SUSTAINABLE VINICULTURE 101 TOEING THE LINE FROM …...viticultural practices yet still use the term...
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Yakima Sunnyside Grandview West Richland Toppenish Prosser Solstice Vineyard Pacific Rim Winemakers YAKIMA VALLEY 0 15 miles WASHINGTON Vancouver Yakima Spokane Seattle YAKIMA VALLEY COLUMBIA VALLEY 0 50 miles C a s c a d e R a n g e B l u e M t s . C o l u m b i a The Cru Artisan College Study Guide 3 SUSTAINABLE VINICULTURE 101 TOEING THE LINE FROM VINE TO WINE A panel of winemakers from three continents—professors Rudy Buratti from Tuscany, Italy; Noelia Orts from Colchagua, Chile; and Nicolas Quille from Washington State, USA—will dig to the roots of sustainable winemaking at multiple levels and discuss the responsibilities of winemakers in a world ever more focused on nature—both what we get from it and what we give to it. The Subject Matter Organic Viticulture commonly refers to grapes grown in accordance with the prin- ciples of organic farming, which typically excludes the use of synthetic chemical fertiliz- ers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. A common misconception among consumers is that wine farmed in an organic method is labeled as “Organic Wine.” A legal definition of Organic Wine is only employed in a few countries, such as the United States and Australia. In the United States the primary difference in the way that organic wine is defined relates to the use (or non-use) of preservatives, specifically Sulfur Dioxide in the wine-making process. This in particular is often a point of contention as most wines made in Europe and often even in the new world that are grown organically in the vineyard are not allowed to use the term “Organic” without a pre-qualifying statement attached. An example of how a wine grown organically in the vineyard but which has had sulfur dioxide employed in the winemaking process would be “wine produced from organically grown grapes.” There are numerous potential choices which can be made during the actual winemaking phase in order to ferment and preserve the wine. The most universally used and accepted wine preservative is sulfur dioxide. It is impossible to produce a wine without any sulfur as it is an unavoidable by product of the fermentation process. Specifically, the addition of sulfur dioxide into a wine is the issue involved in defining an “Organic Wine,” and not the pres- ence of naturally occurring sulfuric compounds. This key issue of wine preservation is central to the discussion of how organic wine is defined and thus marketed. Social Accountability Biodynamic Organic Sustainable Agriculture & Integrated Pest Management Conventional Wine Production Regulations By Country (lowest restrictions)
Transcript of SUSTAINABLE VINICULTURE 101 TOEING THE LINE FROM …...viticultural practices yet still use the term...
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The Cru Artisan College Study Guide 3
SUSTAINABLE VINICULTURE 101
TOEING THE LINE FROM VINE TO WINEA panel of winemakers from three continents—professors Rudy Buratti from Tuscany, Italy; Noelia Orts from Colchagua, Chile; and Nicolas Quille from Washington State, USA—will dig to the roots of sustainable winemaking at multiple levels and discuss the responsibilities of winemakers in a world ever more focused on nature—both what we get from it and what we give to it.
The Subject MatterOrganic Viticulture commonly refers to grapes grown in accordance with the prin-ciples of organic farming, which typically excludes the use of synthetic chemical fertiliz-ers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. A common misconception among consumers is that wine farmed in an organic method is labeled as “Organic Wine.”
A legal definition of Organic Wine is only employed in a few countries, such as the United States and Australia. In the United States the primary difference in the way that organic wine is defined relates to the use (or non-use) of preservatives, specifically Sulfur Dioxide in the wine-making process. This in particular is often a point of contention as most wines made in Europe and often even in the new world that are grown organically in the vineyard are not allowed to use the term “Organic” without a pre-qualifying statement attached. An example of how a wine grown organically in the vineyard but which has had sulfur dioxide employed in the winemaking process would be “wine produced from organically grown grapes.”
There are numerous potential choices which can be made during the actual winemaking phase in order to ferment and preserve the wine. The most universally used and accepted wine preservative is sulfur dioxide. It is impossible to produce a wine without any sulfur as it is an unavoidable by product of the fermentation process. Specifically, the addition of sulfur dioxide into a wine is the issue involved in defining an “Organic Wine,” and not the pres-ence of naturally occurring sulfuric compounds. This key issue of wine preservation is central to the discussion of how organic wine is defined and thus marketed.
SocialAccountability
Biodynamic
Organic
Sustainable Agriculture &Integrated Pest Management
Conventional Wine ProductionRegulations By Country
(lowest restrictions)
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4 The Cru Artisan College Study Guide
Rome
Santiago
The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use in small quantities for stabilization of wine, while others frown on them completely. While there are a growing num-ber of producers making wine without added preservatives, a number of potential pitfalls await the bottled wine. The most prominent of which is the wine degrading during transport. Few would argue that wines made with no added sulfur diox-ide are often best enjoyed as close to their point of origin and as youthful as possible.
Proponents of organically grown often argue that farming using synthetic chemicals destroys the uniqueness of the land, and the unique flavor that this “terroir” imparts to the wine.
Organic certification of wine is complex as different coun-tries have different certification criteria. Some wineries that are technically organic choose not to be certified for various reasons, including the costs and bureaucratic burden of certi-fication. Currently only around 2% of the world’s vineyards are certified as organic.
Some farmers take additional or alternative steps beyond standard organic winemaking to apply Sustainable Viticulture practices. Examples include the use of composting and the cultivation of plants that attract insects that are beneficial to the health of the vines. Sustainable practices in these vineyards also extend to actions that have seemingly little or nothing to
do with the production of grapes such as providing areas for wildlife to prevent animals from eating the grapes and allow-ing weeds and wildflowers to grow between the vines. While many farm their vines in a genuinely sustainable manner it is important to note that a large number do inevitably fall short of many ideals integral to the purest standards of sustainable viticultural practices yet still use the term to market their wines.
Biodynamic wines are wines made using the principles of biodynamic agriculture which at its core is an extreme example of organic viticulture. Its principals are based on the theories of agriculture introduced by Rudolf Steiner in the early 1920s.
As a practical method of farming, biodynamics embodies the ideal of ecological self-sufficiency and includes emphasis for ethical-spiritual considerations. This type of viticulture views the farm as a cohesive, interconnected living system.
While some grape growers who have adopted biodynamic methods claim to have achieved improvements in the health of their vineyards, specifically in the areas of biodiversity, soil fertility, crop nutrition, and pest, weed, and disease manage-ment, others claim the practices to be irrational and unsci-entific. An important point of consideration is the increasing numbers of top quality wine producers from all corners of the globe who have adopted biodynamic practices. Additionally unlike in organic certifications for biodynamic wines there has emerged a single and internationally used and respected certification body called Demeter International. Having a well-regarded international organization and standard has helped the member wineries market themselves across the world.
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The Cru Artisan College Study Guide 5
Solstice Vineyard Riesling: 100% Riesling from Pacific Rim’s single Solstice Vineyard in Yakima Valley, Washington, planted in 1980. The vines grow in shal-low (18 inches) wind-blown loess deposits sitting on the top of the basalt bedrock. This is a poor, mineral driven terroir, perfect to produce a pure expression of Washington State Riesling with rich complexity. The grapes are handpicked and fermented with its native yeasts and aged sur lie for 6 to 12 months. The wine is truly cellar worthy and will age for a very long time (10 plus years).
La Vinilla: An organic wine by Emiliana made from 63% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier, 14% Marsanne, and 8% Roussanne grown in the Fundo Casablanca, La Vinilla sector, La Quebrada vineyard, foothills of the Coastal Range, Blocks 15, 16, 26 and 32, planted in 1993. The soils are of alluvial origin with sandy-loam texture and a slightly acidic pH (6.3). It is low in organic matter (2%) with moderate fertility, low salinity, and a medium capacity for moisture retention. The grapes were harvested by hand and chilled before a secondary selection, then gently pressed and racked into stainless steel fermenters and then trans-ferred to French oak barrels to complete fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is avoided to preserve the wine’s freshness and vibrant acidity. The wine remained in the bar-rels for an additional 5 months with periodic battonage. Six months aging in French oak barrels (66%), foudres (16%), and ovoid tanks (18%).
Poggio alle Mura Rosso di Montalcino: Made of select clones of 100% Sangiovese resulting from Castello Banfi’s 30+ year research, planted to the estate’s most historic plot of land surrounding the medieval Castello di Poggio alle Mura, where the soils and micro-climate at 210–220 meters above sea level are particularly suited for Sangiovese. The grapes are hand harvested, the wine fermented in Banfi’s patented hybrid stainless steel and wood tanks, with skin contact for 7 to 10 days. It is aged for one year in custom made 350 liter barrels whose wood was sourced directly from the forests and seasoned on the estate in Tuscany before cooperage.
Coyam: A certified organic and biodynamic wine by Emiliana that is a blend of Syrah (41%), Carmenère (29%), Merlot (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%), Mourvèdre (2%), and Petit Verdot (1%) grown on the Los Robles estate in the Colchagua Valley, all un-grafted vines planted between 1992 and 2000 on south facing foothills of a mountainous outcropping in Lo Moscoso. The soil is of colluvial origin, with abundant stoniness and low-medium organic matter, ranging from clay-loam to silty-clay-loam texture, lending mineral complexity and high water retention, with lightly acidic pH (5.8-6.2). The hand-harvested grapes undergo a triple selection process and are then gravity fed into fermentation tanks for a 5 day ‘cold soak’ followed by fermentation with native yeasts at 16ºC with fre-quent pumping over. The wine remains on the skins for 7 days post-fermentation at 22º–25ºC, followed by natural malolactic fermentation in oak barrels (80% French, 20% American) and 13 months of aging.
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THE WINES
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