As we just added our organic mixed case from the Loire, here are some thoughts on natural, biodynamic and organic wines.
Organic wine …
The ‘organic’ concept has attracted the attention of many people in the last years, with hopes of natural products having possible health benefits. One way to approach the subject or organic wines would be to look for wines that have been certified to be ‘AB’, such as by Ecocert. The other one would be to go after the passionate wine makers who actually are really looking to take care of their soil, vines and wine, and through this are able to produce superior wines. These producers sometimes label their bottles with the symbols or write “vin de raisins issus/cultives en agriculture biologique”, but also often do not.
Natural wine …
Wines, unlike other agricultural produce, are only half way done once the grapes are picked. Then they need to be produced into wine using special techniques, equipment and additives. Natural wines can be thought of as having been made in the most natural way possible. There are various degrees of “naturalness” and different aspects which make it difficult to produce a fully natural wine. Some of the mains aspects of natural wines are: handpicked grapes, natural yeast and therefore naturally occurring fermentation, without added sugar, without acidification, and without addition of sulphur. The addition of sulphur can occur at bottling however or at the end of fermentation, but the idea anyhow is that really the minimum is used. More sulphur is required in white wines as it has acts as a preservative and an antioxidant. Usually natural wines are also not filtered. However there are wines, or bottles of wine, which are made purely without added sulphur, in certain years. These are definitely interesting, yet can be surprising!
However, when some people have tried ‘natural wines’ for the first time, they have often not been too impressed. Unpleasant smells requiring ‘breathing time’, oxidation or simply spoilage are traits that have left some customers unconvinced. This does not need to be the case as natural wines vary greatly in price, type, region and production methods
Biodynamic wine …
However when one finds a truly passionate winemaker, they can sometimes additionally use the philosphies of Biodynamic agriculture, which can lead to an impressive quality in their wine. The flavours and quality can be very different and completely superior to certain standard wines made from the same grapes. Similarly to organic wines, biodynamic wines can be certified as such by bodies such as Demeter. However, various Bio-dynamic principles can be used in winemaking, regardless of whether or not they are certified. Once certification is used, it can be applied just to the grapes grown, or also to the winemaking techniques used.
One of the main factors is that the soil, especially at the top levels, which can be significantly more rich if proper procedures are used to take care of it. For example, according to one of these producers, biodynamic farming “encourages the plant to resist disease and helps to revive the microbial life in the soil”. Biodynamic farming goes further than organic however, as there are many special procedures used to take care of the farm or vineyard, which can be regarded as its own organism. In short, special natural ingredients are used in the compost and lunar cycles and stars are taken into account when growing the vines.
In general, passionate winemakers can use natural or biodynamic philosophies in certain areas to achieve superior results, yet the expertise of good winemakers guarantee that they also taste good. It is not always the case the organic, natural or biodynamic wines need to taste good if the quality aspect is neglected, however they can be superior even in blind tastings if produced well.
Both of the wine producers in our mixed cases are certified organic, however Domaine Mosse additionally uses biodynamic farming principles as does Breton for some of their wines. Please see the mixed case description for more details about the wines.
Vinifera Boutique is selling the following wines together as a sample of this expertise combined with passion.
Our selection…
The Vinifera Boutique Biodynamic case consists of four very different wines and some can even be somewhat surprising to people unfamiliar with the Loire.
Our suggestion for this case:
Domaine Breton Trinch! – Drink for fun and enjoy.
Domaine Breton Les Perrieres – Serious wine, this can be thought of as comparable to a Bordeaux in quality, yet different in style.
Domaine Mosse – Le Moelleux – This sweet, or semi-sweet wine comes from a producer who really knows his sweet wines. This could be a perfect desert wine to end one of the holiday dinners.
Domaine Mosse – Anjou Blanc – Poultry or white fish – perfect for the Christmas period!
