Organic Viticulture in Germany by Paulin Kopfer and Helga Willer. Paper prepared for BIOBACCHUS, International Organic Wine Conference, Frascati, Villa Aldobrandini, 5-6 May 2001.

What is Organic Wine? Following the recent creation by the USDA of a National Organic Program, an organic wine is now defined as "a wine made from organically grown grapes and without any added sulfites". By this unfortunate restriction, the vast majority of what you and I have been calling organic wines must now be referred to as "wines made from organic grapes", as they are allowed to contain up to 100 ppm of added sulfites.