Despite wine consumption being down, wine tourism appears to be doing well. Aside from the classic winemaking regions, organic and biodynamic vineyards are garnering attention. Waitrose reported an increase of 47% in sales of organic wine in the UK last year, and the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) predicts that global sales of organic wine will hit 1 billion bottles in 2022. The global organic wine market is experiencing rapid growth, valued at approximately $13.34 billion in 2025 and projected to reach over $30 billion by 2033–2034. Driven by health consciousness, sustainability concerns, and premiumization -- using premium, science-led formulations to create high-performance products that command higher prices, this sector thrives even as overall wine consumption declines. Europe dominates production and consumption, with France, Italy, and Spain leading. Canada has recently become known for this quality.
It would be interesting if Ireland became known as a sustainable organic/biodynamic winemaking region -- wine cultivated and produced with nature in mind. Farm-to-fork thinking extended to grape-to-glass. As our soils are irgin territory for vine growing and have not been contaminated for the most part, it would be possible to build this notion from the ground up.
Certified organic wine doesn’t use genetically modified organisms or contain sulphites (conventional wines use GMO yeast). Producers use 100 per cent organic grapes and can’t use toxic pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilisers. They fertilise with compost, compost teas, green manure and cover crops. They rely on mechanical weeding, mowing around the vines, mulching and companion planting. Some let miniature sheep or alpacas graze in the vineyard to "mow the grass". To avoid using insecticides to control cutworms, they let chickens graze under the vines or handpick worms off leaves.
Biodynamic producers cultivate grapes without pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, synthetic fertilisers, or growth stimulants, and often meet or exceed standards and regulations for organic-certified farming. They follow a calendar that emphasises nature’s interconnections via the elements of earth, fire, air and water. They harvest grapes and drink wine on “fruit days,” water the plants on “leaf days,” prune the vines on “root days”, and leave the vineyard alone on “flower days.”
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| Biodynamic winemakers follow a calendar of activity on specific root, flower, fruit and leaf days, related to the phases of the moon. |
Producers who don’t add anything to grape growing or winemaking processes are considered natural winemakers. Because they don’t filter, most of their wines are cloudy or retain sediments. The wines are often effervescent and may take on unique flavours.
Not all organic wine is natural, but all natural wines are made with organically or biodynamically grown grapes (typically hand-harvested).
Meanwhile, vineyards in Bordeaux are also jumping on the sustainability wagon. More extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as frequent cold winters and extreme summer heat, are shortening growing seasons and increasing fungal diseases and vine mortality rates.
