Earth Friendly Wines for the Discerning Palate

with Michel Ginoulhac and Veronique Raskin

Organic wines are myth busters, according to Dr. Michel Ginoulhac, co-founder of the Organic Wine Company. “People are under the understanding that organic wines are very expensive, unaffordable to most. This may be true for much organic food, but not wines.”

And Michel should know. He and his sister, Veronique Raskin, come from a family of grape growers. For more than 200 years, their family has grown grapes and made wine at Château Bousquette in the south of France. In 1970, their grandfather, a retired professor of medicine, decided to devote his “Golden Years” to the family estate. He studied and experimented, seeking better, healthier ways of growing grapes and making wine. In 1972, he began cultivating his 50 acres of vineyards organically. The family remains dedicated to the well-being of the earth, and today the brother and sister serve as ambassadors for organic wines. Almost twenty years ago, Veronique founded the Organic Wine Company, thus importing the first French organic wines into the United States. Meanwhile, Michel took charge of the family property, making wines and helping to bring to life the region’s Organic Growers Association (AIVB). The Languedoc region has since become the largest producer of organic wines. Today, they remain dedicated to not only importing great wines, but also to spreading the cause of organic viticulture on both sides of the ocean.

‘Why consume organic wine?’ we asked. “Why not?” was Michel’s response. “For one, it is a matter of health. Many consumers are not aware of the fact that grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops around, and that when pesticides are sprayed on the grape skins to protect them from disease, they end up as residue in the wine (by being washed from the grapes as they are pressed or put in the vat). In addition to contact pesticides, there are also systemic pesticides which penetrate the plant and end up in the grape pulp, and inevitably as residue in the wine. A number of these chemicals are of great concern because they are suspected carcinogens.”

Second, is the grave issue of the environment. “There is no doubt that growing under organic conditions protects the environment and the people that work in the vineyards from the adverse effects of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides,” states Michel. “The important issues of soil depletion and erosion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, ecological impact, resistance to pests and chemical dependence cannot be ignored. Organic is more than simply a way of farming. It is also a philosophy. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘We did not inherit the Earth from our forefathers, we are borrowing it from our descendants.’ The fundamental idea behind organic wine is that making wine from grapes grown without chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides, and other synthetic chemicals is better both for the planet AND for the wine drinker because all of these things can damage the soil and the plant, and can end up in the wine as residue.”

‘Do organic wines taste as good as conventional wines?’ we wonder. Michele continues our wine education. “Nowadays, French organic wines show up consistently among the top ten best wines of any region (when available), being cited in magazines as the most innovative, interesting and personalized products around. Additionally, many organic vineyards hand pick their grapes, rather than using mechanical pickers. This allows only the ripest and healthiest bunches to be picked, with the minimum amount of stress/damage to the vine, fruit or soil. Organic vineyards choose organic methods to obtain the strongest and richest grapes possible.“

In closing, Michel shares a bit more of his personal philosophy. “I am a healer at heart, much like all of the men in our family, all seven of them physicians. Structural Integration, otherwise known as Rolfing, was my chosen profession to help human beings towards balance and well-being. The purpose of our company is to provide healing to everyone we touch. We believe wine is a sacred beverage: it was good enough for Jesus to unify his disciples and celebrate life and death with them. We are not just the importers of a commodity, nor the founder of a politically correct movement. We are healers and so is our company.”

If wine is to be on your holiday menu this year, we encourage you to support organic wine growers like Michel and Veronique, so their efforts may flourish along with our personal and planetary health.

For more information on organic wines or to place an order, visit www.theorganicwinecompany.com or call 1-888-ECO-WINE (326-9463).