What is a Conventional Wine?
Conventional wines are wines whose cultivation and vinification do not respect the principles of organic or biodynamic agriculture and may therefore use synthetic chemicals and oenological inputs.
Authorized Products for the Culture of the Vine :
For a conventional wine, all the chemicals of synthesis authorized in agriculture. There are many of them… (insecticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators…).
The Amount of Sulfites Allowed
These are the total amount of sulfites allowed in a bottle of wine (Know what sulfites are)
A conventional red wine can contain up to 150 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites). While a white or rosé wine can contain up to 200 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).
Authorized Oenological Inputs :
These are the list of oenological products that the winemaker is authorized to use during the vinification of a conventional wine to guide the harvest.
Ascorbic acid / Citric acid / L(+) tartaric acid / L-ascorbic acid / L-malic acid L-malic acid / Lactic acid / Malic acid / Metatartaric acid / Tartaric acid / Acidification by electromembrane treatment / Egg albumin / Sulfur dioxide / Self-enrichment by evaporation / Self-enrichment by reverse osmosis / Yeast autolysates / Lactic acid bacteria / Barrels and casks / Bentonite / Beta- glucanases / Potassium bicarbonate / Potassium bisulfite / Ammonium bisulfite / Potassium bisulfite / Oak wood / Calcium carbonate / Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) / Potassium caseinate / Casein / Oenological carbon / Chitin- glucan / Chitosan / Copper citrate / Fish glue / Thiamine dihydrochloride / Silicon dioxide / Yeast husks / Electrodialysis / Bipolar membrane electrodialysis / Yeast cell envelopes / Beta- glucanases / Evaporation / Yeast protein extract / Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation / Flash pasteurization / Silica gel / Gelatin / Gum arabic / Cellulose gum (CMC) / Diammonium hydrogen phosphate / Potassium hydrogen tartrate / Inactivated yeast / Guaranteed inactivated yeast / Active dry yeast (ADL) / Lysozyme / Yeast mannoproteins / Proteinaceous materials of vegetable origin from wheat, pea or potato Potassium metabisulfite / Tangential microfiltration / Oak chips / Concentrated must / Rectified concentrated must / Reverse osmosis / Ovalbumin / Diammonium phosphate / Potassium polyasparpate / Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone / Tartaric precipitation by treatment with acetone / Tartaric precipitation by treatment with acetone Tartaric precipitation by cold treatment / Enzymatic preparations (pectinases) / PVPP / Cation exchange resin / Sucrose / SO2 / Cold stabilization / Sugar / Copper sulfate / Ammonium sulfate / Oenological tannins / Neutral potassium tartrate / Thiamine
What is an Organic Wine?
An organic wine is a wine resulting from an agriculture and a wine making without chemical products of synthesis. The main labels AB and Bio Europe (which now have the same specifications) are the means to guarantee this approach. At the beginning, the European specifications regulating the “wine from organic viticulture” only took into account the field of viticulture and not the wine making.
This means that a wine whose grapes were organically grown, but for which synthetic chemicals were used during vinification, could very well receive certification. Since 2012, the new specifications renamed “organic wine” are more strict. The inputs (oenological products used in the winemaking process) are now taken into account in the attribution of the label. Even if a large number of products remain authorized…
Authorized Products for the Culture of the Vine :
Chemicals of natural origin can be used, but some synthetic products are exceptions. These include calcium hydroxide (or slaked lime), kerosene oil (from petroleum) and the famous “copper compounds” (copper hydroxide, copper oxychloride, cuprous oxide, Bordeaux mixture and tribasic copper sulfate).
The Amount of Sulfites Allowed
An organic red wine can contain up to 100 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites). While an organic white or rosé wine can contain up to 150 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).
Authorized Oenological Inputs :
These are the list of oenological products that the winemaker is authorized to use during the vinification of an organic wine to guide the harvest.
Citric acid / L(+) tartaric acid / L- ascorbic acid / Lactic acid / Metatartaric acid / Egg albumin (Ovalbumin) / Self-enrichment by evaporation / Self-enrichment by reverse osmosis / Lactic acid bacteria / Bentonite / Potassium bisulfite / Potassium metabisulfite / Potassium bicarbonate / Calcium carbonate Casein / Oenological carbon / Copper citrate / Fish glue / Thiamine dihydrochloride / Silicon dioxide (silica gel) / Yeast hulls / Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation / Gelatine / Gum arabic / Ammonium hydrogen phosphate (diammonium phosphate) Ammonium hydrogen phosphate (diammonium phosphate) / Potassium hydrogen tartrate (cream of tartar) / Active dry yeast (ADL) / Proteinaceous matter of vegetable origin from wheat or pea / Tangential microfiltration / Oak wood chips / Concentrated must / Rectified concentrated must / Enzymatic preparations (pectinases) / Sucrose (Sugar) / Copper sulfate / Oenological tannins / Neutral potassium tartrate / Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
What is a Biodynamic Wine?
Inspired by the theories developed by Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic agriculture is based on esoteric practices. Based on the principle that the soil is a living matter, it aspires to its balance and dynamism by taking into account the influence of the attraction of the planets and the moon. Indeed, for any operation in the vineyard or in the wine making, biodynamics relies on a specific calendar.
According to the positions of the stars and their forces of attraction influencing the living (e.g. the moon on the tide), certain days are more favourable to root operations (e.g. planting), to fruit (e.g. harvest), etc.
The two main labels guaranteeing a biodynamic practice are : Biodyvin and Demeter.
Authorized Products for the Culture of the Vine :
Basically, these are the same principles as organic agriculture, except that biodynamics goes further. Trying to improve the natural exchanges between the soil and the roots as well as the sky and the leaves, and in order to prevent or fight diseases, the winegrowers use natural potions based on infusions or macerations of plants sprayed in homeopathic doses. To energize the soil, they use cow dung that they bury in an ox horn, thus promoting the development of roots and microbial life.
Authorized Oenological Inputs :
These are the list of oenological products that the winemaker is authorized to use during the vinification of a biodynamic wine to guide the harvest.
Egg albumin (Ovalbumin) / Sulphur dioxide (SO²) / Bentonite / Charcoal / Sucrose (Sugar)
The Amount of Sulfites Allowed
A biodynamic red wine can contain up to 60 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites). While a white or rosé wine can contain up to 90 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).
What is Natural Wine?
Even if it seems so, the definition of natural wine is not so simple. To summarize, it is a wine made from vines cultivated without synthetic chemicals (therefore at least organic) and where no inputs (except 30 mg/l SO2 Total) have been added during the winemaking process. It is 100% grape.
Authorized Products for the Culture of the Vine :
The vines must be managed in organic or biodynamic agriculture.
The Amount of Sulfites Allowed
Concerning sulphites, the definition of a natural wine is problematic… Some will tell you that a natural wine is without added sulfites, while others will say that a red, white or rosé wine called natural can contain up to 30 – 40 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).
Authorized Oenological Inputs :
These are the list of oenological products that the winemaker is authorized to use during the vinification of a natural wine to guide the harvest. The list is short:
Sulphur dioxide (SO²)
Organic VS Biodynamic Wine
Thanks to the explanations above, we can see that the main difference between an organic and biodynamic wine is that the specifications of the latter are stricter. In the vineyard, to have the biodynamic label, the winegrower sprays potions of plants, and to promote the microbial life of the soils, he uses cow dung buried in an ox horn. He must also respect the lunar calendar, which is not the case with the organic label.
Finally, during the vinification, the Demeter or Biodyvin label authorizes much less oenological inputs (including the famous exogenous yeasts that change the organoleptic profile of a wine), and a lower number of added sulfites. The winemaking is therefore much more natural.
Organic VS Natural Wine
A natural wine is necessarily an organic wine, but the opposite is not true. In the vineyard, there is no difference. However, as we have seen previously, the organic label, during the vinification, authorizes more than 40 oenological inputs in order to correct or guide the wine (to acidify it, add wood chips, etc.). Whereas a natural wine only allows the addition of low doses of sulfites (30 mg/SO2 total). This makes a big difference… it’s not for nothing that we call it a “natural” wine… !
Biodynamic VS Natural Wine
The difference between a natural wine and a biodynamic wine can sometimes seem blurred when one is not a connoisseur… Because a natural wine can be a biodynamic wine. But not necessarily… it can simply come from organically grown vines (in this case, it does not respect the Biodyvin or Demeter specifications). And the opposite is also true…
To put it simply, a biodynamic wine allows a few oenological inputs and a greater number of sulfites than a natural wine. While the latter allows only 30 mg/SO2 total sulfites (and no other inputs). Even though this may seem close, it makes a big difference in the mouth!
Conventional VS Natural Wine
The difference between a conventional and a natural wine is quite huge… It’s almost not the same thing… A conventional wine is made from vines that are allowed to use synthetic chemicals, while those of a natural wine must be at least organic (and some biodynamic).
And the other big difference is in the winemaking process. It is allowed in a conventional wine to add almost a hundred products to correct and direct the wine (the list of products is available earlier in the article), as well as 200 mg/l total SO2 for white and rosé wines. Whereas a natural wine only allows 30 mg/l SO2 and no other inputs! We told you, it is not the same product…!
Author of the article :
Merlin Salerno | Son of a winemaker - Sommelier on the road around the world |
