What would a trip to France be without that symbol of national identity, that beacon of cultural pride, that epitome of paradox, the very quintessence of French – what would your visit be without wine?
Be you a neophyte or a connoisseur, there are countless possibilities for drinking and tasting, relishing and savoring, a great variety of wines from the different winegrowing regions of the country. But how many of them will be organic? Not many. Even though a handful of winegrowers went green in the 1970s, the majority of them remain skeptical of the organic movement and show few signs of relinquishing established pesticide-laden practices even today.
Since they were developed in the 1930s, modern pesticides have been used extensively in viticulture around the world. “Pesticide” is the generic term used to denote a wide range of both synthetic and biological insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and bactericides. Pesticides pollute the earth, underground water tables as well as rivers and lakes, and even the air. They disrupt food chains by poisoning species and are a major threat to biodiversity across the globe. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that pesticides have harmful effects on humans, causing damage to the endocrine system and increasing the risk of cancer in farmers and winegrowers.
For example, in his research on newborn babies, Professor Charles Sultan of Montpellier in southern France discovered that the toxins in pesticides are transmitted from parent to child with alarming ease. He found considerably higher instances of malformations and cancers in farmers’ children than in the general population.
According to the French Wikipedia article on the subject (here’s the article in the English version of Wikipedia), in 2006 France was still the second largest consumer of pesticides in the world after the United States. Yet, despite the bleak statistics, organic agriculture and viticulture are gaining ground in France. As with organic food, wine that meets the standards carries one of the two nationally certified labels, “AB” or “EcoCert”. The labels are awarded largely for adherence to green practices in winegrowing and not necessarily in winemaking, that is out in the vineyards and not necessarily inside the winery.
But what exactly does organic winegrowing entail? What do winegrowers who have eschewed pesticides do to combat weeds, diseases and mildew?
As a young man working in his father’s vineyards in the Champagne region of northern France, Jacques Beaufort scoffed at organic viticulture. But in 1969 an acute allergic reaction, which erupted after he had sprayed chemicals on the vines, caused Mr. Beaufort to reconsider. Since 1971, the Beaufort estate has been green. Today ecological methods are used in both the winegrowing and winemaking processes, giving rise to award-winning bubbly wines.
Although greening a vineyard is not a simple task, there is a pesticide-free solution to every viticultural problem. On the Beaufort estate, shallow tilling prevents the growth of weeds but without damaging the vine roots. Chemical fertilizers have been replaced by vegetable compost, which retains moisture even during periods of dryness. The soil is enriched by nutrients from the decomposition activities of microorganisms, and aerated by earthworms and other insects. The aerated soil is more permeable, and while rainwater filters through to replenish underground water tables, erosion of the Beaufort lands has ceased.
Traditionally sulfur has served as a fungicide in winegrowing but, with a certain degree of toxicity, it upsets the surrounding ecosystem. As an alternative, Mr. Beaufort has been experimenting with essential oils since 1974, and since 1980 he has been working on homeopathic remedies against spoilage. Inside the winery efforts are made to add as little sulfur dioxide as possible during the fermentation process. Instead bacteria transform malic acid into lactic acid through a natural series of changes.
While the first years of organic winegrowing saw a substantial decrease in yield from the Beaufort vineyards, today the return is healthy even if still subject to the vagaries of the weather. More importantly, the wines produced are scooping up silver and gold medals at a number of national wine fairs, in competition with vintages from the most established estates and wineries. So if you are visiting Reims, the town famous for hosting the coronation of French kings throughout the centuries, make sure you swing by the Beaufort estate near the village of Ambonnay for some bubbles tasting.
If you do not have the opportunity to visit Champagne or any of the other winegrowing regions of France, your best bets for finding organic wines are in the supermarkets and online. Purchasing Bacchus’ brew from a supermarket shelf or a website may detract from the glamour and mystique of wine drinking but until “vins bios”, organic wines, are accepted by the major wine brotherhoods and federations, and become part of the mainstream, they will make but few appearances in specialized shops and wine cellars.
More information: Champagne Andre & Jacques Beaufort
Editor's Note: Authored by VictoriaE from Green Options. Green Options focuses on providing knowledge and resources needed in greening up your life. Check out the original post here.
