There is a big dilemma in the wine world about the quality of wine. Is domestic wine made in a traditional way better than commercial or technological wine? There is only high quality and low quality wine. The secret lies in the care provided to the wine, that is, in the observance of its natural potentials. Everything else is a marketing ploy and ignorance, just the experience is a valid indicator.
In the much more organized western wine culture system, there is already a term for “organic” wine production, which is absolutely no different from the traditional one. The point is in the health of the consumer and a normal environmental procedure for obtaining healthy wine, as opposed to the marketing world of the French wine marketing.
But to avoid confusion, commercial wine can also be of extremely high quality and healthy and to completely justify the price of a few hundred dollars. Here’s what it’s all about. According to some estimates, there are about 2,000 wineries in the world today that deal with organic wine production. The European Union recently regulated this category in a rulebook so that the label could contain “organic wine”.
But more importantly, so that such wine could contain sulphites, which has been unimaginable until now. This indicates that sulphites are not harmful to health and are allowed by the rulebook in concentrations up to 100 mg/L for red and 150 for white wines. Let’s say that in commercial production, the concentration of sulphites ranges up to 350 mg/L, which allows the aromas and flavours of the wine to last longer. In USA, only 10 mg/L per litre is allowed for organic wines.
Organic wine is a product based on strictly applied natural rules and regulations. It requires regular monitoring and proper multi-year implementation to obtain a certificate of organic production. The use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides is excluded. Only natural preparations can be used. Fertilization is exclusively with manure and natural fertilizer.
In a technological procedure, the use of potassium metabisulfite is allowed, because its exclusion can change the wine to the degree of free radicals in it, which is quite the opposite tendency of organic importance. Other preservatives, additives, clearing and filtering are not allowed. Fermentation yeasts are mandatory, but without genetic modification. In other words, nature in wine is respected.
A group of producers went even further in the production of wines in a natural way. Their crew refers itself to as a “biodynamic” concept. This production is even more rigorous in terms of conditions because it relies on extreme environmental conditions and time cycles. It treats grapes and wine depending on the moon phases.. So, besides the naturally prepared yeasts from sweet-wort, it excludes the potassium metabisulfite and all sulphites, excludes fertilization and protection of the vine, and only supports strengthening its resistance, does not approve weeding out, but a unity and symbiosis of the vine with other herbs. Even ploughing must be done with livestock, and irrigation is avoided. Of course, the yields are lower, and the care of the wine is very demanding. Unlike organic production, which is natural, biodynamic production is archaic, ecological. However, there are no clear boundaries between the two productions and it is mainly the winemaker’s position for which one they will decide and to what extent. In our country, only one producer produces wine in this manner.
The question is whether these natural, ecological and organic wines are of better quality and taste than conventional ones?!
The ratio is 16:14 for organic production in an organized “blind” wine-testing. However, in terms of health parameters and conventional wines, they can be extremely healthy and safe if the reliability of the technological approach is maintained, while some eco-wines can be unstable due to poor protection. However, eco-wines are more noble, easy to drink and more convenient for the consumer’s body.
Fortunately, in the Balkans, the Pyrenees and the Apennine wine region still have a traditional wine production. In essence, it is organic and environmentally friendly. The quality of the wines is fantastic, the taste also does not lag behind in any natural segment, but at home we have a bit different picture. In Macedonia and southern Italy in particular, pomace wine is still produced for personal use. Without the use of potassium metabisulfite and pouring, kept in old wooden or plastic containers, it represents a natural imbalance. This leads to misconceptions and many, many harmful substances in the glass and the stomach of the consumer. It has nothing to do with healthy, natural and ecological wine that our ancestors drank and for which Macedonia is a recognizable wine brand.
Macedonia can be a holder of the quality of organic production, because only 10% of the total wine production in the world contains “organic wine” on its label.
