Alexandre Dalifard 5:41 p.m., March 06, 2023

For several years now, society has been turning more and more towards ecology.

And wine is one of the sectors most affected by this trend.

Between the different labels and levels of eco-responsibility, it is sometimes difficult to choose a good ecological wine.

Europe 1 presents the tricks to know.

How to choose a more eco-responsible wine?

First of all, the question of the carbon footprint arises when wines come from Australia, South Africa or even Argentina, which is very fashionable at the moment.

Before arriving in the glass, these products travel thousands of kilometres, which generates a significant carbon footprint.

Knowing that France is the world's second largest wine producer, just behind Italy, consuming locally should be encouraged.

In addition, consumers easily get lost between the different appellations, such as organic or biodynamic wines.

To better understand them and choose a good, more eco-responsible wine, Perrine Brami, environmental columnist and guest in 

Bienfait pour vous

, reveals some tips. 

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Three levels of eco-responsibility

Organic, biodynamic wines… What to choose?

There are three levels of eco-responsibility in wine.

"The first are organic wines. They are certified by recognized labels (AB or Eurofeuille). They guarantee a more limited number of inputs. These are the products that winegrowers add to improve yield or protect the vine" , specifies Perrine Brami at the microphone of Mélanie Gomez and Julia Vignali.

So there are fewer inputs in organic and there are no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. 

A notch above, there are biodynamic wines.

"It's a little more complex and also more esoteric", underlines the columnist.

"They cultivate according to even stricter specifications than organic wines on the number of inputs. Except that in addition, the winegrowers use natural preparations based on plants or herbs and respect a specific calendar based on the moon or the planets. It's much more demanding," says Perrine Brami.

To guarantee all this, there are two labels to refer to: Biodyvin and Demeter.

The third category is the holy grail of eco-responsibility.

“On the other hand, be careful, the name is a little vague”, alerts the columnist.

These are often wines from small productions with grapes harvested by hand and no chemicals.

"The winemaker actually intervenes very little in the vinification. Almost nothing is added or taken away," she concludes.

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Better quality?

Is a better-for-the-planet wine going to taste better?

"It's impossible to answer black or white to this question because there are very good wines from conventional agriculture. Moreover, the biggest houses do not have a label and they do not brandish it as a standard. for those who have it", recognizes Perrine Brami.

The very prestigious Château Latour, for example, is one of the greatest wines of Bordeaux and has been certified organic since 2018, except that they do not communicate about it at all.

Conversely, wines made with respect for the environment can sometimes be real scum.

"The simple piece of advice is to talk to your wine merchant. He knows his products and the working method of the winegrowers. Otherwise, there are also many specialized websites", informs the columnist.