Ding Ding!
It’s time for the clash of two Rascalism titans! Organic winemaking vs. Sustainable winemaking. Who will triumph in this heavyweight match up?
Sorry to mislead you, but just like most boxing matches, all that aggro was just hype. These two initiatives are actually best pals, with very similar interests and a lot of overlap in winemaking. But what are the finer differences between the two, and is one better than the other?
In general, they both concern themselves with the environment and how to protect it when growing grapes and making wine. This is also thought to be the primary reason for the huge growth in organic and sustainably-made product sales in recent years. With sales of organic food alone at a record-high of £2.2 billion in the UK last year, there can be no doubt that consumers are favouring the producers that in turn, favour their (and our) future.
But the ways in which the two are undertaken are slightly different. Let’s start with Organic.
Organic production insists above all that no artificial or genetically-modified chemicals, such as Sulphur, are used in the process. As well as reducing potential harm to the surrounding environment, particularly its wildlife, this is also seen to have many health benefits for homosapians like us.
See our blog on Sulphites in Wine
By EU Organic certified regulations (which we adhere to for the ‘Organic’ labelled wines in our brochure), up to 100ppm of Sulphur is allowed in reds, and a maximum of 150ppm for whites and rosés, with a slight variant allowed depending on residual sugar. This is due to the necessity of Sulphur for wines to age, but through careful process, the amount is reduced to an essentially untraceable amount.
When it comes to Sustainable winemaking, the priority lies solely in minimising water and energy wastage as a means of reducing the vineyard’s carbon footprint. Many of our vineyards also take surrounding wildlife and ecosystems into the same level of consideration. Not all are the same however, and this is where it gets complicated.
There are several classifications for different types of sustainable production, all of which we acknowledge. However, due to their recent developments in sustainable farming, there are also some vineyards in our family that are yet to receive a classification. For these guys, we are sure to determine exactly what they’re up to before we classify them as sustainable.
So, what is better? Organic or sustainable? You’ll have to ask your customers. Different things matter to different people. What’s important is that you cater for them all. That’s where we come in. Browse our BRAND NEW brochure, or contact our head rascal Mark now, for the low-down on our extensive range of organic and sustainably made wines.