Oh, garçon? Is this USDA Organic Wine or Vinegar?

USDA organic has become synonymous with the best and tastiest food that one can buy, but is that truly the case? What happens when the USDA laws get in the way of an old profession and limit the tools of the trade like oenology (wine making)? This article in Salon this week suggests that the USDA may need to create even more organic subcategories in order to allow for old methods of how things are made into foodstuffs. At the heart of the debate is sulfites, which occur naturally in wine as it ferments, and are added to wine to extend shelf life, aging, and flavor. "But since 1990," according to the Salon article, "when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, no organic food is produced or handled with any synthetic chemicals, and that includes wine. For hundreds of years, sulfites have been a winemaker's ally. Sulfur dioxide keeps wine barrels from harboring acetic bacteria that can sour their liquid contents. No one has yet found a nonsynthetic replacement for sulfites." The biggest debate is that people can have sulfite sensitivities, but even those people would not be able to drink most organic wine as the reactions are usually sudden and severe. For the the average Joe and Jane, sulfites have been proven to be safe in small amounts, which is how they should be used in wine. "People are overly concerned. There are more sulfites in dried prunes than there are in wine," says Dr. Ulrike Ziegner, founder of the Riviera Allergy Medical Center in Redondo Beach, Calif. "If you're a severe asthmatic, you should stay away from sulfites, but the rest of the world, I think, will be fine. Most people, if they have a little rash after they drink wine, or have a stuffy nose, are probably reacting to the alcohol in wine that dilates the blood vessels in their skin and nose." The article suggests that one should look to boutique (less commercial, smaller) winemakers to buy their wine. Boutique wineries typically have smaller batches of wine and greater control over product meaning the proper and usually less addition of sulfites when compared to commercial wineries. Also, look for wineries that advertise biodynamic farming as it blows organic farming out the water in my opinion. Sulfites have been used in winemaking for ages for reasons that affect the product, and they should be continued to be used in the correct proportions in order to make a decent product. Read the mission statements of the vineyard/winery on the web to see if they are biodynamic or to see if your wine is "made with organic grapes" which is made with 70% organic grapes. And remember to always drink in moderation. Chin Chin!
Michael G. Pingicer, M.S., L.Ac.

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