Ever hit the wine store to grab a couple bottles of organic vino but get confused by all the different labels and end up going back to your conventional stand-bys?  It happens to the best intentioned of us, myself included.  But deciphering the lingo can have a substantial impact since conventional viniculture practices can negatively affect the health of the environment as well as our own health.  So take notes before purchasing your next bottle of red (or white). 

• “Sulfite-Free” – no sulfites were added to the wine.  Sulfites are generally added during the fermentation process to kill bacteria and act as a preservative.  Some sulfites occur naturally as a byproduct of fermentation, so it’s literally impossible to find truly sulfite-free wine.  And keep in mind that white wines contain more added sulfites than red wines.  The tannins in the red grape skins also act as a preservative which means that fewer sulfites need to be added to reds.  

• “Organic” – the grapes were grown with no herbicides or pesticides and that no sulfites were added during the fermentation process.

• “Made with Organic Grapes” – the grapes were grown organically but that the processors may have added extra sulfites into the mix.

• “Biodynamic” – refers to the method of grape growing that treats the vineyard as a living organism taking into account the climate, local wildlife and plant species, planetary systems, and lunar cycles while the grapes grow.  No chemicals are used at any point during the growing process. 

Purchasing organic and biodynamic wines will leave a smaller carbon footprint on the earth and fewer toxins in our body.  I’ll drink to that!