To say that there is a bit of confusion surrounding the terms organic, natural and biodynamic in the realm of wine may be a subtle understatement. Here at UVA, we often receive inquiries for clarification as well as requests for good examples. And the most common question is “do you have any organic wine?” YES, but first some clarification.

Organic wine (per the USDA) is wine made from organically grown grapes and vinified using organic methods (no added chemicals or preservatives etc., although it does allow for a small amount of added sulphur). There is a separate designation for wines made from organically grown grapes that don’t employ organic vinification.

Biodynamic wines are completely organic, but they follow strict, natural methods that don’t allow for such things as machine harvesting or importing fertilizer. They also plant and harvest according to the moon cycle. Finally, there are many winemakers out there who are committed to using the best, natural methods that respect their land and their grapes but who for various reasons don’t practice entirely organic or biodynamic methods.

At UVA we are always looking for these types of wines. We have a large selection of certified organic and organically grown wines plus many more wines that are made organically or biodynamically but w/out “official” certification. The vast majority of what we offer is made “naturally”, i.e. in a way that allows for the full potential of the grapes w/out sacrificing quality or the surrounding environment.