What is organic wine and what is biodynamic wine?

Organic wine comes from organically grown grapes and is made according to European rules. Regulation (EU) 2018/848 lays down the production, implementing regulation (EU) 2021/1165 the permitted substances.

For the vineyard that means no synthetic pesticides and artificial fertiliser, no genetically modified organisms and no irradiation. For the cellar, Annex V part D lists which products and substances may be used in making and storing organic wine. An approved control body certifies the business.

Since 1 August 2012. Until that date a bottle could only be called wine from organically grown grapes, because only the cultivation was regulated.

Regulation (EU) No 203/2012 added rules for the cellar and made the designation organic wine possible. Since then there have also been requirements for the vinification: which substances may go in, which techniques are prohibited and how much sulphur dioxide is permitted.

Organic wine may contain a maximum of 100 milligrams of sulphur dioxide per litre for red and 150 milligrams per litre for white and rosé, at a residual sugar under 2 grams per litre.

The general limits are 150 milligrams per litre for red and 200 for white and rosé, so organic is 50 milligrams per litre below that. For all other organic wines, the general limit value reduced by 30 milligrams per litre applies.

Prohibited are, among other things, partial dealcoholisation, the physical removal of sulphur dioxide, electrodialysis and treatment with cation exchangers for tartaric stabilisation.

Partial concentration by cold is also on the list. The starting point is that organic wine is made with restrained, minimally invasive techniques.

The green leaf with stars indicates that the product complies with European organic legislation. At least 95 percent of the agricultural ingredients must be organic.

The logo belongs to a bottle from a company that is certified by a recognised inspection body. Without that certification a bottle may not call itself organic wine. Next to the logo the label shows the code number of the inspection body.

Biodynamic wine follows a private standard, usually that of Demeter. European legislation for biodynamic production does not exist; the requirements come from the certifying organisation itself.

The standard is set by the affiliated organisations of the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International. Demeter businesses are inspected annually, on top of the organic inspection under the European rules. The standard sets its own requirements for winemaking and works with its own preparations that are not laid down in European legislation.