There are many reasons to choose organic wine and bubbly for your eco-friendly wedding celebration. First of all know your choices - later we’ll look at some specifics, but just to be clear you can choose basic organic wine (no bubbles), organic champagne and sparkling wines (all are different). Below are just some of the reasons why you should look for organic wine and bubbly for your green wedding.
An excellent taste experience: Organic bubbly and wine flavor far surpasses conventional versions. Organic farmers take plenty of time to create better soil before they grow their fruit. Better soil leads to better fruit which of course leads to an overall better beverage. When considering wine alone, healthy soil and special soil amendments mean that organic wine tends to have a bolder more intense flavor than conventional wine.
Pesticides don’t belong at any celebration: Honestly, why drink pesticides if you don’t have to? Especially on your very special wedding day. Certified organic beverages have zero pesticides to dampen your wedding. The USDA notes that any wine or other beverage labeled with 100% Organic, ”Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients and have been processed using organically produced processing aids.” See the USDA wine labeling guide (pdf) for more information.
Speaking of pesticides: While it’s nuts to allow pesticides to pollute your body, pesticides also mean bad news for the planet. Grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed (with pesticides) crops. In fact, year in a year out, grapes make the dirty dozen list. Not only do pesticides affect your body but they affect the soil, air and water (used to grow other crops). Pesticides also harm farmers and their children. When you choose organics for your wedding and all year round you’re not only keeping yourself healthy but also helping to keep farmers (and farmers children) healthy.
Prevent soil erosion: I know, nothing is more glamorous than soil erosion! But seriously, if soil erosion isn’t something you’re currently thinking about, it should be because it does affect you, your health and the health of your loved ones in ways you probably can’t even imagine. Not only is massive soil erosion responsible for planetary woes including land damage estimated to be $400 billion per year and biodiversity problems with crops but erosion increases the amount of dust carried by wind, which creates air pollution issues and can carry human infectious disease organisms, including anthrax and tuberculosis. Sadly there’s a lot more at stake – learn more about soil erosion.
Organic wine and sparkling beverages are the perfect way to celebrate while helping to eliminate all these issues above. It’s a far more lovable choice for your green wedding. When choosing a wine or other sparkling beverage make sure it comes from a sustainable vineyard or certified organic company.
More help:
- Look for biodynamic wines.
- A great F&Q about organic wine from the Organic Wine Company.
- Clearing up the Confusion about Organic Wine
- Appellation Wine and Spirits – this unconventional wine store focuses on producers that depart from convention and make wine that is organic or biodynamic. They don’t just carry wine though and also make a point of sharing exactly how each product they sell is sustainable or not.
- Organic Wine Journal
