replanting trees and hedgerows to keep the whole system in balance.

This is a fairly new movement and there is no widely accepted symbol, but if a winemaker declares that they use regenerative methods, they are unlikely to be doing this for a few more pence on the wine.

They believe in this way of agriculture and want to leave their land in a better condition for their children and grandchildren.

Organic

A familiar term across all grocery products, organic must be good – or is it? Organic seeks to remove all the synthetic chemicals used in viticulture, so mulching vegetation between the rows, pheromone confusion to prevent insect attack and biodiversity all play a part.

The only problem is fungal diseases which need copper sulphate sprays to control them. Copper build-up in the soils of organic producers can be a problem, as can the number of times farmers need to drive their tractors up and down the rows during the season.

Otherwise, organic is a very good system producing good quality wines and looking after the planet. Around 6 per cent of the world’s vineyards are organic.

Biodynamic

This system is like organic with a few additional practices that challenge those of a scientific mind. However, the results of biodynamic viticulture can be outstanding. Biodynamics brings the moon and planets into planning vineyard work.

It also includes homeopathic quantities of elements and composts which exert a miraculous influence on the vines. I admire the work of producers making their wines according to these rules and I love many of their wines.

Less than one per cent of the word’s wines are made in this way. Maybe try a few and experience their quality.

Here are some wines to try – made under different regimes.

Fairtrade Irresistible Organic Malbec, Tilimuqui 2023, Argentina, Co-op £8.50: From the dry, almost desert region of Tilimuqui, where low rainfall means that organic cultivation is easy. Not only organic, but Fairtrade too, so the workers get a fair share of the profits. This has funded a school, running water, healthcare and other projects which means the community is growing and thriving.

Yalumba Old Bush Vine Grenache 2020, Barossa, South Australia, Latitude Wines £19.50: Five generations of the Hill-Smith family have owned and looked after the Yalumba property and sustainability is in their veins. Environmental issues influence all their decisions, and they have endless awards to prove it.

Reyneke Biodynamic Chenin Blanc 2023, South Africa, Hic! £23: Johan Reyneke makes outstanding wines. He converted the family farm to organic and then to biodynamic viticulture.

He uses ducks to combat insect pests, inter-row planting to keep the soil healthy and he walks through his vineyards endlessly, checking on their state of health. This is a gorgeous wine, with yellow fruit, a touch of honeysuckle and a complex finish.