The harvest is over for Dennis Reynolds at the Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery, Somerset, but leaves of the traminette grapevines have shifted to fall colors in Miami County. The winery follows organic practices.

Dennis and Cindy Reynolds own one of the only organic vineyard and wineries in Kansas. Their handcrafted wines and sustainable farming methods contribute to their organically motivated philosophy.

“Our philosophy is to be as organic and sustainable as we can be,” says Dennis Reynolds, proprietor of Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery in Paola.

Somerset Ridge, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, is one of the 22 wineries in Kansas that produce more than 50,000 gallons of wine annually.

Surprisingly, no wine produced in Kansas is certified organic.

“Because of current USDA restrictions, it’s difficult for a wine to be labeled 100 percent certified organic,” Reynolds says.

Although vineyards and wineries may use sustainable farming methods or organic grapes, they cannot be labeled organic if they don’t adhere to the specific restrictions that apply to the growing and fermenting processes.

It can be tricky to understand the difference between a wine that is organic, sustainability grown, or not. It’s helpful to know how to read these wine labels so they make sense:

• “Made with organic grapes” — A wine can be labeled “made with organic grapes” if the grapes used are grown with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers.

• “Certified organic” — According to the USDA National Organic Program’s standards, a wine can be labeled “certified organic” if it is made with organic grapes and contains no added sulfites — preservatives used to prevent oxidation and bacterial spoilage.

• “Sustainable” — According to California’s Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, a wine that is labeled “sustainable” or “uses sustainable farming methods” has gone through growing and winemaking practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically feasible.

Sustainable wines

The humid climate is one of the reasons it’s hard to grow organically in Kansas.

“More arid regions like southern California have less problems with fungal diseases,” Reynolds says. “However, places in the northwest, like Oregon, have similar problems as we do.”

And that’s why many area wineries find it difficult to pursue organic goals. Heat and humidity facilitate the growth of fungi such as dry molds and mildews.

“If you’re not careful, black rot can take out your whole crop in less than a week,” says Greg Shipe, owner of Davenport Orchard and Winery in Eudora. “It has happened to us in the past. We’re lucky to have it under control now.”

He adds: “Growing grapes is definitely harder than making wine. No matter where you grow grapes, you’ll need to have some kind of protection.”

Because of the common problem with fungal diseases, Somerset Ridge uses synthetic fungicides that are as environmentally friendly as possible, based on mushroom chemistry.

Without the potent impact of chemical pesticides, vineyards that grow their grapes naturally have to deal with bugs in different ways. Somerset Ridge introduces predatory bugs and birds to combat harmful insects.

“We use compost, natural bacteria, we have bluebird, martin and bat houses, and a large population of predatory insects,” Reynolds says.

Although it can be more difficult in some ways, one of the many benefits of not using pesticides is it saves money.

“It’s more difficult to begin, because it takes longer for the grape vines to mature. But I have found that it’s just not necessary to use chemical pesticides,” Reynolds says.

On the upside, he says, “It definitely cuts chemical costs. We do have more labor costs for compost application, for example. But it balances itself out in the end.”

Weeds are another big problem in the Midwest. Somerset Ridge has a number of ways they use to get rid of weeds.

“Our number one method is mechanical,” Reynolds says. “We cultivate and mow around the vines, we use an organic corn gluten, and a synthetic herbicide based on naturally occurring bacteria.”