Recently I went to two different wineries in the Russian River. One of which is organically certified (CCOF), Emtu Estate Wines and the other uses sustainable and organic techniques and is everything but certified as a biodynamic winery, Lynmar Estate . I found them both very interesting. Both wineries seem to have a sincere interest in having their vineyards work as natural as possible. They both have some similarities, for example, they both have chicken coops. Yes, the chickens produce eggs, but the more important thing is that they produce dung. This dung gets put into the compost pile with dirt and worms and then becomes fertilizer for the grape vines. They both also have a predator program. This involves having boxes up in the trees for owls or hawks to nest in on the property. These birds become a natural way to get rid of the groundhogs, squirrels, mice, rats and other predators that can destroy the vineyard. Their watering system was similar which is mostly dry farming, and they use environmental ways to keep the insects away. They both have gardens to use for their culinary needs. What was different was that Lynmar has many gardens and acres to work with; they have a full-time gardener, Michael Presley, who has 25 years of experience growing organic gardens. Emtu, which is owned by Chris and John Mason, is 3 acres that they work all by themselves.

The recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle entitled Green Signals, How Wineries are Packaging Their Eco-Credentials by Tara Duggan had the definitions of the different levels of what it takes to be an organic or sustainable winery. I have added these below for your interest.

Organic farming. California Certified Organic Farms, which certifies the vast majority of wineries in the United States, has certified more than 9,000 acres of California vineyards. Like biodynamic wine, organic wine falls into two categories: “Organic wine” must be made from organically grown grapes and without added sulfites. In addition to carrying the CCOF logo, it may contain the USDA organic logo. Wines “made with organic grapes” or “organically farmed” wine have been produced in a certified organic facility and be made from organically grown grapes under the USDA and CCOF standards.

Biodynamic farming is similar to organic in that it eschews chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but proponents say biodynamic wines have more of a sense of place, since very few additives are allowed. Wine labeled “made with biodynamic grapes” must be 100 percent biodynamically farmed and is allowed to have certain levels of yeast, acid and sugar additions. The U.S. certifying agency, called Demeter USA, has a list of 68 wineries or vineyards that have been certified or are in transition. They are also in the process of changing their certification standards so that no additive other than sulfites can be added to wine labeled “biodynamic wine.”

Fair Trade certification of wine has been around since 2003 in Europe. This means that wineries meet certain standards for living wages, environmental sustainability and community improvement. Oakland’s Trans-Fair USA just announced that is has begun certifying Fair Trade wines from Argentina, Chile and South Africa for the American market, so it’s something new on those labels to look for.

Sustainable wine. Though this is more of an umbrella term for wine that is made with environmental consideration, regional organizations like Lodi’s Sustainable Viticulture Program have created certification programs for wineries that meet certain green standards. The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance has a self-assessment program and offers seminars to wineries that are interested in reducing their carbon footprint. It is also in the process of creating a certification program. Lori