Organic viticulture means something precise: growing grapes without synthetic pesticides, without herbicides and without synthetic fertilisers, in line with EU Regulation 2018/848, with an annual inspection by a certification body. The logo isn't a self-declaration: it's a paperwork and field check repeated every year. What organic does not mean is just as important — it doesn't mean no treatments, it doesn't mean natural wine, it doesn't mean sulphite-free. These are three different things, and they get mixed up all the time.
What does the law actually say about organic wine?
Two regulations, two separate stages.
- EU Reg. 2018/848 — the general rule for European organic farming, applied since 1 January 2022. It replaced the previous EC Reg. 834/2007. It covers the field: what can be used on the soil and on the plant.
- EU Reg. 203/2012 — the rule covering the cellar. Before 2012 there was no such thing as "organic wine" in Europe: there was only "wine from organic grapes". The vineyard was certified, not the winemaking. Since the 2012 harvest, producers can write organic wine on the label, because what happens after the harvest is regulated too.
On the label, certification shows up in three elements: the EU organic leaf (twelve white stars in the shape of a leaf on a green background), the control body code in the format IT BIO 00X, and the origin of the raw materials ("EU Agriculture"). If the control body code is missing, it isn't a certified organic wine.
What is banned in an organic vineyard?
- Chemical herbicides — grass between the rows is removed by working the soil, or left to grow as cover.
- Synthetic insecticides and fungicides — no systemic active ingredients that enter the plant.
- Synthetic mineral fertilisers — manure, compost and green manure are used instead.
- GMOs — in any form, including cellar additives.
What is allowed (and usually surprises people)
This is where the most common belief falls apart: organic doesn't mean nobody goes through the rows with a sprayer.
- Copper — allowed against downy mildew, with a cap of 28 kg per hectare over seven years, i.e. an average of 4 kg per hectare per year. It's a serious limit, because copper builds up in the soil and doesn't go away.
- Sulphur — allowed against powdery mildew. It's the oldest treatment in European viticulture.
- Bacillus thuringiensis and other biological products against grape moths.
- Mating disruption — pheromone dispensers that stop insects from mating. No insecticide, no residue.
So yes: an organic vineyard does get treated. The difference is what with, how much, and with what residues.
And what changes in the cellar?
EU Reg. 203/2012 lowers the limits for sulphur dioxide and bans certain winemaking practices.
- Sulphites, red wines — maximum 100 mg/l versus 150 mg/l for conventional wine (for wines with residual sugar below 2 g/l).
- Sulphites, whites and rosés — maximum 150 mg/l versus 200 mg/l.
- Banned practices — partial cold concentration, removal of sulphur dioxide by physical processes, electrodialysis, use of cation-exchange resins for tartaric stabilisation, partial dealcoholisation.
What organic does NOT mean
- It doesn't mean sulphite-free. The limits are lower, but sulphites are allowed. And some sulphur dioxide forms naturally during fermentation: a wine completely free of sulphites, strictly speaking, doesn't exist.
- It doesn't mean natural wine. "Natural wine" has no legal definition in Europe. No production rules, no inspections. It's a production intention, not a certification.
- It doesn't mean vegan. Fining with egg albumin, casein or isinglass is allowed in organic winemaking too. If you need that guarantee, look for a separate vegan certification.
- It doesn't mean biodynamic. Biodynamics adds preparations and the lunar calendar to organic farming, and is certified by private bodies such as Demeter. All biodynamic wines are organic; the reverse isn't true.
- It doesn't mean good. Organic certifies a method, not a result in the glass. There is mediocre organic wine, just as there is excellent conventional wine.
How we farm our vineyards in Villasimius
Our vineyards sit on granite soils, a few kilometres from the sea at Capo Carbonara. The mistral wind that gives Entu its name isn't a poetic detail: the wind dries the leaves after rain and cuts the hours of leaf wetness, which is the window in which fungi attack the vine. Less moisture on the leaf means fewer treatments are needed. That's why the south-east coast of Sardinia is a sensible place for organic viticulture — we also talked about it in our terroir guide.
In the cellar the choice is the same: take away, don't add. Brennas, our Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, is made in stainless steel, unfiltered and with no added sulphites, 14% ABV. Zankitai, our Pet Nat, referments in the bottle with native yeasts, unfiltered and with no added sulphites. C'Alma stays on its skins for 20–25 days in stainless steel and then 5–6 months in oak barrels — if the method interests you, we explained it in our piece on orange wines.
Then there's the part you can't see on the label: without herbicides the grass between the rows stays, and with the grass stay the pollinating insects. Our hives are a few metres from the vines — the bees in the vineyard don't make the wine, but they say a lot about the health of the soil underneath.
Frequently asked questions
Does organic wine contain sulphites?
Yes. The limits are lower than for conventional wine (100 mg/l for reds, 150 mg/l for whites and rosés with residual sugar below 2 g/l), but sulphites are allowed. Some producers choose not to add any: in that case the label says "no added sulphites".
Are organic wine and natural wine the same thing?
No. Organic wine is certified by a control body under EU Reg. 2018/848 and EU Reg. 203/2012. Natural wine has no legal definition and no public inspection in Europe.
Are organic vineyards treated?
Yes. Copper and sulphur are allowed, with a limit of 28 kg of copper per hectare over seven years. They are contact products: they stay on the surface of the leaf and don't enter the plant the way synthetic systemic products do.
How do I recognise an organic wine from the label?
Look for the green EU organic leaf, the control body code in the format IT BIO 00X and the origin statement "EU Agriculture". Without the control body code there is no certification.
Does organic mean allergen-free?
No. If a wine contains more than 10 mg/l of sulphur dioxide, the label must say "contains sulphites", organic or not. The same goes for any residues of milk- or egg-based fining agents.
Organic costs more. Why?
Because yields per hectare are usually lower, contact treatments have to be repeated after every rainfall, managing the grass takes more mechanical passes and certification has an annual cost paid by the producer.
Organic isn't a promise of quality. It's a list of things that aren't done, checked by someone other than you. In the glass, you decide for yourself.
Salude e trigu — Colline del Vento
If you want to see what a vineyard without herbicides looks like, our vineyard tastings in Villasimius are open. Or start with the Wine Club: 4 bottles and a honey from the vineyard, twice a year, from €89 every six months with shipping included within Italy.
