Tomorrow's winegrowers

Published on 2017-01-25

Is organic good? That’s the question in everyone’s mind. Traditional viticulture pollutes soils and the environment in general. In France, just 3% of all agricultural lands are used for growing grapes, yet 40% of all materials with active phytosanitary ingredients are destined for wine growing. Cancer specialist Dr. Belpomme has demonstrated the effects on health. According to Dr. Belpomme, the percentage of birth defects in farmers’ children is several times higher than the average.

And what if organic winegrowers produced wines that are pure jewels of harmony between land, air, light and water? The idea makes some people smile, but it’s apparently true. Many jewels of French wine are produced according to the principles of organic or biodynamic farming. Some are just discovering that now, and justify their ignorance by saying that organic wines have improved significantly in quality over the past ten years. Yet the organic wines recognised today as being amongst France’s best wines were already widely acclaimed a decade ago. In fact, the majority of great French wines are organic, and have been for several years.

Out of 1500 organically-certified producers, it is child’s play to identify more than 300 producers that are nationally or internationally known for the quality of their wines.
The percentage is not as high for winegrowers using conventional or pest-management methods of production.
For example, in the Loire region, well-known organic winemakers are legion: Claude Courtois, Nicolas Joly, Noël Pinguet, Pierre and Catherine Breton, Mark Angeli, as well as Jo Pithon, Joël Ménard, Guy Bossard, etc.

Alsace, with 8% of vineyards worked using organic methods, is the most organic region in France.
It's a true breeding ground (but without cloning!) that includes Jean Pierre Frick, Olivier Humbrecht, Marc Kreidenweiss, Marcel Deiss, Ostertag, etc.
Organic is everywhere
It’s a strange but increasingly demonstrated connection! If there really is a link between organic production and remarkable quality, we can logically conclude that amongst today’s newly organic wines, or wines in conversion, are some of tomorrow’s most remarkable wines.
A glance at the list of former award-winners clearly indicates the connection. We can proclaim it loudly and fearlessly: unknown wines that were awarded medals in this competition are already on the way to becoming tomorrow’s stars.

Pierre Guigui