In France, which produces 16% of the world's wine, vineyards represent only a small percentage of land dedicated to agriculture but use like 40% of the chemicals. That is something to think about.
We select our producers carefully. We visit their domains and we are lucky to know them personally. They all respect their terroirs and pay special attention to the winemaking process. They work on low yields, use natural products and no chemicals to treat the vineyards, and only make wine from the grapes they themselves grow. The priority for them is clearly uncompromising quality.
Most of our wines are certified organic because we believe organic wines just taste better. They are fruitier, warmer, spicier, easier to drink, and probably healthier than conventional wines.
Today, organic wines represent only 10% of the world's wine production. But I see the young generation of winemakers and consumers questioning the use of synthetic products and chemicals. I believe organic is the future.
Your company brings in eco-friendly, organic, biodynamic, and natural wines. What is the difference?
There are different levels of certification. If a grower stops using chemical products today, he has to wait three years before getting an organic certification like EcoCert or AB. This is to make sure there are no chemical residues in the soil or in the plants. It is a very stringent process - expensive and a lot of paperwork.
Some growers are happy to follow organic principles but they do not or wish to achieve the certification. They are eco-friendly. Some growers also see using organic products as part of their winemaking philosophy, and not a marketing tool.
Domain Martin and Gabriel Pagin Fils are doing what we call in French "Lutte Raisonnée" which means sustainable farming. They have defined a set of rules and principles that are aligned with organic farming but just do not bother paying or dealing with the French administration for certification.
The organic wines we carry are Domaine Plouzeau, Domaine de Noiré, La Celestiere, Chateau Dalmeran, and Domaine Courtemanche.
"Organic + Love"
What is biodynamic?
A wine critic once said that "it's organic plus love." I like that definition. Organic certification is a prerequisite for biodyamic certification (Demeter and Biodyvin) but they go further to the extent of rethinking the role of man living in harmony wih nature to create a whole ecosystem and to re-energize the vineyards with potions and mixtures according to moon cycles and seasons.
It was conceptualized by Rudolf Steiner and has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Personally I believe the extra time and dedication is the major factor for the good results. Because it works!
Whenever biodynamic principles are applied, the plants are healthier, the crops are beautiful, and the biodiversity is perserved. On top of that, biodynamic wines are reflecting the sense of a place - what we
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WELL+GOOD