Two mentions appear more and more often on wine labels: organic certification and the statement “free from animal-derived substances”. They look alike and are easily confused, yet they are about completely different things. One concerns the vineyard, the other the cellar.
Here is what each one guarantees, what it does not, and how to read a bottle without being guided by logos alone.
Organic certification: what happens in the vineyard
A certified organic wine meets a European regulation covering both grape growing and winemaking.
In the vineyard, the rules ban synthetic herbicides, synthetic chemical fertilisers and synthetic pesticides. Working the soil replaces chemical weeding; the fight against downy and powdery mildew relies mainly on copper and sulphur, whose doses are themselves capped. No GMO grape varieties are allowed.
In the cellar, since 2012, European regulations also govern winemaking: the list of permitted oenological inputs is restricted, certain physical practices are banned, and maximum sulphite levels are lower than for conventional wine.
Inspection is carried out by an independent certification body, approved by the authorities, which carries out annual audits. Conversion takes three years: a plot can only claim the label after being farmed according to the rules for three full seasons.
What organic certification does not say, on the other hand: it says nothing about the taste of the wine, how it was fined, or its carbon footprint.
“Free from animal-derived substances”: what happens in the cellar
This statement answers a question few consumers think of asking: what was the wine clarified with?
Fining, an invisible step
After fermentation, a wine contains particles in suspension: dead yeasts, pulp debris, proteins, excess tannins. Fining means adding an agent that clumps these particles together and makes them sink to the bottom of the vat, where they are separated by racking or filtration.
The important point: the fining agent does not stay in the wine. It is removed with the deposit. But it has indeed been in contact with it.
Traditional agents are often of animal origin
The fining agents historically used in winemaking come from the animal world:
- egg white (albumin), used on reds for ageing to refine the tannins;
- casein and milk proteins, on whites;
- gelatine, made from animal collagen;
- isinglass (fish glue), to clarify whites without weighing them down.
The alternatives
A wine can be clarified in other ways, without using these products:
- with plant proteins: pea, potato, wheat;
- with mineral agents: bentonite, a clay that binds unstable proteins;
- by natural settling, simply letting time and gravity do the work, possibly followed by light filtration;
- or by not fining at all, which sometimes gives slightly cloudy wines, with no negative effect on taste.
It is this absence of animal-derived inputs that the statement “free from animal-derived substances” reflects.
Organic and free from animal-derived substances: two independent statements
A wine can be certified organic and fined with egg white. A conventional wine can be clarified with bentonite alone. The two statements do not overlap: they answer two different questions, asked at two different stages of winemaking.
| Organic certification | Free from animal-derived substances | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage concerned | Vineyard and winemaking | Clarification (fining) |
| What is regulated | Growing inputs, oenological inputs, sulphite limits | Type of fining agents used |
| Inspection | Independent certification body, annual audit | Self-declared or private label, depending on the case |
| What it does not guarantee | The absence of animal-based fining | How the grapes were grown |
And sulphites?
Sulphur dioxide is an antioxidant and antiseptic used in winemaking for centuries. Some is produced naturally during fermentation; the rest is added to protect the wine from oxidation and microbial spoilage.
European regulations set maximum levels, which are lower for organic wines than for conventional ones. The statement “contains sulphites” is mandatory once the content exceeds 10 mg/l, which is the case for almost every bottle, organic included, which explains why it appears almost everywhere.
An often misunderstood point: “no added sulphites” does not mean “sulphite-free”. A wine without added sulphur still contains the sulphites produced by its own fermentation.
Where Borie de Maurel's cuvées stand
All of the estate's cuvées have been certified organic since 2010 by Bureau Veritas (FR-BIO-10), from the reds to the whites and the rosé. The certification is shown on each product page.
How to read a label in five seconds
- The Euro-leaf logo (stars in the shape of a leaf) indicates European organic certification. It comes with the code of the certification body (FR-BIO-10 for the estate's wines).
- “Contains sulphites” is mandatory above 10 mg/l and appears on almost every bottle.
- Any statement about fining is not mandatory: its absence means nothing in itself. You have to look for it actively, on the label or on the seller's product page.
- The appellation tells you about origin and production rules, not about how the grapes were grown.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an organic wine and a wine free from animal-derived substances?
Organic certification governs grape growing and winemaking. The statement “free from animal-derived substances” only concerns the agents used to clarify the wine. The two are independent.
Does wine contain animal products?
It may have been in contact with them during fining: egg white, casein, gelatine or isinglass. These agents are removed with the deposit, but they have indeed been in contact with the wine.
Does organic wine contain sulphites?
Yes, in almost every case. Organic rules lower the maximum permitted levels but do not ban sulphites, and fermentation produces them naturally.
How can I tell if a wine has been fined with an animal product?
This information is not mandatory on the label. Check the seller's product page or ask the producer.
Are Borie de Maurel's wines organic?
Yes. All the estate's cuvées have been certified organic since 2010 by Bureau Veritas (FR-BIO-10).
Also worth discovering
To choose a bottle for the occasion, read Which wine to choose?. To understand the terroir, our guide to the Minervois appellation. See all the estate's wines.