THE ORGANIC WAY

by Marya Skrypiczajko

Rarely do I walk into a liquor or beer and wine store in BC and find a good selection of organic wines, which is odd, considering the boom in the organic food market. Now that there are so many more organic consumers, where are the organic winemakers to meet the demand?
Taking a closer look at the wine industry in BC, I find only a handful of certified organic wineries, and only a few more certified grape growers, but I do find that many small, conventional wineries are growing grapes and producing wines in a relatively similar fashion. Quite a few small, conventional producers embody the organic values of producing food in a way that is in-synch with nature, without chemical inputs. While this is healthier for both producer and consumer, at the same time, some producers are reluctant to obtain organic certification; in the event of a disease or pest attack, they feel they might have little choice but to use a chemical pesticide or fungicide.
Shopping for wine at a government-controlled liquor store is not the same as buying vegetables at a farmer’s market. The wine producer is not on hand to answer consumers’ questions, and employees, who are not up-to-date with the provincial wine market, cannot provide information about the wine, or the winery, beyond what appears on the label. Fortunately, the “certified organic” label offers a guarantee that the grapes have been grown according to organic winemaking standards, and produced in cellars that abide by the standards. Further, consumers can be assured that certified wineries are subject to audit at any time.
Let’s take a look at some of the organic practices of BC’s certified wineries in the Okanagan Valley. To begin with, growers choose varieties of grapes that are naturally disease-resistant and suited to the winery’s microclimate. Also, from the outset, winemakers strive to create healthy and nutrient-rich soil for their vines. While these measures cannot entirely prevent pests or diseases, if an attack occurs, the organic winemaker would not turn to chemical pesticides or fungicides.
To discourage pest infestations, pest predators are encouraged to inhabit the vineyard or nearby land. For example, hordes of Virginia creeper leafhoppers often attack grapevines to feed on the rich juices of the leaves, weakening the plants. To lessen the damage, wild rosebushes may be planted in the area as habitat for a parasitic wasp that feeds on the leafhoppers. If this biological control is unsuccessful, the winemaker may eventually spray a non-toxic insecticidal soap on the underside of the leaves, where the leafhoppers reside.
Fortunately, fungal disease is not too big a problem for the majority of wineries in the dry Okanagan. Nonetheless, efforts are made to manage the vines to further prevent growth of fungi. For example, vines are planted in sunny locations and the foliage is pruned hard to provide good air circulation through the vines.
In Okanagan vineyards where the sandy soil drains quickly, some irrigation is necessary. To meet organic certification standards, the water must be tested every five years. Most winemakers, in addition to watering every two to three weeks during the growing season, work to increase the soil’s water retention by regularly adding compost or by tilling under green manure cover crops. An infrequent watering pattern encourages deep, strong roots and stresses the vines to produce sweeter, less watery fruit.
After harvest, the organic grapes arestored and processed separately from non-organic grapes. If a winery produces both organic and non-organic wines, the entire facility must be cleaned before production of the organic wine begins. In the cellars, all equipment must be non-reactive, food-grade plastic or stainless steel.
While organic grapes are crushed and pressed similarly to conventional grapes, organic wine is left to ferment and develop flavour naturally. Conventional wine may also be produced naturally, or may include more than a dozen additives, such as synthetic yeasts, sulphite preservatives and taste and appearance enhancers. Natural, organic methods rely on cultured, not genetically modified yeast for initial fermentation. The wine sits for a number of months and the enzymes in the yeast continue to remove oxygen dissolved in the wine, thus creating a sulphite-free form of protection against oxidization. The sediment is later drained off and the wine sits for its second period of natural fermentation to soften the acidity of the wine and stabilize it for storage.
All winemakers agree that the work is detail oriented and challenging, but this is truer yet for organic winemakers, who do not resort to a chemical solution if a problem arises. Fortunately, we do have a few winemakers in BC, who put their time and money into organic certification, thereby offering us a guaranteed alternative.
Marya Skrypiczajko is the author of BC the Organic Way – Where to Find Organic Food in British Columbia. www.bctheorganicway.com



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