As a professional, my beliefs are predicated upon science.  Most of my prior careers were based upon math, physics and medicine…...You can’t get much more scientific than that!  I don’t exclude non-scientific hypothesis and concepts.  I just don’t give them nearly as much weight.

Being so heavily invested in science, I thought that it would be instructive to dig into the concept of Organic, Biodynamic and Sustainable Viticulture, practices that evoke strong emotions on both the science and non-science side.   Organic Viticulture:

Organic viticulture is the technique of vine and grape growth that shuns conventional man-made compounds such as fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides including genetically modified compounds.  The organic farmer places primary emphasis on soil health and preventative rather than reactive measures.  Preventative measures are meant not to enter either the vine sap or the grape pulp.  Organic farming, it is hoped, will result in less pollutant runoff of contaminants from the vines and soils.  Fertilizer is comprised of compost, which farmers believe nourishes the soil which, in turn, will feed the vine.  Some farmers claim that the results are vine shoots that are require much less trimming, producing more reliable yields.  Weed management, when necessary, can be approached through mowing, ruminants (such as sheep) or burning.  Another approach is to plant cover crops between the rows of vines.   Organic products in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in accordance with the Organic Food and Production Act (OFPA) passed in 1990 (7 C.F.R. pt. 205).   Products labeled as "organic" must be certified according to standards for ingredients and production set by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and administered by the National Organic Program (NOP) within the USDA. Organic wines are to be produced without the use of most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.   The “organic” process can be applied to grapes, winemaking or both.  For the term to be applied to winemaking, no artificial man-made products may be added to the juice, including sulfites which suppress spoilage.  The result is that, in the United States, less than 1% of all wine is declared as organic wine, even if its grapes were farmed in an organic manner.