Organic rising
Thursday, August 29th, 2013
“It’s no longer the special Olympics of the past,” says Cape biodynamic (BD) trailblazer Johan Reyneke of the nascent organic and BD winegrowing scene in South Africa. Things have changed a lot since Rachel Carson’s book The Silent Spring, which alerted the world to the environmental problems of indiscriminate use of agricultural chemicals.
There are now 10 known BD and at least 38 organic wine producers in the Cape. It’s a relatively small number but growing according to the certification bodies. However, they don’t see all the organic producers as some don’t have an interest in certifying for reasons like cost, administration, and stashes of conventional weapons in the event of an exceptional fungal or mildew threat, or – as one producer said – they don’t want weirdos buying their wine.
Other forces at play include the trend towards sustainability beyond the green washing by marketing departments, and global consumer demand for agricultural products with known provenance and ethical production methods. Although BD seems arriviste, it’s worth remembering it was the first green farming movement.
Neal Martin (for Robert Parker) seems particularly impressed by organically grown Chenin Blanc with no additions during winemaking – including no new oak. Emblematic of this style for him is the “stunning debut” from Alheit Vineyards, the wine called Cartology – which got five Platter stars on its first outing and many other plaudits. Says Neal: “Everything from the philosophical, terroir-driven winemaker to the vines to the profound wine and even the packaging, attests to the pinnacles that can be reached.”
While there is no South African standard yet, or rather one that the EU will readily trust, there are many different certification bodies within the EU which certify Cape producers but all must comply with EU standards. Those wishing to export to the USA require certification by their National Organic Program (NOP) which has much lower maximum sulphur dioxide levels for organic certification. Wines labelled organic cannot contain added sulphites.
Previously strictly conventional Cape producers like Bosman Family Vineyards and Haskell Vineyards are trialling organic or biodynamic growing, or are in full-blown conversion like Spier, an 850 ha property with 193 ha planted to vine.
Haskell Vineyards in Stellenbosch has converted one of the farm’s most highly decorated vineyards into a biodynamic farming experiment. “It is a trial pitting organic and biodynamic viticulture against each other. In the trial, 50% of one the estate’s vineyards will be dedicated to an organic regimen, whilst the other 50% will be farmed biodynamically,” says viticulturist Wikus Pretorius. “Some of the world’s most expensive and highly prized wines are from biodynamic vineyards, most notably from Burgundy, so there are clear examples of the quality potential.”
If Pat Werdmuller von Elgg of Cool Mountain in Mc Gregor’s experience is anything to go by, getting the right combination of treatments can have a dramatic and – for organic viticulture – unexpected effect. She reports a 30% increase in yield for 2013 and improvement in quality by oxygenating their irrigation water, using cormorant guano and adding Red Wriggler worm tea (drawn from the worm farms) to their irrigation water during 2012/13. Organic viticulture is strongly associated with balanced yields but it’s usually allied to a decline in yield.
Swartland grower Billy Hughes says the organic movement is very well organised and detailed but does have a few shortcomings, such as the limited number of permitted anti-fungal treatments and too few vine nutrition options. However, he believes there is no other route to follow if the goal is to make quality wine.
Reyneke winemaker Rudiger Gretschel believes the future of truly great wines is green: “In the next 15 to 20 years, I don’t think there’ll a single premium wine in the world that isn’t organic or biodynamic.”
Recent EU changes include restrictions on labelling – wines labelled organic wine must now also be produced in certified organic wineries and from the 2013 vintage may no longer specify that they were made from organically grown grapes if the wine was produced in a non-certified cellar. This has excluded organic labelling at some larger producers like KWV which must also process non-organic fruit in the same cellars.
According to Dacian Ciolos, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, consumers are “more and more interested in organic products”. He said he was pleased that they had emerged with “rules which make a clear difference between conventional and organic wine – as is the case with other organic products. As a result, consumers can be sure that any ‘organic wine’ will have been produced using stricter production rules.” Organic wines will be identified by the use of the EU organic logo on labels.
The new maximum sulphite levels is 100 mg/l for reds, 150 mg/l for dry whites and rosés – both of which are 50 mg/l below the maximum allowed for non-organic wine and where residual sugar is above 2g/l maximum sulphite levels of 30 mg/l below the relevant non-organic maximum are permitted.
Of 3.5 million ha of vineyards in Europe, only an estimated 75 000 are organic. That’s around 2%, compared with the European total agricultural average of 4.7%. Given that not all Cape producers are certified, a rough analysis of Platter’s (South Africa’s most comprehensive wine guide) indicates that at least 1% of the Cape’s approximately 102 000 ha are organic.
A study by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) found the value of global sales of organic food and drink increased by 43% to €25.5 billion between 2002 and 2005. According to them the growing demand from consumers continues, but the market’s potential is nowhere near exhausted and currently limited by supply of certified organic products.
Growth in the international organic markets is still steady. Global sales of organic products topped the $50 billion dollar mark in 2008 and the market volume is estimated to be doubled in about eight years. In 2011, the global organic food market grew by 9.8% in 2011 to reach a value of $67.2 billion. In 2016, the global organic food market is forecast to have a value of $102.5 billion, an increase of 52.6% since 2011
Allied to the organic movement is the Cape’s Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) and integrity and sustainability seal (run by the Wine and Spirit Board), making South Africa world leaders in production integrity. Producers who bear the seal on their bottles indicate, for example, that the wine has been produced sustainably, in an earth-friendly manner with full traceability.
Over 135 000 ha of natural area has been conserved by BWI producers in the past nine years. This means that the South African wine industry’s conservation footprint is well in excess of its current vineyard footprint of just under 102 000 ha. For every hectare under vineyard, an additional hectare of natural vegetation is committed to conservation and – like organic producers – this figure continues to grow.
The organic producers are:
African Terroir
Avondale
Badenhorst Family Wines
Backsberg Estate Cellars
Bon Cap Organic Wines
Cape Legends
Cederberg Private Cellar
De Breede Organic Vineyards
Elgin Ridge
Fable Mountain Vineyards
Fairview
Groot Parys
Home of Origin Wine
Hoopenburg Wines
Hughes Family Wines (Nativo)
Imbuko Wines
Joostenberg Wines
La Motte
Laibach Vineyards
Lazanou Organic Vineyards
Lord’s Wines
Matzikama Organic Cellar
Mount Babylon
Mountain Oaks Winery
Org de Rac
Overhex Wines International
Painted Wolf Wines
Re’Mogo Wines
Reyneke Wines
Rooiberg Winery
Rust en Vrede Estate
Scali
Stellar Winery
Tukulu
Upland Organic Estate
Virgin Earth
Waterkloof
Waverly Hills Organic Wines
The biodynamic producers are:
Elgin Ridge
Brocha Vineyards
Goldeneye Vineyards
Olifantsberg Family Vineyards
Reyneke Farms
Saltare
Spier Biodynamic Farm
Spookfontein Wines
Stonehill (Bristle)
Waterkloof
– Jonathan Snashall