🌿 Organic and natural wines

Only organic wine is defined by EU law. Since 2022 Regulation (EU) 2018/848 applies: the wine must be made from organic grapes, and only products and processes authorised for organic production may be used. Some practices are banned, among them partial concentration by cooling, physical removal of sulphur dioxide, electrodialysis, partial de-alcoholisation and cation exchangers; heat treatment may not exceed 75 °C and filters must have pores of at least 0.2 micrometres. Implementing Regulation 2021/1165 limits sulphur dioxide to 100 mg/l in red and 150 mg/l in white and rosé wines with less than 2 g/l of sugar, and to 30 mg/l below the general limits in other wines.

Biodynamic wine follows private standards on top of organic rules. Natural wine and low-intervention wine have no EU definition: they usually mean native yeast, no additives and little or no added sulphur. Vegan wine is fined without animal products such as gelatine, casein or egg white. Kosher wine is made under rabbinical supervision; mevushal wine is also heat-treated. Sacramental wine follows the rules of the Church.

Why it matters to you. The EU organic logo is the only legally controlled claim in this group. “Natural” or “vegan” on a label is the producer's own statement. WHO: no safe level of alcohol exists.