In response to the progressive industrialization of the wine industry and the increasing use of chemicals and technology in both the vineyard and the cellar, estates have been established since the 1970s that are managed according to “natural”, ecological, or biodynamic principles. Motivated by concern about the traditional wine producers often irresponsible use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, some “organic” operators appeared more concerned with using methods that would not harm the environment than with the quality of their products. Since then, however, much progress has been made. In France and Germany, in particular, a sizeable proportion of total production now comes from the organic wine industry, and the majority of Europe’s wine-producing nations have top estates that produce wines of excellent quality, despite, or perhaps even because of the fact that their practices are ecologically sound.