Lately you hear a lot about organic, sustainable and biodynamic farming. People are trying to eat more healthily and to know more about what they're eating. For some, it's been a way of life for decades but for the masses it's a new trend. When dining in certain upscale restaurants these days, it's common for your server to recite the history and background of every ingredient on your plate. In some cases they will even tell you if the farm is humane or sustainable.

Some of us appreciate this and understand these terms and their importance. However, it's rarely done for wine. Most people still aren't sure how these terms relate to wine, or if it relates at all. Here's an explanation of some of the most common:

Simple put, "organic" means "from the earth made; without chemicals or additives." The U.S. Department of Agriculture along with the National Organic Program, also a part of the USDA, set the precedents and guidelines for organic farming and the labeling of organic products. Wine, being a fermented beverage, gets the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms involved, which controls the labeling for alcoholic beverages. According to the ATF, there are four labeling categories that pertain to wine: "100 percent organic," "organic," "made with organic ingredients" and "contains some organic ingredients."

A wine labeled "100 percent organic" must be made from 100 percent organic grapes grown on a certified organic farm, and the wine cannot have any added sulfites. Sulfites have long been added to wines in the winemaking process to serve as a stabilizer and preservative.

In order for a wine to be labeled "organic," it must contain at least 95 percent organically grown grapes from a certified farm and, again, no sulfites can be added.

If the label states "made with organic grapes" the wine must contain at least 70 percent organic grapes and may have sulfites added. If it does, the label must say so.

Finally, if the label says "contains organic grapes," the wine can contain less than 70 percent organic grapes and the addition of sulfites is allowed.

In order to claim any of the first three levels of organic mentioned above, the label must bear a certification statement telling you who certified the farm as organic. If a winery doesn't want to label their wines organic, they don't have to, even if all the grapes used are organically grown. In fact, there are several wineries in California that have been certified organic for years and yet their wine labels don't carry any mention of it.

Sometimes this is done so that the wineries keep their option to start with certified organically grown grapes but add sulfites in the winemaking process, thus negating their right to put organic on the label. Others leave organic off of their label because they believe the term can carry a stigma. They worry that their wines will been seen as "strange," "gimmicky" or just not very good.

In Europe, a wine might be considered organic, but once it is imported to the United States, it can no longer be labeled "organic" because in Europe they don't see the addition of sulfites as a barrier to organic labeling.

Another term you may hear is "biodynamic," which is almost infinitely complex when compared to "organic." In general, it refers to a mode of farming that is kind to the land, holistic and natural and usually includes some mystical elements. It takes organic to a whole new level. The wines made in biodynamic wineries are more expressive and have greater depth than wines that aren't biodynamically produced. As with organic wineries, some biodynamic wineries are certified so, some wineries practice some aspects of biodynamic farming, and some are organic and biodynamic but may not mention it on the label.

In lieu of recommended wines, here are some organic and biodynamic producers to look for:

Organic: Grgich Hills, Bonterra Vineyards, Frog's Leap and Robert Sinskey.

Biodynamic: Domaine Dujac, Didier Dagueneau, Felton Road, Marcel Deiss and Littorai.

Todd Ashline is sommelier/manager at Chef Mavro restaurant, 1969 S. King St., www.chefmavro.com.