The era in which organic wines were seen as being made by only a small margin of wine growers is long over. We must remember that they were often difficult to drink. Today, it is undeniable that among the best wines, we are increasingly finding those that are made from grapes grown organically or using biodynamic agriculture. The shift towards this trend is even more obvious if we include those wines which are not officially registered as organic but are very close to using organic farming (Lutte raisonnée).

Since the creation of ChateauOnline, we have followed this notion of organic production.
However, beyond the importance of being organic, our tasting team aims to provide our customers with finely produced wines. Therefore, we believe that organic wines should be of course natural but also of a good if not excellent quality. Today, wine connoisseurs should be able to appreciate high quality organic wines.

More than ever, the most important aspect is the quality of the work carried out by the winemaker: Let them decide the practices which enable them to improve the quality and the harmony of their wines.

Our role is to select the best wines, so that´s what we do. If the selected wines are also organic, that´s even better.

In the organic world, we can globally classify vineyards into two big groups:

• Organic Farming:
  The organic culture is based on an approach which doesn´t use harmful chemicals, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers. In order to be certified as being organic, a domain must undergo regular inspections carried out by an accredited organization. It takes 3 years to convert a domain to organic farming; with the first certified organic harvest being in the fourth year after the domain has stopped using chemicals. Growing grapes organically requires more work. The vines are treated with natural products (e.g. organic manure). The fight against disease remains the trickiest part (this is why it is easier to be organic in the South of France than in the North) and authorized fungicides have a sulphur or copper base (the famous Bordeaux mixture)
  The most common certification: Ecocert


• Biodynamic Agriculture:
  Biodynamic agriculture is a sector of organic farming based on the work of Rudolph Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy in the 1920s: the soil is seen as a living thing and the wine growers strive to encourage the life of the soil. This way of farming was popularised in France by Nicolas Joly, who converted his domain, La Coulée de Serrant in the mid 1980s. Today, the number of biodynamic domains is still extremely low (less than 10%). However, they are often significant areas in terms of high quality (Romanée Conti, Domaine Huet, Domaine Mittnacht...). Homeopathic sprays are used to treat the vines and to invigorate the soil. The vineyards are ploughed. Like with classic organic farming, the famous Bordeaux mixture can be used to fight against mildew.

Note that some wine growers are making the effort to shift towards being organic:

• "La lutte raisonnée" :
  This method appeared in the 1990s, but was only officially recognised in 2002. For the producer, it is about having respect for the environment. It is a voluntary process without obligation or inspections. The vines are chemically treated only if the need arises and with products which are the least harmful to the environment. The soil is weeded as often as possible (chemically or by ploughing) but must be weeded mid-row or on alternate rows. This is often the stage before converting to organic farming.
  Recognised labels: Terra Vitis