The Rising Wave: Organic, Biodynamic, and Sustainable Wines
“Organic” has become one of the wine world’s favourite buzzwords. A label that evokes purity, sustainability, and authenticity, but what does it actually mean? At its simplest, organic wine is produced from organically grown grapes. However, this doesn’t mean the finished wine is free from additives. In fact, winemakers will often use these to preserve the shelf life of the product or correct a winemaking issue, such as a vintage grown in a climate that was too hot. Furthermore, organic doesn’t necessarily mean vegan or vegetarian, either. Under EU rules, organic wine can still be clarified using egg whites, milk, or isinglass (a protein from fish bladders). So, that ‘organic’ label on the shelf doesn’t always line up with every dietary preference.
Casaloste located in picturesque Panzano in Chianti is a good example. When Giovanni Battista d’Orsi and his wife Emilia bought the estate in 1992, they immediately committed to organic farming, obtaining certification just two years later in 1994. This made Casaloste one of the first certified organic wineries in the region, and they’ve stuck with it ever since. Their philosophy goes beyond the vineyard rows: the estate also produces organic olive oil, runs on solar energy, and manages every stage of production on site. For Casaloste, organic was never about chasing a fashionable label, it was simply the natural way to farm from the very beginning.
And that raises a bigger question: What is your understanding of the natural world around you? Too often, the conversation becomes a simple divide of “organic equals good” and “non-organic equals bad.” But the truth is far more nuanced. Every farming decision, whether organic or not, comes with trade-offs, from yield and quality to environmental impact. This is where biodynamics comes in, rooted in the work of Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher whose ideas spilled across education, medicine, banking, psychology, the arts, and agriculture. In the vineyard, his approach views the farm as a living system, deeply connected to the rhythms of nature and the cosmos. The philosophy holds that if the moon can influence the tides of the sea, it can also shape the growth and vitality of plants. As our MW Peter Mitchell notes, “I know people who I respect greatly that swear it’s given their vineyards better quality of fruit.”
“I know people who I respect greatly that swear it’s given their vineyards better quality of fruit.” Peter Mitchell MW
How this philosophy translates can vary dramatically. Podere Le Ripi in Montalcino embraces an expansive, all-encompassing vision of biodynamics: the estate is Demeter certified (the largest body certifying biodynamic wineries), operates as a closed-loop farm, and rescues animals like sheep, goats, and donkeys that roam freely and provide natural fertiliser. In addition, they practice nomadic beekeeping producing over seven monofloral honeys along with small batches of pollen, look after vegetable gardens, where fruit and olive trees are cultivated, and even built a gravity-fed cellar out of clay bricks dug from their land, its dome inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. By contrast, Domaine Étienne Sauzet in Burgundy is also both organic and biodynamic certified, but applies these principles with Burgundian restraint, focusing on meticulous vineyard work and precise winemaking rather than architectural flourishes or livestock in the vines. Both approaches respect natural cycles, yet one wears its philosophy as a bold statement, while the other keeps it quietly understated.
Furthermore, unlike organic or biodynamic, the term sustainable has no single legal definition in the wine world. At its broadest, almost any wine could be described as sustainable simply because the vineyard continues to exist from one year to the next. Depending on where we are in the world the definition of sustainability will vary. New Zealand incorporates the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme which covers about 98% of all vineyard area in New Zealand and requires vineyards and wineries to demonstrate that they are improving year on year, whether that’s managing energy more efficiently or cutting back on chemical sprays. California offers another structured approach through Napa Green, St. Supéry being one of its certified members, where wineries earn certification by meeting rigorous standards across soil health, water conservation, carbon emissions, and community engagement.
