Organic (bio), or also biodynamic, wine… Even a person for whom wine is a part of their cultural life often finds it difficult to answer what it actually is when encountering this term. How do these wines differ from ordinary (non-organic, non-bio) wines? To answer these questions, we must go back in time. The first attempts to produce organic (bio) wines occurred in the early 1990s, when the first signs appeared that humanity (or rather the so-called "golden billion") stopped caring only about quantity and started thinking about quality. The need for an ever-increasing volume of food production (not just wine) led to the development of technologies in agriculture and storage, which include the use of a large number of various chemicals, fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, preservatives, flavorings and so on… However, as it happens at a certain stage of development, once the basic human requirements for food were met, doubts began to surface at least about the inappropriateness of the substances and additives used, and at the same time, groups of people emerged who have high demands on the food they consume. And as a natural reaction to the creation of a new demand, new offers also began to appear – products made without the use of anything mentioned above.
The technology for producing wine, which is known today as organic (bio), did not appear overnight but evolved over 20 years. However, the general market shift towards satisfying the growing demand for products grown without fertilizers and preserved without preservatives (or with a minimal amount) led to the creation of new quality standards, which in 2011 led the EU to adopt regulations defining the requirements for the production and origin of raw materials for ecological (bio) products, including wine. Today, organic wine is understood to be wine made from grapes grown in accordance with EU regulations and subsequently produced in compliance with these rules.
Nevertheless, a wine lover who does not care too much about the origin of terms may ask why organic (bio) wine is better for them than the ones they have been drinking so far. We must honestly admit that there is no simple answer, for a simple reason – every wine lover has their own opinion on judging wine quality.
It can certainly be argued that organic (bio) wine has a more natural taste and aroma, that it has minimal negative effects on the body due to a much lower content of sulfites (a chemical sulfur compound used to stabilize wine during bottling), and that during the production of organic (bio) wines, it is nearly impossible to use all the common processing methods aimed at increasing sugar and alcohol content. However, in any case – the choice is yours. To judge the benefits of organic (bio) wine, you simply have to taste it!
