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www.chow.com Robert Camuto, author of Corkscrewed, says there’s a lot of confusion about what organic means to wine drinkers. It doesnt automatically mean better.

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Michelle L’Don from Organic Vintners discusses the growing and production criteria which wines must meet to be selected for marketing by her company.

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www.HippyGourmet.com http In this segment from Organic Living TV with the Hippy Gourmet our Gastronaut and sustainability reporter Chris Nolder hops a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train! As we wind our way through the majestic vineyards and rolling hills across Napa, California’s famed wine region, we meet up with Chef Kelly Macdonald in the restored 1915 Pullman coach kitchen! We feature a wonderful Yam & Goat Cheese Rellenos, Cabernet Beet Salad and some wonderful organic wine pairings! The Napa Wine Train is the definition of romance with an approachable elegance that harkens back to a simpler, more glorious time. The food is delicious, the wine is superb, and the staff make you feel like you’re on a fantastic European holiday. Organic Living TV gives the Napa Wine train a 5-star review!

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Stan T. Little


The amount of sulfides used is lesser in comparison to traditional wines, which makes it a healthier beverage for consumption. In addition to this, this process also makes use of a bio dynamic environment for growing grapes, by balancing the natural harmony among different elements of the ecosystem.

Most of the organic food that are grown need to adhere to stringent norms and specified criteria to be labeled as organic. The best part about organic wine making process is that they are free from chemicals and use the basic procedure, which makes use of yeast at the time of fermentation, without the addition of artificial flavors. It retains the original flavor of the wine and gives it a distinct taste as compared to traditional wines.

Growing popularity of organic wines

In the recent times, many people prefer to drink healthier wines, which are based on organic wine making methods. It is believed that organic farming techniques have the ability to produce rich and high quality wines with great flavor. The grapes which are grown organically in healthier soils are free from pesticides which results in a good blend of wine. Wild yeast strains are allowed to survive which gives a delicate taste to the wine and offer vital health benefits. The grapes that are used in organic farming methods are specially handpicked and the ripe ones are selected in the process without causing any harm to the grapevine.

There are different kinds of organic wines which are available in the market so one needs to have a thorough knowledge and do a good research before purchasing them. There are some organic wines which are made using 100% organic grapes which do not have any sulphites in them. Besides, there are others which contain about 70% organic grapes and some amount of sulphite is added in them. In this manner, there are many combinations, which are used in organic wine making methods so one needs to be careful while buying these kinds of wines.

Benefits of consuming organic wine

Grapes that contain lot of harmful chemicals can prove hazardous to the health and organic wine making techniques eliminate some of the health risks posed by traditional means of cultivation. Besides, most of the traditional wines contain sulfites which may even result in allergic reactions in some people which can be prevented using organic methods. The percentage of sulfite in organic wines is very less when compared to other wines which makes it a healthier option. Organic wine is definitely a healthier alternative as it tastes better and preserves the original flavor which is required for producing high quality wines.

Try growing grapes organically and use organic wine making method to get some tasty wine.



Floyd

Kathy Patalsky


Sulfites are a commonly used preservative found in foods, alcoholic drinks, and medications. The most commonly discussed sulfites are those found in wine.

“Sulfites are bad.”

“Wine sulfites give me massive headaches.”

“Sulfites are toxic. I stay away from them.”

“Sulfites are not natural.”

…these are just a few of the common responses when I ask people their thoughts on sulfites.

The reality is that few people know the true facts on sulfites.

There are lots of questions….

Is cheap wine the worst?

What about sulfite-free wines?

How can I tell if I am allergic to sulfites?

So lets discuss, and debunk ten sulfite myths.



1. MYTH: Sulfite-free wine is the best way to go if you don’t want to consume sulfites.



TRUTH: Sulfite-free wine doesn’t exist! A wine maker can claim that there are “no sulfites added, but all grapes create sulfites as a result of the fermentation process. Fermenting yeasts found on grape skins generate naturally occurring sulfites, about 6 to 40 ppm (parts per million).

2. MYTH: Organic wine is sometimes sulfite-free.



TRUTH: Organic wine often contains less sulfites. But as stated in #1, there is always going to be some amount of naturally occurring sulfites.

3. MYTH: If the label on a wine bottle doesn’t say “contains sulfites”, the wine is sulfite-free.

TRUTH: As stated,  all wine will contain naturally occurring sulfites. By law, any wine with above 10 ppm sulfites,  must post a “contains sulfites” label.  If the wine contains below 10 ppm of sulfites, no label is required.

4. MYTH: Both red and white wine contain the same amount of sulfites.

TRUTH: A general rule is that white wine contains more sulfites than red wine. So a white wine headache may actually be a reality if you are slightly sensitive to sulfites.

5. MYTH: If wine says it contains sulfites, it is probably a significant amount, and should be avoided.

TRUTH: By law, all imported and domestic alcohol exceeding 10 ppm of sulfites must bear the label-warning “Contains Sulfites”. Wines that contain less than 10 ppm sulfites are not required, however, this does not mean the wine contains no sulfites.

6. MYTH: Sulfites are unhealthy and many people are allergic.

TRUTH: The FDA says that only about .4% of the population is highly allergic to sulfites. However, many people are slightly sensative to sulfites. Asthmatics are especially at risk of sensitivity. Those who are sensitive should stick to organic wines, and choose red over white. Or avoid alcohol completely.

7. MYTH: Wine contains the highest concentration of sulfites out of any product on the market.

TRUTH: Actually, sulfites ranging from 6 to 6000 ppm are found in these products: fruit juices, dried fruits, fruit concentrates, syrups, sugar, jams, gelatin’s, cake toppings, baked goods, pizza dough, frozen potatoes, processed vegetables, cheeses, ans many prescription drugs. Two ounces of dried apricots, have 10 times the sulfites as a glass of wine. Eating dried apricots is a great way to test your allergic reaction to sulfites. But do so with caution under a doctors’ close guidance.

8. MYTH: Sulfites cause more harm than good.



TRUTH: The possible negative effects of sulfite consumption is still unconfirmed. Sulfites are an amazing preservative,  and have been used for hundreds of years. Without them, we would not be able to have wines that have the ability to age for many years. Sulfites also kill off any bugs that result from a ages-old, not-so-clean wineries. Some brand new wineries in California are extremely hygienic, and can use low sulfites for drink-quick wines. This couldn’t happen at centuries old European wineries. So sulfites make it possible for us to drink certain high quality, aged wines with a bit of assurance. Sulfites also allow common household food items like strawberries and bread to keep for a much longer period of storage.

9. MYTH: European sold wines do not have the “contains sulfites” label warning, and thus have no or less sulfites.



TRUTH: Not true. Europeans think Americans are ridiculous for saying “has sulfites” on wine labels. To them it’s like requiring a label saying “Has seeds!” on a store bought apple.

10. MYTH: Cheap wine, Massive Headache!

TRUTH: OK, this one can be true! There is an impurity called a cogener. Cogener is more concentrated in lower quality wine or dark alcohols.

Cogeners cause hangovers. Why do hangovers hit the morning after? Well interestingly, alcohol inhibits the action of the cogeners. So your hangover is usually delayed until after all the alcohol leaves your system and only the cogeners are left. (About the next morning, right.)

But don’t worry, if you do get a massive hangover, you can always reach for some fresh young coconut water for the ultimate hangover remedy.



Kylie

Paul Hata


The market for organic foods is growing dramatically. It is estimated that organic sales of food products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers and natural supermarkets was $3.6 billion in 2006 in the U.S., double the figure in 2000. The Organic Trade Association estimates that the total organic food and beverage sales were $13.8 billion in 2006.

The organic revolution is a global phenomenon witnessed in every corners of the world and countries -

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand , Turkey, UK, USA and other countries.The primary demand driver for the increased consumption of organic food is health concerns. Consumers are increasingly interested in foods that are free of pesticides, and other health risks

Organic farming is also a viable means of sustainance for small farmers in the developing countries. Most of the organic fertilizers and pesticides requirement can be met through on-farm and local production. Hence, organic farming does not involve huge capital investments in buying fertilizers and pesticides. Small farmers, therefore, find organic farming beneficial.

Organic food are produced, processed and packaged wihtout using chemicals. Organic food is increasingly becoming popular due to its perceived health benefits over conventional food. The industry is growing rapidly since the past five years and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above all, consumers.

Popular organic food items include organic tea, organic coffee, organic wine, organic meat, organic beef, organic milk, organic honey, organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic rice, organic corn, organic herbs, organic essential oils, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil.

The price of organic food is about 10% to even 200% higher than conventional food.However,considering the health benefits and the long term cost of medical care due to unhealthy and sometimes poisonous chemicals found on our food today, many has realized the significant benefits of organic food.How else can we explain the rising demand for organic food across the world today?

Consumers buy their organic foods from a wide variety of locations. The most common location of organic food purchases is supermarkets. Of those consumers who bought organic foods 68 percent purchased them from supermarkets; followed by natural or health food stores at 45 percent.

Organic fruits and vegetables remains the largest market of the organic food market.They are also the most popular commodities purchased by consumers.70 percent of the consumers surveyed who has purchase organic foods, also purchased fresh vegetables while 67 percent also purchased fresh fruits. Sales of fruits and vegetables is estimated at $1 Billion in 2007.

Many stores buy the organic food direct from the farms. The price of a food item in an organic food store depends on whether the stores are able to buy them in bulk discount prices direct from the farmers or wholesalers.There are 1000s of organic farms around the world that has open their doors to visitors and tourists and they offer both the experience and information on organic food and the farming methods.

If you are buying organic food for yourself or your family,you can find the nearest organic store in your area through the Internet.Most of these online stores also provides valuable information on the organic foods they are selling as well as the nutritional value,recipes and cooking methods.



Geraldine

Ben

Sulphur Dioxide or E220 as it is so alarmingly and anonymously titled on so many food packets is permitted under all winemaking standards. It is a preservative and disinfectant. It is added to wine as Potassium Metabisulphate or PMS and has been blamed for being one of the major causes of hangovers and headaches following wine consumption. Some people have lower thresholds than others, and if you’re the former then Organic wine is definitely recommended as the governing bodies permit just two thirds of the amount (although the norm is well within this). The best producers try to use much, much less than this.

However, there are no official rules concerning the organic vine growing. So, organic wine growers adopted wine growing techniques in agreement with the principles of the organic farming. They are often charters or guides of good practices with qualitative and quantitative limitations of the custom/usage of additives and technological processes.

In most of the European consumer countries (UK, NL), rules were also set up by certifying bodies (as Soil Association for the UK), with limitations on the doses of additives notably sulphites.

Sulphites are naturally produced by yeasts during the winemaking. The addition of sulphite is traditionally considered as en effective method for the protection and the preservation/conservation of the wine at various stages of its elaboration. Nevertheless, the use of sulphites in foodstuffs is limited because of their potential, negative effects on the health, of the user and of certain consumers.

The sulphiting is allowed for all the regulations of organic winemaking, but in a more restricted way than in the regulation of the wine. The European regulation fixes maximal doses of sulphites in the end product; they vary according to the types of wines of 160mg/l for red wines to 400mg/l for sweet wines made from noble rot such as Sauternes.

Eric

Muna wa Wanjiru


You might get confused and wonder how on earth you can go more organic than a wine, right?

The fact of the matter is that even though we aren’t aware of it, grape crops to a very great extent are sprayed with as many different pesticides as needed to keep away the all-encompassing weeds, bugs and other of nature’s little nasties which might destroy precious wine crops.

What all that means to us, is that we’re drinking pesticide inflicted wines. It might not always come through as a pesticide taint in the wines, but nevertheless it is there. And that’s where organic wines steps in.

These vintners have tried different methods to retain their wine crops without resorting to the use of harmful pesticides.

So whereas you won’t see row upon row of beautifully tended and well kept wine vines, at these organic vineyards you will instead find a wonderful disarray of grape vines that have been allowed to grow in harmony with nature and not against it.

Organic vintners use natural bug and weed beating methods like birds and bees and cover crops.

Although this sounds all well and good, unfortunately in the wine business, just as in any other business the bottom line is the king, and money truly does talk.

There might be more than a few of these organic vineyards around today with more yet, set to spring up over the years, or be converted, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll see a mass move towards going organic in most of the vineyards.



Beth

Muna wa Wanjiru


When you want to buy organic food you have a number of different options open to you. These options will include going to the supermarket and also stopping by roadside organic food stalls where you can buy the fresh produce. Now, while both of these options are quite good there are times when you will need help in finding where you can get your organic foods from and this where an organic directory comes in handy.

This will change form place to place, from region to region, but essentially the organic directory will contain the same basic information. This will normally include such things as the names of organic food producing farms, the different organic foods to be found in these farms, and maybe even how long these farms have been producing organic foods.

The information will necessarily vary from organic directory to organic directory, but the end product will be something that is helpful and easy to use. Now, since there is no one organic directory as such, you will have to be content to rely on the different organic directory services that are offered by the many different organic farming and food producing organizations.

These will for the most part have an organic directory of the various criteria that the organic farmers association or organization has on their books. If you’re interested in getting an organic directory for yourself, you should be able to lay your hands on this by contacting the various organic organizations.

Of course, you might also be able to find an organic directory from the National Organic Program which is the arm of the USDA which oversees everything about organic foods. This august body is also the one that sets the definition of what organic is, as well as giving organic certification to farms and organic processed foods.

You will also find worldwide that the usage of organic foods has spread. This means that there are not only organic farms to think about anymore, but also organic restaurants, organic wine shops and organic health food stores among other things.

With this boom in the culture for everything organic, you will that an organic directory for these things has also sprung up. With one of these in your pocket, or on your laptop or palm pilot, that you will be able to have a fine organic dining experience even when you leave your home. And considering where organic foods were a few years ago, this is a great achievement.



Lorrie

Ben


First of all, we need to explain what a biodynamic wine. A biodynamic wine is a wine made from grapes grown biodynamically.

Biodynamic Vineyards have the same as organic vineyards – to produce grapes from which to make wine profitably without using synthetic additives. The only difference between organic and biodynamic vineyards is that on biodynamic ones the work in the vineyard is timed to coincide with the Earth’s natural rythms so that the vine is receptive to what the winegrower is asking to do. These natural rhythms are determined by the position of the moon, the sun and the planets as well as the earth. So whereas Organic farmers concern themselves predominantly with the soil - in other words what’s going on beneath their feet - Biodynamists also concern themselves with what’s going on above their heads.

Biodynamic growers feel that the influence the movement of celestial bodies relative to each other and to the Earth have a significant influence on how plants grow. This is not new. For instance, Hesiod when writing in the eighth century BC stipulated that wine be made according to a sign from the sky:

When Orion and the Dog Star move Into the mid-sky, and the Arcturus sees The rosy-fingered dawn. (Works and Days II: 609-17)

Vineyards claiming to make wines from biodynamically grown grapes are certified by a regulatory body called Demeter (international trademark). Demeter was the Greek Goddess of agriculture and protector of the fruits on the earth. The whole vineyard must be converted to biodynamics for the wine from it to be marketed with Demeter seal.

Biodynamics has its fair share of sceptics, but can anyone ignore the obvious influence of the moon on the world around us.

Some tips now to enjoy organic wine.

Biodynamic wines as organic wines need, in most case, to be decanted to benefit both the appearance and the taste of the wine. Decanting helps the appearance by leaving any sediment in the wine at the bottom of the bottle the wine came in, rather in your glass. Remember that organic wines are often bottled without fining or filtration, so they are likely to contain sediment. This is often a good sign in a wine. Decanting helps the wine to breathe and develop all its aromas.

If after all, you are not convinced, why not pop in a real good independent wine merchant to have a little tasting and let yourself be seduced by the wine.



Lenny