Scottsdale Health December 2019

5 Reasons
to Drink
Organic
Wine
list
/ by Suneil Jain
Dr. Suneil Jain, NMD
is a naturopathic physician
and the founder&
owner of Rejuvena
Health & Aesthetics.
Rejuvena is located in
North Scottsdale and
is one of the leading
practices in the United
States specializing in
wellness and healthy
aging. Dr. Jain bridges
the traditional tenets of
naturopathic medicine
with modern advances
in aesthetic medicine to
provide his patients with
a comprehensive plan to
begin their rejuvenation
and take responsibility
of their health. To
learn more, visit www.
werejuvenate.com or call
480-551-9000.
Organic food has a reputation for being healthier than conventional, and there is evidence that supports
that. While the health benefits of wine are less clear, one doesn’t have to be a wine connoisseur to understand
that the production process of organic wine is much cleaner than conventional wine, which may bring
more benefits when drinking it.
1. Sustainable
organic farming
and production
methods
To create organic
wine, you have
to start with
organic farming.
Organic farming
practices can
include the use
of cover crops,
green manures,
animal manures,
animal grazing,
water conservation,
renewable
resources and crop
rotations. These
practices have
many benefits
for the land and
grapes, including
helping to fertilize
the soil, naturally
managing weeds
and insects, reducing
presence of
harmful bacteria
or molds, and
promoting biodiversity.
2. Certification
program
USDA has three
levels of organic
certification that
can appear on
wine bottles:
“100% organic,”
“organic” and
“made with
organic grapes.”
Each of these has
standards for the
amount of organic
ingredients that
must be in the
wine (100% organic
ingredients, at
least 95% and at
least 70%, respectively).
In order
to maintain their
organic status,
every year organic
grape growers
must be inspected
by the USDA and
meet all qualifications.
This ensures
that the winemakers
continue to
use only organic
grapes and no synthetic
additives.
3. Free of
synthetic
additives
It may come
as a surprise,
but many conventional
wines
may contain synthetic
additives.
Organic wine that
receives the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture organic
certification cannot
contain additives,
meaning synthetic
pesticides and herbicides
will not be
found in organic
wines.
4. No added
sulfites
Although organic
wine is made with
organically grown
grapes, it can still
contain sulfites.
Sulfites are naturally
present in the
skin of grapes, so
all wine will contain
at least some.
However, organic
winemakers claim
to use only small
amounts of additives,
including sulfites
or no added
sulfites at all. The
total sulfite level
of organic wines
must be less than
20 ppm (parts per
million). Naturally
occurring sulfites
are different than
added sulfites as
they do not produce
sensitivity or
allergic reactions
the same way.
5. Higher chance
of containing
native yeasts
Wild, natural
yeasts are different
than
added yeasts
because they are
derived from the
skins of grapes.
Conventionally
grown grapes
(non-organic) don’t
have much natural
yeast present at all
because pesticides
usually destroy
them. But organically
grown grapes
contain higher
levels of native
yeasts because
pesticides are
not used. When
the grapes are
crushed, the yeast
is released, which
begins the process
of converting
sugar to alcohol,
helping to create a
more unique wine.
18 ScottsdaleHealth 12/19