ENTERPRISE
Organic Wine:
Understanding the U.S. Labeling Controversy
and Toasting to Future Growth
As if selecting the perfect wine to pair with dinner or figuring out the right way to hold a wine glass was not enough of a challenge, today’s wine connoisseurs also have to weigh the pros and cons of added sulfites. For over 500 years, sul- fites have been used in winemaking to arrest fermentation at a desired time
and prevent oxidation and microbial growth as wines age. Today they are such
an integral part of winemaking that many say it’s impossible to make a fine
wine—especially one that needs to mature over years—without added sul-
fites. Others insist that sulfites are unnecessary and blame the additive
for side effects such as asthmatic reactions and post-wine headaches.
The quandary becomes even more complicated when it comes to
determining how sulfites fit into the National Organic Program
(NOP) regulation. As the NOP rule stands, only wines without
added sulfites can bear the USDA Organic seal. Other wines are
allowed to contain a minimal amount of added sulfites (.01
percent), but then must be labeled as “Made with Organic
Grapes,” even if organic grapes make up 99.99 percent of
the end product. Some are seeking to change this, how-
ever. Currently, a petition is circulating that asks the Na-
tional Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to reconsider
the issue and allow wines made with organic grapes that
contain added sulfites to be able to include the USDA
Organic seal on their labels as well. The issue was also
raised by several winemakers during the public comment
session at the last NOSB meeting held in April.
Both winemakers who add sulfites and those who don’t
offer valid arguments—and certainly some great wines. Be-
yond the sulfite issue, though, everyone shares the goal of
increasing organic acreage and reducing the use of pesti-
cides—and that’s something we can all lift our glasses to toast.
