Organic Wine

With health benefits and culture-wide appeal, wine--arguably the greatest grape drink of all time--goes down easy. But there's one thing killing our buzz; what effect is the use of pesticides in conventionally-grown wine having on our planet? In recent years, scientists have studied the area and the results are sobering, revealing almost all wines are contaminated by pesticides and linking pesticide consumption (even when accidental) to an increased cancer risk. With frightening facts like that, there are obvious appeals to organic wine, but some oenophiles aren't ready to stock their cellars with the sustainable stuff yet, citing better flavor and more variety in traditional bottles.

To aid everyone who's uncertain about the best option to imbibe, we've pitted a conventional wine against an organic offering. So wine fans get ready to drink up (in moderation, of course), today you're getting the goods on great wine from Greenzer instead of through the grape vine.

Sometimes the greener choice is simple. Other times, it might not work for you.

Conventional Wine

Organic Wine

Do the math

There are conventional wines in essentially all price ranges, from Trader Joe's famed Two-Buck-Chuck to auction wines that go for over $100,000.

Although it's not such a wide price range, there are variances in cost, with the average bottle of organic wine costing about $20.00.

Pros

Great grapes produce great wine and there are those who argue that some modern technology (in the form of chemicals) must be used to produce a truly good harvest. Because the number of non-organic wineries still heavily outnumbers organic wineries, if you're looking for a very vast variety of choices, you'll probably find yourself perusing the conventional aisle.

Most organic wines are made with organically grown grapes, meaning no chemical products were used (some are also grown biodynamically and others are sulfite free) and offering you complete assurance that you're skipping the potentially harmful residues sometimes found in other wines. Beyond personal health benefits, there are the reduced ramifications of this type of growing; an eco-footprint of a little over 7 square meters per bottle, versus almost 14 square meters for conventional. Finally, some wine makers believe that the real reason to go organic with wine is to get the best bottle you can. They believe that the healthy complete soil which comes along with organic growing results in a superior wine.

Cons

While it's easy to see the "ick" factor in ingesting pesticide residue, don't overlook the effect chemical herbicides and pesticides have on the soil itself. One of the problems is that the bacteria these chemicals are used to fight seem to be growing more and more resistant to treatment, which means soils sprayed with these chemicals are requiring stronger treatments. End result? Serious environmental issues such as soil depletion and erosion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and much more.

We're not going to lie to you, there are some truly bad organic wines out there--open only in case of emergency wines--so you want to choose wisely, just as you would with conventional. Check with your favorite wine guide, ask your seller, and, if all else fails, set out to try them all for yourself (not such a bad option, really). You'll probably find a few that you even prefer over your usual bottle. If you're looking for a can't-go-wrong starter, try the 2006 Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon, which earned a well-deserved 88 points from Wine Spectator.

The Big Picture

A 2008 study led by the Pesticides Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) revealed that each of the 34 conventionally-produced bottles of wine they tested was contaminated with pesticide residues, with each bottle, on average, containing at least four different types of pesticide residues, but some containing as many as ten. While many wine aficionados were shocked at the findings, the counter argument was that pesticides are safe in the amounts found. In this case safe is a somewhat relative term. Pesticides, in higher doses, are considered to be a known carcinogen and defining the point where their consumption is safe can be a very gray area.

There is good news on the conventional wine industry front, however, and that is that many major wineries like Mondavi and Fetzer are now pursuing more sustainable practices, if not full organic certifications; using natural methods to ward off pests and plant problems. Wine makers say the change comes from a desire for better environmental practices and the pursuit of the perfect grape--one they see as involved with the fewest amount of chemicals possible.

Maybe you'll pay a smidge more than you're used to and maybe you won't be able to deliberate between quite as many choices, but we strongly encourage you to give organic wine a try. It offers a trio of benefits--health, environmental and flavor--when done right and is poised to become the next best thing since oak barrels. Just don't forget to recycle the bottles. Cheers!