Two bottles on the same shelf can both mention organic and still follow different federal rules. On an American wine label, organic wine and made with organic grapes are separate categories, and the line between them is mostly about one ingredient: added sulfites. Here is how to read each claim, and what the words natural and biodynamic do and do not promise.

Who sets the rules

Two federal agencies share the job. The US Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program, part of its Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), sets what counts as organic. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approves wine labels through its Certificate of Label Approval process. AMS says an organic wine label has to clear both: a USDA-accredited certifying agent reviews it against the organic rules first, and the producer then submits it to TTB.

Organic wine

For a wine to say organic on the front and carry the green-and-white USDA organic seal, AMS guidance requires:

  • Certified organic grapes and other agricultural ingredients, including yeast, unless the needed strain is not available in organic form.
  • No added sulfites. Sulfites (sulfur dioxide and related compounds) are widely used to protect wine from spoilage and oxidation. Wine makes a small amount naturally during fermentation, and AMS allows only those naturally occurring sulfites, under 10 parts per million, in this category. A claim of only naturally occurring sulfites requires a lab analysis.
  • Any non-agricultural ingredients must be on the program's National List of allowed substances and together make up no more than 5% of the product, excluding salt and water.
  • Oversight by an accredited certifier, named on the label below the bottler.

Made with organic grapes

This is the category for wine made from organic grapes with sulfites added. AMS guidance says:

  • All of the grapes must be certified organic. Other agricultural ingredients, such as yeast, do not have to be.
  • Sulfur dioxide may be added up to 100 parts per million, and the label must say the wine contains sulfites. Other sulfite forms, such as potassium metabisulfite, are not allowed.
  • No USDA organic seal. AMS states that any added sulfites make a wine eligible only for the made with category, and that such wines may not use the seal. The certifier's own logo may appear.
  • The words made with organic grapes must all be in the same style and no larger than half the size of the biggest text on the label.

AMS adds that sulfites may be added only to wine made with organic grapes. A wine made with other organic fruit, such as apples, may not contain added sulfites.

Wine that misses both categories

A wine that blends organic and non-organic grapes, goes over 100 parts per million of sulfur dioxide, or uses a prohibited input cannot be certified at all. AMS says such a label may list specific organic ingredients in an ingredient statement and give the percentage of organic content, but it may not use the seal or a certifier's logo or make other organic claims.

What natural means

There is no certification for natural wine in the United States. TTB's guidance on the word dates to Industry Circular 85-4, issued in 1985, which allows a grape, fruit or other agricultural wine to be called natural if it is made without added alcohol or brandy. That is a narrow test. It says nothing about farming, yeast, sulfites or filtering, which is what most shoppers mean by natural wine today. Treat the word as the producer's description of its approach, then look for the details on the back label or the winery's site.

TTB's wine FAQs add that descriptions of specialized farming practices may appear on a label if they are truthful, accurate and specific, and that the bureau may ask for documented proof of any certification a label claims.

What biodynamic means

Biodynamic is a private certification, not a federal one. In the US it is run by Demeter USA. According to Demeter, the whole farm must be certified, not part of it; land converting from conventional farming needs three years, or one year if it is already organic; and at least 10% of total acreage must be set aside for biodiversity. Demeter says biodynamic farming meets the organic standard's ban on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and adds requirements of its own, including its preparations made from plants, minerals and composted manure. One catch: grapes from a certified farm do not automatically make a certified biodynamic wine. The wine must also meet Demeter's separate wine processing standard.

At the shop

Turn the bottle around. If you see the USDA organic seal, the wine was made without added sulfites. If you see made with organic grapes and a certifier's name, the grapes were organic and sulfites were likely added. For biodynamic, look for the Demeter name. For natural, ask the staff or check the producer's site for how the wine was farmed and made, since the word on its own does not certify any of that.

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