Organic wines from Bordeaux

It shimmers cherry red in the glass and smells intensely of berries and wood. Then follows the fruity, velvety and balanced taste – my decision is made after a short time: I like this wine! My quick judgment at this wine tasting at Château Pontet-Canet in the Pauillac appellation is of course purely subjective. But maybe the fact that this red wine comes from organic farming plays a role. In the opinion of Monsieur Comme, the manager of the beautiful 18th-century château, it certainly plays. “Through organic farmingwe improve our wine significantly,” says the lively Frenchman proudly. “Even though we’ve been dealing with this for a long time, the proportion of organic wine is still very small,” he continues. In Europe, the market share of organic wine is still less than 5 percent. But more and more people are attaching importance to organic, which increases the range of wine retailers. “They smiled at us for a long time,” sighs Alain Moueix from Château Fonroque in Saint-Émilion. His family

has been for four generationshere. “But the importance of our wines is growing. More and more renowned winemakers are joining us.” They do it for various reasons: to preserve nature, to protect workers or to make more money. But they all have one motive in common: they want to produce better wine.

More and more are changing
I pick up a bottle of red wine. The small green EU eco seal is stuck on the back . “We put it on the bottle so that everyone can see immediately that the wine is organic,” says Moueix. And in contrast to Château Pontet-Canet: “Our wines should speak for themselves. But we have ourselves certified because it is important for our customers,” they say.

In Bordeaux, 280 winegrowers are now producing organic wine or are at least in the three-year conversion phase. In addition to normal organic cultivation, biodynamic cultivation based on Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy also plays a role. Both methods do without chemical-synthetic agents such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. There are strict limit values ​​for sulfur to stabilize the wine and nitrogen for better soil quality.

In organic cultivation, minerals such as copper and sulfate help with pest infestation such as mildew. If the soil lacks nutrients, organic fertilizers are used. Grass and flowers make the vineyard flourish and prevent soil erosion. As a result, the soil contains more humus, which loosens it. And quite incidentally, the biodiversity of plants and animals increases. It goes without saying that genetic engineering is taboo.

However, these loose soils cannot be driven on with heavy machinery such as tractors. Therefore, light machines and horses are used. But Jean-Michel Comme, who owns a small eco-château himself, emphasizes: “’Organic’ doesn’t mean ‘regression’. We just remember the origins and continue to develop them progressively. Nobody can do without modern technology. Because otherwise we would not be able to produce or market our wine.”

In biodynamics there are other rules that do not always have a scientifically comprehensible background. “We also follow the phases of the moon and the course of the planets when tending and harvesting,” explains Moueix with a wink. “But the quality of our wines speaks for itself!”

Organic guidelines, such as those from “Bioland”, “Ecovin”, “demeter” or, in France, from “Ecocert”, are of course important. But: plump and crunchy: the right time is crucial for the grape harvest. Being a winemaker is above all a philosophy. That becomes clear to me when I see Monsieur Moueix’s blue eyes shining while his hands hold soil from his vineyard with small pebbles and chaff under my nose. I sniff it and remark: “Smells kinda healthy.” I can’t describe it any other way. But the slim, graying forty-something is satisfied with my answer and smiles in agreement.