Wine labels: what's the difference?
Organic, biodynamic, Vin Méthode Nature: what do the labels on wine bottles really mean? Here's how.
Over the last fifteen years or so, the number of labels has multiplied, particularly in view of consumers' growing commitment to the environment. Greenwashing or a real guarantee, what's behind the label?
Organic farming
On the bottle
Since 2009, you can spot the Eurofeuille, the European organic logo, or the optional AB mark.
In figures
By 2024, certified and in-conversion organic vineyards will account for nearly 21% of the national total.
What principles are applied in the vineyards?
No synthetic products: no herbicides against grass, no fungicides against fungi such as mildew, no insecticides against insects, no synthetic fertilizers.instead, we use phytosanitary products (copper against mildew, sulfur against powdery mildew).
This option drastically reduces the toxic impact on the health of vineyard workers and local residents, the soil, biodiversity (insects, birds, fish) and water (rivers and groundwater). And to limit pesticide residues in wines. In September 2025, the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (Anses) and Santé publique France (SPF) published the results of the PestiRiv study, which, for the first time on such a large scale, detailed the environmental contamination and impregnation of people living near wine-growing areas.
And in the cellar?
Authorized wine-making inputs are limited to around thirty, compared with forty or so for conventional wines.
Biodynamics
On the bottle
The Demeter (since 1979) and Biodyvin (since 1995) labels both indicate biodynamic viticulture.
In figures
In France, in 2024, 709 wineries had the Demeter label or were in the process of obtaining it, covering over 14,000 hectares of vines.
What principles apply in the vineyards?
Organic certification is a prerequisite. The entire vineyard must be converted to biodynamic viticulture. The vineyard is conceived as a complex set of ecosystems, which must gain in autonomy and stability. The emphasis is on preventive rather than curative actions, such as natural preparations in homeopathic doses to strengthen the vines or promote soil life. The occurrence of a problem is perceived as a symptom of a general imbalance that needs to be understood.
And in the cellar?
Only five inputs are authorized in winemaking (egg albumin, sulfur, oenological charcoal, sugar). Exogenous yeasts (oenological yeasts) are not used, except in cases of derogation (Demeter) or justification (Biodyvin).
Méthode Nature wine
On the bottle
Created in 2019, this is the only label guaranteeing a "natural" wine. It has been recognized by official bodies - the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) and the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO).
In figures
Nearly 200 estates use this label.
What principles apply in the vineyards?
Grapes must be organically grown and harvested by hand.
And in the cellar?
No inputs are allowed during vinification, except sulfur at bottling (30 mg/l vs. 150 to 200 mg/l in conventional, 100 to 150 mg/l in organic, 70 to 90 mg/l in biodynamic). Only indigenous yeasts, naturally present on the grapes and in the environment, are authorized. Brutal techniques such as reverse osmosis, thermo-vinification and filtration are prohibited.
