Photo credit: Audarya
Have you heard about the trend that has more people conscious of drinking “clean” wines, without artificial additives?
Recently in the news, I saw an article about a celebrity wine club, where wine is purchased from winemakers who are certified organic, and who do not use artificial additives or coloring compounds in their wines. The club has less of a focus on where the wine comes from, and more on making these factors visible on the packaging. This is especially true, because it’s not the producer’s label…it’s the club’s label.
As a wine drinker, I appreciate these factors when it comes to what’s in my wine. However, as an importer who works with mostly small family producers, I have an additional perspective on this.
First, the vast, vast majority of European wines you see on a retail shelf that are above the $10 price point (and even some slightly below, from places like Spain, which are just great value producing regions) are made without artificial additives. There is a reason for this, that I’ll provide in a moment.
Second, organic. This is a little more difficult to find, but there are organic wines from Europe in the low $10s and certainly below $20. Also, there are many wines in that price range that have grapes grown organically, but without the certification. Why would that be?
For a family producer, organic certification is expensive. It requires paying a 3rd party company to certify the growing and winemaking techniques, so the claim can be placed on the labels. Producers who grow organically but do not make the claim depend on an element of trust, when they use organic techniques but cannot afford to pay for what’s on the label.
But there’s a reason it’s in the interest of the winemaker to use organic techniques when they can (even if they can’t afford the label claim), and to avoid additives, especially in Europe. And it relates to a concept previously discussed here, which is winemaking philosophy in the “Old World” (locations that have been making wine for hundreds and thousands of years, in Europe and the Middle East).
The general winemaking philosophy of a small producer is to let the “terroir” express itself through the wine. “Terroir” literally translates to “a sense of place”, but this might be vague to many wine drinkers…it certainly was for me, for a long time.
The best, most concise description of terroir I’ve ever heard comes from Jermaine Stone, who explains it in a recent Wine and Hip Hop podcast episode: “Terroir is the complete natural environment that the wine is produced in.”
Travel to Burgundy, to Barolo, to Chianti, to Sardinia, to the Valtellina, to Rioja. You could spend literally weeks in these places, tasting wines made from the same grape, but you will taste differences in those wines. That’s because soil varies within those regions, as does sun exposure in different vineyards, and exposure to wind and other climate influences. All within the same areas.
That is exactly what the winemaker wants you to experience. Their wines are an expression of their terroir, of their location and climate and grapes. And this is why it is in their interest to use organic techniques and to not use additives. Using artificial fertilizers and pesticides and additives would inherently limit the expression of terroir in the wines, which takes away from making them truly special.
To me, that sense of place is exactly why we think the wine is special, and is also exactly why we talk about the traditions of those regions, and the families behind the wine.
I consider every bottle in the Wide Roots portfolio to be a work of art, produced by the family who owns the winery. They all fit into that philosophy of expressing, as Jermaine says, the complete natural environment of making the wine.
I do appreciate that it’s important for wine drinkers to know what’s in their bottle, and their glass. And hopefully, this information can stoke curiosity among wine drinkers who are interested in exploring the wines of Europe, but maybe aren’t sure where to start (hint: sign up for our email list and receive our Quick Reference Guide to good value wines from Europe, and what to look for on the labels).
What is your perspective? Are organic techniques and no additives the only important factors in your choice of wine, or are you also interested in where it comes from and who makes it?