The cooperatives produce almost 50% of all French wines so their opinion matters. They have recently, according to La Vigne, sent a letter to the French Minister of Agriculture with demands relating to the production of organic wines. They do not agree with some of the rules that were established this year for the work in the cellar.
For instance, they do not think that there should be a maximum temperature for heating the must (now set at 65 degrees C) as this excludes certain treatments that would allow the winemaker to eliminate certain bad bacteria. Instead, with the current rules, he may need to add more sulphite which is not a good thing either.
And then they asked for some other small things: alternatives to copper treatment, vines that are resistant to diseases and an organic way to fight the flavescence dorée. I am sure the Minister for Agriculture will be forthcoming.
Although very few of the cooperatives are 100% organic more and more cooperatives are persuading and helping their members to work in a sustainable way.
