More acidic, less alcoholic, fresher and floral,
making them, when well produced, more balanced. In this way we can classify the
bio or organic wine.
Due to the non-intervention of chemical agents, it tends to express in its flavour
more of its terroir, showing for
example the minerality, when they come from calcareous clay soils.
The downside is that some Bio wines may disappoint for a shorter “aftertaste”, sometimes disguised with a flavouring yeast or excess wood (longer in barrel). It is always worth remembering that good producers do not resort to these devices.
In order to obtain a good specimen, a good terroir is essential, with good soil, insolation and winds that allow the plant to have a smooth growth, providing less intervention of the producer in the soil, a fact that should not be confused with less work for the producer, as non-use of herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers means that they need to use other mechanisms to combat natural pests by simply planting grass and flowers (which attract other insects that help attack small enemies including chickens living between the plantation) and, of course, the constant and very close monitoring of their plantation.
Sulphites?
A natural preservative, sulphur is used by a significant portion of Bio producers at much lower levels than traditional production, but there are already several products with no sulphite “added” (sulphite already exists in wine).
A paradox of bio production is that to improve soil respiration, the plow is more frequent and with the use of tractors, the amount of pollutants emitted is increased. Some producers have been circumventing this problem with the use of horses, going back to their origins.
So, let’s try it out? But before that, it’s worth a
tip: when serving, organic wines should be better aerated, as they can give off
not-so-pleasant odours when they first open.
In an upcoming article we will talk about the differences between Bio (organic),
biodynamic and natural wine. Wait for our next articles!
