Just about every week I get an email from another wine estate touting their green consciousness. Sometimes it’s about newly 
certified organic vineyards. Not uncommonly, the news is that a producer is converting to ultra-organic biodynamic farming. And I get plenty of emails heralding a winery’s new commitment to recycling water, using solar power or bio-diesel fuel, or adopting some other eco-friendly practice.
In fact, in my travels I’ve found going green is on the rise in every wine region in the world–Spain now has over 100 wineries with organic vineyards, while the number of biodynamic U. S. wineries is five times what it was only a few years ago.
So, now seemed to be the right time to start a column devoted to reviewing the latest ‘green’ wines and tracking important issues and developments.
Once a skeptic, I first became interested in this movement more 
than a decade ago. One weekend in a California winery guesthouse I woke up at dawn coughing and rubbing my eyes because the vineyard was being sprayed with chemicals that drifted in the open windows. Soon after came a visit to Burgundy where I tasted wines made from biodynamically grown grapes compared with those that weren’t. Not only did the biodynamic vines look almost shiny with health, the wines seemed to have extra intensity and life, purer, more vibrant flavors, and a clarity and transparency that reflected their terroir far better than neighboring wines made from grapes fed by chemicals.
Treading lightly on the land by cutting down on pesticides and herbicides in the vineyard makes obvious environmental sense to me, as this approach benefits viticultural workers, neighbors, and those staying in vineyard guesthouses as well as the planet. Who wouldn’t be for that?
But despite my continuing enthusiasm, I have to admit that going green isn’t some automatic guarantee the wines will taste better.
Not every vineyard has a distinctive terroir, and over the years I’ve sampled some indifferent as well as pretty funky bottlings that 
seemed to hark back to the iffy organic wines of twenty years ago, which were definitely in the brown rice and Birkenstock hippie camp. The best ‘green’ wines I’ve tasted over the past decade (no surprise) were made by great winemakers like Anne-Claude Leflaive and Lalou Bize-Leroy in Burgundy who follow the biodynamic path on great terroirs.
Most consumers and critics still don’t understand what the various eco-terms and certification logos on labels mean, and wineries themselves haven’t helped much in sorting out the confusion. The state that has done the best job explaining terminology is Oregon, where nearly one third of the wineries are labeled sustainable, organic, or biodynamic.
Similarly, many consumers and critics remain unclear on whether different practices affect a wine’s taste and quality, or how they do so.
The term ‘sustainable,’ which is appearing on more and more on back labels, guarantees little. Though Oregon and Washington have certification processes for carefully defined ‘sustainable’ practices like using manure instead of fertilizer, the term has mostly become a catch-all industry marketing buzzword whose meaning depends on who you’re talking to.
‘Made from organically-grown grapes’ is clearer. These are vineyards untouched by the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or 
synthetic fertilizers common in modern viticulture. Instead growers control weeds, insects, rot, and the gophers that eat vine roots by natural means, like turning sheep loose in the vineyard to munch up the weeds. To put those words on the label, estates must farm organically for 3 years, add no more than a bare minimum of sulfites as a preservative (these have been used for 2000 years, by the way), avoid genetically modified vines or yeasts, and have the process certified by an independent agency such as California’s CCOF, Oregon’s Tilth, or Europe’s Ecocert.
Among the latest California wineries to take the organic plunge are the historic Charles Krug winery and Rebel Wine Company (the group behind the innovative Three Thieves’ wines), which recently launched True Earth, a line of inexpensive wines.
However, none of the strictures that must be observed in order to designate a wine as having been made from organically-grown grapes would prevent these wineries from utilizing all sorts of very unnatural winemaking practices, such as using color enhancer Mega-Purple or dial-a-flavor synthetic yeast.
Confusingly, ‘organic wine’ is not the same thing as wine ‘made from organically grown grapes.’ Wines labeled ‘organic wine’ start with certified organically grown grapes, but no sulfites can be added during the winemaking process. These tend to be more fragile, and are easily damaged by heat in shipping or on shop shelves. I often find they taste much better close to their home turf than they do when I get them home.
Growers working according to even more thoroughgoing biodynamic practices not only shun chemicals but also consider the effects of the sun, moon, and planets, aligning their viticultural practices with nature’s rhythms. Based on a holistic farming system and cosmic philosophy put forward by Austrian scientist, philosopher, and education pioneer Rudolph Steiner in the 1920s, biodynamics views a farm as a living organism influenced by cosmic energy.
People have made much of the kookier, new-agey aspects of this system, such as the business of burying manure-filled cow horns by moonlight. But much more important is adherents’ obsession with building the soil by spraying special preparations made from ground quartz and dried flowers on the vines. Late last fall in Chile, winemaker Alvaro Espinoza, who learned about biodynamics at Sonoma’s Fetzer and Bonterra, showed me how he mixed them up in a dynamizer machine. Mike Benziger, whose Sonoma estate vineyards are certified biodynamic, once told me, “Microorganisms transmit the soil’s nutrients as well as its personality and character to the vine. And all that comes through in the flavor.’
One of the most recent California converts is Grgich Hills. By the end of this year, all the winery’s 366 acres will have been certified by the international DEMETER organization (in Europe many wineries use Biodyvin). Viticulturalist Ivo Jeramaz says, ‘If the soil is dead, how can you talk about terroir?’ He’s convinced biodynamics produces wines with personality and life, as opposed to ‘Hollywood fake stuff or big vulgar wines.’ Actually, I agree with him.
In most people’s minds, biodynamics is about the vineyard, but Demeter has now added protocols for winemaking too. Starting with the 2006 vintage, the words ‘wine made from Demeter certified grapes’ on the label will indicate adherence to notably natural winemaking practices, such as using only natural yeast. Maybe this is in response to France’s growing ‘natural wine’ movement, which combines organics and biodynamics in the vineyard with equally natural winemaking in the cellar.
My biggest problem with the green movement is the confusion wineries themselves cause. Many use organic or biodynamic methods but don’t get certified because the process is too time-consuming and expensive. Others make several lines of wines, each with a different level of eco-friendliness. Benziger, for example, farms its lowest level wines ‘sustainably,’ has some bottlings that are certified ‘organically-grown,’ and a top line of estate wines that carry biodynamic certification from Demeter. Recently the winery has started to clarify which is which, but the fact remains that all carry the Benziger name and the halo of biodynamics encircles them all–deservingly or not.
No one knows exactly how many wine estates today have freed themselves from chemical dependency en route to making more natural wines. As more jump on this bandwagon, I hope they’ll make what they’re doing clear. I’ll be tasting to see if the taste lives up to the hype.
WINES
Grgich Hills, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay Estate 
Grown 2005 ($40): This is made from a combination of organically and biodynamically grown grapes. The 2006 will have biodynamic certification. This 2005 is a rich, savory white with notes of pear and honey, also showing crisp acidity, a long complex finish, and plenty of finesse. I find it much more elegant and balanced than earlier, non-organic bottlings. 92
Frog’s Leap Winery, Rutherford (Napa Valley, California) Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($18): Owner John Williams has long pursued a green vision. This wine, like his others, is made from organically grown grapes, but he is now experimenting with biodynamics. Fermented in stainless, this zesty, refreshing white has a crisp minerality and subtle flavors of lemongrass. 89
Benziger, Mendocino (California) Casey’s Block Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($29): Certified biodynamic. One of four 2006 Benziger Sauvignon Blancs; sustainable North Coast appellation ($13); organically-grown Shone Farm Russian River Valley ($29); biodynamic Paradiso de Maria Sonoma Mountain ($33; not tasted). Casey’s Block is my favorite, with its very fresh taste of bright fruit and exhibiting more purity of flavor than the others. 90
Spottswoode Estate, St. Helena (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($110): A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. Certified organic vineyards since 1990. This wonderfully balanced red is consistently rich and plush, with up-front raspberry/cherry fruitiness and a very smooth, lush texture. Fresh acidity gives it juiciness, and hints of herbs and minerals give it a complex taste. This wine consistently ages very well. The 2004 is sexier, with broader flavors and a rich chocolatey element (94), but don’t hesitate to try this lovely 2003. 93
Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Carneros (California) Four Vineyards Pinot Noir 2004 ($52): All Sinskey’s RSV wines are from certified organic grapes, and will be certified biodynamic, too. This bottling is my favorite of Sinskey’s excellent Pinots; its elegance and subtlety, layers of flavors, and long finish remind me of Burgundy. The taste of ripe berries, tart edge of darker fruit, and damp earth are strictly California. 91
Coyam Viños Organicos, Emiliana Valle (Colchagua, Chile) 2003 ($30): This is comprised of 30% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenere, 20% Merlot, and 2% Mourvedre. Alvaro Espinoza is in charge of this certified organic and biodynamic estate. A rich, ripe red blend with great purity of fruit and a velvety texture. 89
Antiyal, Maipo Valley (Chile) 2005 ($55): This is a blend of 
50% Carmenere, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Syrah. It may be Chile’s first ‘garage’ wine, made by Alvaro Espinoza at his own tiny estate in the Maipo Valley. All the grapes are organically and biodyamically grown. It shows a plush texture, with layers of very distinctive juicy, dark fruit flavors, and ripe, soft tannins, all making for luscious drinking. 94
Colomé Estate, Colchaquí Valley (Argentina) Reserva 2004 ($80): A blend of 79% Malbec; 21% Cabernet Sauvignon. Donald Hess, owner of the Napa Valley’s Hess Collection, created this estate in Argentina’s high-altitude Salta province, which farms biodynamically. The first vintage of his showpiece wine, from 150-year-old vines, is elegant, polished, and glossy-textured, with plush intensity and immense concentration. 91
Paul Dolan, Mendocino (California) Dark Horse Ranch ‘Deep Red’ 2004 ($40): A blend of 60% Syrah, 35% Petite Syrah, and 5% Zinfandel. Dolan’s first certified biodynamic wine is a juicy, intense blend with great purity of fruit, mixed berry tones, and an especially velvety texture. 90