The organic wine market is being stabilized – Newspaper Kommersant No. 241 (7442) of 12/27/2022

In Russia, they may soften the requirements for the production of organic wines. Roskachestvo, which is involved in the development of industry standards, has proposed allowing sulfur dioxide to be added to drinks for stabilization, which the current GOST prohibits. So far, organic wines occupy a small market share, but experts and winemakers see potential in the segment.

Roskachestvo proposed to allow the addition of sulfur dioxide in the production of organic wines, making appropriate changes to the GOST for organic products. This issue was discussed at a meeting of the relevant technical committee at the end of December, Kommersant was told in Roskachestvo, which is also involved in the certification of organic matter.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2 or e220) is a food additive that acts as a preservative that protects wines from oxidation. In foreign practice, the rules for using the additive are different. In the EU and New Zealand, red organic wines are allowed to contain 100 mg of sulfur dioxide per 1 liter, white – 150 mg per 1 liter, in Australia – 100 mg per 1 liter for both categories. In the Russian Federation, GOST does not allow the use of additional sulfur dioxide for wine, with the exception of fruit and honey drinks.

According to the representative of Roskachestvo, the norm of sulfur dioxide content will still be discussed with the industry, taking into account international experience. In ordinary wine, the content of sulfur dioxide is allowed in the range of 200-300 mg per 1 liter, in organic wine it can be approximately two times less, the organization notes. The head of the WineRetail information center, Alexander Stavtsev, says that sulfur dioxide is a natural ingredient in winemaking, and the ban on its use in Russian organic wines arose due to a mismatch of industry standards. According to him, in the EU, in the presence of sulfur dioxide in wine at a level of up to 50–60 mg per 1 liter, companies with a certificate regulating other production processes can already indicate on the label that the ingredient was not used in the drink. In general, in Russia, the requirements for sulfur dioxide in winemaking, excluding organic production, are tougher than European ones, the expert adds.

Roskachestvo expects that the changes will increase the production of local organic wine. Now two Crimean producers have such a certificate – Villa di Alma by Dmitry Shelaev and UPPA Winery by Pavel Shvets. According to Alexander Stavtsev, in Russia now active certification of vineyards according to organic standards and bringing the requirements for the production of such wine to the realities of the industry will stimulate the development of the segment.

According to the expert, some winemakers, already working according to organic standards, did not receive the appropriate certificates, because they did not understand how to produce wine with a ban on sulfur dioxide. And after the change in GOST, the number of organic wines on the market will increase annually, Mr. Stavtsev believes. According to Roskachestvo forecasts, the area of ​​vineyards certified according to organic standards in the Russian Federation from the current 117 hectares can grow by 200 hectares in 2023, and exceed 900 hectares within three years.

The head of the Crimean economy “Gerasimova O.S.” Olga Gerasimova says biodynamic winemakers do not add sulfur dioxide before bottling wine to stabilize the drink. But this can lead to secondary fermentation in the bottle, for example, she points out. The owner of the Crimean winery Andryus Yutsis Andryus Yutsis notes that the use of sulfur dioxide can be bypassed by using expensive vacuum bottling equipment. But he is against excessive simplification of the standards and considers the sulfur dioxide content at the level of about 30–40 mg per 1 liter to be adequate.

According to Kommersant’s interlocutors in the industry, so far organic wines occupy a few percent of the Russian market, and this direction seems risky to large producers. In addition, the products are distinguished by a relatively high price. In the Krasnostop online catalog, organic wines by Pavel Shvets cost from 6,000 rubles. for a bottle. Although, notes Olga Gerasimova, there is already a trend for organic consumption in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and demand will only grow.

Anatoly Kostyrev