How green is your red?

As wineries gain sustainable certifications, shop carefully

By Toby Van Fleet

Pamplin Media Group, May 8, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

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“Organic” wine contains at least 95 percent certified organically produced content and no sulfites. Wine “made with organic grapes” has at least 70 percent certified organic content, and therefore can – and probably does – contain sulfites.

The absence of chemicals does not fully address the bigger ecological picture. Growers looking for the overall sustainability factor that organic certification doesn’t cover often go biodynamic.

Based on the farming methods of Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic agriculture takes into account the entire farm ecosystem, aiming for a self-sufficient cycle with minimal input from outside the system.

It still comes down to taste

Brick House Vineyards (www.brickhousewines.com) owner Doug Tunnell says biodynamic farming is “organic plus.” He has been making certified organic wine since 1992 and received biodynamic certification from the Demeter Association in 2005.

That “plus,” he says, is not just looking at what the grower doesn’t use but at what the grower does use and optimizing what’s growing in the context of the farm as a living organism. Just as your house is not just a place to sleep, Tunnell says, soil is not just dirt.

Tunnell shelled out $2,700 in April to renew both his organic and biodynamic certifications, but he says that’s nothing compared with what some folks spend on advertising.

“I want people to know,” he says of his growing practices. But labeling aside, Tunnell doesn’t want people to buy his wine because it’s sustainable.

“The first and most important reason you buy a wine is because you like the way it tastes,” he says. “By the way, we think it tastes better because it’s organic and biodynamic.”

Wine fans can decide for themselves Memorial Day weekend –or anytime. When heading out to wine country, seek out sustainability.

Many wineries take their commitment beyond the vines and the processing, incorporating green building practices into their businesses as well.

Stoller Vineyard’s (www.stol lervineyards.com) entire winery is LEED-certified, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a designation issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Sokol Blosser Winery (sokolblosser.com) boasts organic certification and a LEED-certified barrel cellar.

Van Duzer Vineyards (www. vanduzer.com) also claims dedication to green methods. Van Duzer will donate 10 percent of its Memorial Day sales to Solv, a nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up and beautifying Oregon communities.

But these are just a few wineries worth a visit. Winery hours vary, even on big visitor weekends, so check the Web before heading out.

tobyvanfleet@portlandtribune.com

Find out more

Certified wineries

The Oregon Wine Board provides a list of wineries with LIVE, organic and biodynamic certification.

Call 503-228-8336, or visit www.oregonwine.org.

The Willamette Valley, with some 200 wineries, is home to more than two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards.

To plan a wine-tasting adventure, contact Willamette Valley Wineries Association, 503-646-2985, www.willamettewines.com or Willamette Valley Visitors Association, 1-866-548-5018, www.oregonwinecountry.org.

Vital stats

• “Organic” wine contains at least 95 percent certified organically produced content and no sulfites. Wine “made with organic grapes” has at least 70 percent certified organic content, and therefore can — and probably does — contain sulfites.
• Yamhill County is the state’s largest producer of wine grapes, producing nearly 11,000 tons in 2006.

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