(Wine-Searcher) - Robert Anding finds this evaluation of sustainable viticulture and viniculture surprisingly balanced and level-headed.

One of the problems I have with the organic wine movement is that many of its proponents tend to get a little preachy about it all.

How refreshing, then, to find a book that doesn't simply repeat the usual sermons about organic or biodynamic wine and how it is so much better than everything else.

This book by Britt and Per Karlsson is perfect for people who want to learn about organic and biodynamic wines, and their ultra-orthodox relatives, natural wines. It neatly explains the differences between them and explains the various processes that are used in their production.

The book starts with a short history of viticulture in Europe and the impact of the "great pests" – phylloxera, downy mildew and oidium. It then examines their effect on the European wine industry and explains some of the viticultural changes that came with industrialization; namely, the development of artificial fertilizers and mechanization of the vineyards.