Organic Wine Growers Fear Grape Glut

(Wine-Searcher) - The number of wine producers converting to organic viticulture has tripled in France during the last five years, taking the sector from scarcity to abundance.

However, the increase has been so rapid that organic producers are now faced with a conundrum: will increased supply wipe out the price premium that organic winemakers need to charge to survive?

By the end of 2012, France had some 65,000 hectares of vineyard in organic production. That represents 8.2 percent of all French vineyards according to Agence Bio, a promotional body for organic agriculture. In comparison, the figure for organic production in French agriculture as a whole was just 3.8 percent.

“In organic farming, wine is the sector that’s grown the most quickly,” says Agence Bio chairwoman, Elisabeth Mercier.

Indeed, organic wine production in 2012 was estimated at 1 million hectoliters. It's predicted to reach 1.4 million this year and will double in 2015. Independent winemakers have been joined by wine cooperatives which have also converted to organics; today, they account for 20 percent of production by volume.

Mercier explains that growers who move to organics cite concerns for their own health and that of the environment: according to the French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA), grapes are the second most heavily sprayed crop (six to 20 sprays a year) after apples. A study published this month by consumer advocacy group Que Choisir found traces of pesticide residue in 92 wines.

Growers also believe organic wine production could have potential economic benefits, as well as being keen to respond to "a growing demand from society" for organic products, adds Mercier.