Congress passed, under Title 21 of the 1990 Farm Bill the "Organic Foods Production Act" (OFPA). The OFPA required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, uniform standards.

The OFPA and the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require that agricultural products labeled as organic originate from farms or handling operations certified by a State or private entity that has been accredited by USDA.

The NOP is a marketing program housed within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Neither the OFPA nor the NOP regulations address food safety or nutrition. More from the USDA

As defined by the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) April 1995

"Organic agriculture" is:

an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

"Organic" is:

a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act.

The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

"Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues" (Return to Top)

The organic crop production standards require that:

• Land must have no prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years before the harvest of an organic crop.
• Soil fertility and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste materials and allowed synthetic materials.
• Crop pests, weeds, and diseases will be controlled primarily through management practices including physical, mechanical, and biological controls. When these practices are not sufficient, a biological, botanical, or synthetic substance approved for use on the National List may be used.
• Preference will be given to the use of organic seeds and other planting stock, but a farmer may use non-organic seeds and planting stock under specified conditions.
• The use of genetic engineering (included in excluded methods), ionizing radiation and sewage sludge is prohibited. (More)

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Since the 2003 vintage the wine label cannot make an organic claim of any kind on the Principal Display Panel (PDP) unless the wine has been certified by an accredited certifying agency,

The basis for the certification are the standards of the National Organic Program (NOP). (Producers with gross organic sales of less than $5,000 are exempt from certification).

To make an organic claim ("made with organic grapes" included) on the PDP, both the vineyard and the winery must be certified. There should be a certifier statement identifying the agent that certified the handler of the finished product. ("Certified organic by [name of certifier]").

All alcohol imported into the United States must be certified to the NOP regulations in order to sell, label, or represent it as organic. Foreign standards are not recognized in the United States.

In addition, all labels must be submitted for approval to a certifying agent as part of their organic system plan and must be approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) before use. Whether the wine can say "organic" will depend on its content and will be determined by the certifying agent in concert with the TTB. How to read the Wine Label

100% Organic

100% of all ingredients must be certified organic i.e. may normally not contain any allowed processing aids or auxiliaries (unless or organic agricultural origin). Allowed: water & salt. Sulfites - "100% Organic" products cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement. In these cases, a lab analysis is necessary to verify that the wine contains less than 10 ppm of sulfites.

Organic

(95 percent+) allows for five percent non-organic ingredients, only when organic agricultural ingredients are not available. The USDA seal and/or certifier logo may be used on the label, but this is not a requirement. However, the certifier statement on the information panel is a requirement. There can be not be any sulfites added to the wine. Sulfites - "Organic" products cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement. In these cases, a lab analysis is necessary to verify that the wine contains less than 10 ppm of sulfites.

"Made with organic grapes"

(70 percent+) allows for 30% non-organic ingredients when organic ingredients are not available to the producer. These wines also may have the addition of sulfur dioxide. The resulting wine might have added Sulfites during the processing not exceeding 100 parts per million. The producer cannot use the USDA seal. The certifier’s statement is a requirement but not the certifier's logo.

This designation is available to vintners who farm or purchase grapes grown on certified acreage and their bottling winery's handling and processing operations also must be certified according to the National Organic Program regulations.

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This wine does not require certification as long as the organic claim is limited to an ingredient statement and there is no reference to certification or any certification agent (name or seal).

However, unlike most organic food products, there is no requirement for an ingredient statement on alcohol products, so it seems odd to to print an ingredient on a wine information label. The use of this claim simply advises consumers that the wine is from organic grapes while not needing any certification.

Although the wine is exempt from certification, the producer is not exempt from from the NOP record keeping and commingling and contamination prevention requirements. Additionally, TTB will not approve labels making an ingredient statement claim without submission of the organic certificate supporting the claim. (Return to Top)

The addition of sulfites are due to their being a wonderful preservative.

In the production of wine, the addition of sulfites usually is in small amounts measured in "parts per million" (ppm).

The legal limit in wine is 350 ppm (Code of Federal Regulation 27 CFR 4.22 (b)(1).

"100% Organic" products cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement. In these cases, a lab analysis is necessary to verify that the wine contains less than 10 ppm of sulfites.

"Organic" products cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement. In these cases, a lab analysis is necessary to verify that the wine contains less than 10 ppm of sulfites.

"Made with organic grapes" may have the addition of sulfur dioxide. The resulting wine might have added sulfites during the processing not exceeding 100 parts per million

It appears that the the range for most wine with added sulfites seems to vary between between 25 to 150 ppm. (Return to Top)

Other nations have similar regulatory bodies that certify products on an organic level.

However, in order to import the product into the United States the handling/crop certification must clearly attest that the grapes used to produce the product comply with the National Organic Program (NOP) requirements.

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References:

• Alcohol Beverages Labeled with Organic Claims - Retrieved August 04, 2009 from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) - Advertising Labeling and Formulation Division website: http://www.ttb.gov/alfd/alfd_organic.shtml. This web site and the resources catalogued within are designed to provide you with the most up-to-date information on organic claims on alcohol beverage labels.
• Advertising, Labeling and Formulation Division (ALFD) FAQs. Retrieved August 03, 2009 from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) - Advertising Labeling and Formulation Division website:http://www.ttb.gov/faqs/alforganic.shtml
• Nally, S. (2009). U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Labeling: How to Qualify for "Organic" on Your Label. AMS, National Organic Program (NOP). Presented at the 2009 Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Expo in Covington, KY. Retrieved August 04, 2009 from the TTB Expo 2009 website: http://www.ttb.gov/expo09/presentations/m18.pdf
• Gleason, P. (2006, November). Organic Grapes, Organic Wine. E : the Environmental Magazine, 17(6), 34-39. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from Sciences Module. (Document ID: 1174461431).
• Alcohol Beverages Labeled with Organic Claims - Retrieved August 04, 2009 from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) - Advertising Labeling and Formulation Division website: http://www.ttb.gov/alfd/alfd_organic.shtml. This web site and the resources catalogued within are designed to provide you with the most up-to-date information on organic claims on alcohol beverage labels.
• Guidelines for Labeling Wine With Organic References: TTB P 5190.11 for Organic Wine Labeling - rev. 6/2009. Retrieved August 04, 2009 from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) - Alcohol Beverages Labeled with Organic Claims website: http://www.ttb.gov/pdf/wine.pdf
• Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms - Terms commonly associated with sustainable agricultural systems. Retrieved August 17, 2009 from the United States Department of Agriculture National Library website http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/terms/srb9902terms.shtml