New book on organic, biodynamic and natural wines gives the reader the facts

“Biodynamic, Organic and Natural Winemaking; Sustainable Viticulture and Viniculture” by Britt Karlsson (text) and Per Karlsson (photography), of BKWine, has recently been published by Floris Publishing. As environmental issues and sustainability becomes increasingly a concern for the consumer this books gives the reader the facts about all these wine growing and winemaking trends, methods and labels.

The book is written primarily for the wine consumer who wants to understand what is really behind the “labels” organic wine, biodynamics, natural wine, sustainable etc. It is also aimed at the wine trade professional and restaurant trade who has a need to understand the facts behind this increasingly popular market segment.

The focus of the book is organics, but all other aspect of sustainability and the environment are also touched on and explained, including of course biodynamics and the natural wine movement. Given that the vast majority of organic wine today is produced in Europe, the focus is on the European organic winemaking and winegrowing methods. But to the extent that they exist, other countries’ organic systems with rules and regulations are also included.

In contrast to many other books on this subject the authors do not try to convince the reader these methods are the salvation for viticulture. Instead, the authors explain the background and the facts and go through the rules and regulations for what organic (etc) wine is so that the reader, the wine consumer, then can make informed personal choices.

The book looks at the current market situation for organic wines, the trends and evolution as well as an historic background. It covers rules and regulations for viticulture and winemaking, and certifications. There is also a chapter on recommended wine producers.

Anyone who wants to understand what organic, biodynamic and natural wine is should read this book.

Britt Karlsson, the author, describes the book like this: “There is a lot of both media attention and consumer interest today in organic (etc.) wine but there is also a lot of confusion and misunderstanding of what these words – organic, biodynamic, natural, sustainable, etc – really mean and what the differences are. For that reason our aim with this book was to explain all this and to give the consumers the tools and knowledge to make informed and intelligent decisions. So we are not really arguing for or against. We are ‘simply’ explaining.”

The authors have written four books on wine and this is the first one to be published in English. Their books have won both national and international book awards.

Biodynamic, Organic and Natural Winemaking; Sustainable Viticulture and Viniculture
ISBN: 978-178250-113-8 (9781782501138)