by Carolyn Prusa CWE
A Green Boomer is defined as someone who first fell in love with Mother Earth during the sixties and has become even more dedicated to her preservation as they have aged. We're told there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 million Green Boomers in the United States. A great many of them are wine drinkers with strong convictions regarding the brands they choose.
Ladybugs feast on
vineyard predators
Organic Wine
Truly organic wines are rare. The USDA National Organic Program defines organic wine as “a wine made from organically grown grapes and without any added sulfites.” All wine contains some sulfites since it is a byproduct of fermentation, but only a handful of wineries are willing to forgo adding more since sulfite is a preservative that prevents oxidation and bacterial spoilage.
Wine from Organically Grown Grapes
According to current USD standards, a wine must have one ppm (part per million) or less to carry a “no sulfites” label. Wines containing less than 10 ppm may be labeled “contains only naturally occurring sulfites - no sulfites added” or there may be no mention of sulfites at all. Wines with more than 10 ppm must be marked “contains sulfites.” While conventional wines are allowed to contain sulfites up to 350 ppm, wines carrying “made with organic grapes” on the label must contain less than 100 ppm of combined natural and added sulfites.
Organic vineyards tend to yield less than conventionally managed ones, and require more time and effort for the grower. But, there's no question that these methods are better for the earth and all of its inhabitants.
The basic tenets are simple enough: An organic viticulturist adds compost and manure instead of chemicals. Plants such as dill, fennel, daikon, mayweed, mustard, vetch and bell beans are grown between the rows to provide the soil with organic matter, retain soil structure and stimulate water infiltration. The plants also attract aphids and other vineyard pests, which in turn attract beneficial insect predators such as wasps, ladybugs and lacewings.
After the predators feast on the aphids, they turn their attention to other common vine pests such as mites and leafhoppers. It's all part of a natural ecosystem.
In the United States, in order to be certified as organic, documentation must be provided that chemical pesticides and herbicides have not been used in the vineyard for a period of three years.
Biodynamic Wine
Biodynamics is now one of the hottest trends in grape growing, with some of the world's top wineries embracing the philosophy. This is not to say it's a new concept.
Considered the most extreme form of organic agriculture, biodynamic farming was spawned by the Austrian anthroposophist, Rudolf Steiner, in the mid-1920s. From the Greek word 'bio,' which means life-energy, its “dynamic” aspect revolves around the belief that plants - and all living things - respond not only to nutrition but also to the various natural rhythms of the cosmos. For instance, biodynamic winemakers wait until the moon has waned to rack their wines (clarify the liquid by siphoning it from one container to another leaving solid matter behind). And, why not? Consider the powerful impact the moon has on the ocean's tides - or people for that matter. The word “lunatic” derives from luna (moon) because of the full moon's effect on human behavior. Point made.
As part of the integrated farm ecosystem, biodynamics also requires farms to include animals and diversified plant crops. The aim is to turn the land into a self-sustaining, selfregulating habitat.