It has long been known that certain fruits and vegetables consistently show higher levels of contamination and pesticide residues than others, because many of them have delicately thin skin or no skin. In mangoes and avocados, the thick, durable rind is completely separated from the flesh inside the fruit and serves as an effective barrier against harmful chemicals. In thin-skinned fruits such as apples, peaches, berries and, unfortunately, grapes, the protection offered is negligible and the contamination is extensive.
Fruits and vegetables make our drink
As I’m sure we all know, grapes are the main component used in making wine, and you guessed it, all that pesticide residue you absorb is transferred directly into the delicious alcoholic beverage they produce. This is an astonishing and disturbing revelation for me, who has always been under the impression that a daily glass of red wine is of immense benefit to overall health. As I learn more and more about the poor standards maintained by the food industry, I am alternately horrified by them, what they do, and myself for not having realized it sooner.
The health benefits of wine are definitely not in dispute, but the harmful effects of the chemicals are likely to subtract or counteract them altogether. Luckily, once we get educated we discover that, as always, there is an alternative.
Organic Wines
The term “organic” regulated by the USDA has a universal meaning when applied in the United States, whether to food, agricultural products or products that are made with them, in this case organic wine. The USDA family labeling standard means the same for organic wine as it does for other foods.
- 100% Organic – 100% of the ingredients used to make the wine are organic. No additional additives or preservatives are added, such as sulfites, although they may be of natural origin.
- Organic: made with 95 – 99% organic ingredients, again without the addition of preservatives. Both “Organic” and “100% Organic” are authorized to display the USDA green organic symbol.
- Made with organic ingredients: refers to products that contain between 70% and 94% organic ingredients. Sulfites can be added, but not to exceed 100 parts per million. These products do not carry the USDA seal.
There is a third category of wine, known as “biodynamic” wine, which is essentially the same as 100% organic. However, the term biodynamic indicates that producing farmers manage their farms in a way that mimics the natural rhythms of nature as closely as possible. The idea of ​​biodynamics is that all parts of the farm, from the plants they grow to the soil in which they grow them, are fundamentally interlocking parts of an autonomous, self-powered, and self-sufficient system. This means that conditions within the farm are designed to function indefinitely without the introduction of external resources. Some characteristics of biodynamic agriculture are the extensive use of self-made compost and other natural fertilizers, as well as the astrological coordination of sowing and harvesting.
All organic wine can be considered safe and free from pesticide contamination, and it still has myriad health benefits. And while I specifically like to look for biodynamic wines whenever possible, because I believe that the system they use is the most sustainable and by far the noblest, I am in no way opposed to buying pure organic wine and supporting the people who make them. produce.