WHAT'S IN A WORD?

Decipher the vocabulary of eco-friendly methods of grape growing.

- EUNICE FRIED

THE LABELS ON SOME OF TODAY’S wine bottles sport a relatively new vocabulary, one that explains how the grapes were grown and made into wine. They include such terms as sustainable, organic and biodynamic, among others, and they warrant some explanation. Were the grapes grown by sustainable farming? Were they sprayed with organic fertilizers? Is the wine biodynamic? A number of the terms are new to many consumers. Some are controlled by the U.S. government; others are not. For simple definitions of this relatively new vocabulary, consider the following.

Sustainable grape farming focuses on producing grapes that have minimal effects on the environment and are ecologically sound.