Bordeaux Rouge Graves 2007 2008

From a regulatory point of view, a definition of organic wine in Europe does not exist: it is not possible to use this definition because there is no EU legislation on organic wine. Currently the only possible definition is "wine made (or product) from organic grapes." (in Italian "vino da agricoltura biologica") This definition is imprecise because it evokes a wine in which the starting raw material (the grapes) is a certified organic, while nothing is said about the transformation process.

That said, the definition of "wine made from organically grown grapes" is reductive. To complete the confusion, finally, we must add that in normally market these wines are already listed and recognized simply as "organic wine", as evidenced by articles, guides and prizes for this specific field of oenology. Finally, some certification bodies' disciplinary explicitly speak of "organic wine", although this would not theoretically possible.

This section covers the various disciplines for the vinification of some of the main inspection bodies for organic agriculture, recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture. The disciplines examined are not fundamentally very different, because they still fit into a common regulatory framework, consisting of the rules on organic farming (Council Regulation EEC 2092/91, aspects of the biological method, the list of practices and processes oenological - Annex IV of Reg.CE 1493/99). Although Annex VI to Regulation 2092 explicitly excludes wines, wine will follow the specifications of the general indications.

In Italy there is a common set of standards and guidelines that allow you to say that there are large differences in preparation between wines produced with organic grapes certified by various inspection bodies. For this reason it is impossible to think of arriving at a common specification, then each control body is supposed to monitor and control in the practical part of their control. This specification could be written by the producers themselves, in imitation of the example the French Charte Vin Bio. The revision of the EU regulation on organic farming, however, finally speaks up rules for wine and then the problem of a national governing organic wine is no longer interesting.

The regional situation

In Italy there are 32000  acres of organic produced grapes, a clear majority of the South and Islands. Eight regions including Abruzzo and Molise, account for half of the national area

Almost 70% of organic wine-growing areas is concentrated in six regions

Sicily 8000 hectares

Tuscany 4000

Puglia 3000

Abruzzo 2500

Emilia Romagna 2500


Other way to say organic wine is biological wine or just bio wine.

Many producers of Organic Wine make them also Charity wines or made with ecologic backaging as recycled bottles.