As any wine aficionado knows, the key to savoring a good wine is to look for distinct flavors that include vanilla, tobacco, citrus, spice and more. The unique environment such as the air, soil, and surrounding vegetation contributes to the refined qualities of each bottle of wine. Unfortunately, is Roundup weed killer contaminating and compromising California’s wine industry?

In May 2016, Microbe Inotech Labs in St. Louis, Missouri tested ten California wines from the popular growing regions of Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. These tests were sponsored by the anti-pesticide group called "Moms Across America" and it was found that ten out of the ten bottles of wine submitted all contained levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. Even the bottles of wine that claimed to be organic and biodynamic contained traces of glyphosate.

How Does Glyphosate End up In Wine?

Roundup is a weedkiller that is sprayed at the base of the vines to prevent or kill weeds. Roundup is most likely absorbed through the roots and bark of the vines which then transfers the chemical into the grapes and leaves.

There are several ways that glyphosate can end up even in organic wines:

1. Glyphosate can stay in the soil for up to 20 years. If a vineyard used Roundup a decade ago and then decided to focus on organic measures, the leftover Roundup could still travel into present vegetation.
2. Glyphosate has been found in runoff and in the air and can easily contaminate organic fields. “Pesticide rains” are a more recent concern as chemical particles mix with evaporated water or dust clouds which enters the atmosphere and then turns into rain.

The Additional Threat Roundup Poses in Wines

Countless studies have shown that glyphosate is linked to cancer and the World Health Organization confirmed this in 2015. However, there are other dangerous chemicals that have been found in a Roundup study that was published in January 2018. French molecular biologist Gilles-Éric Séralini tested a variety of brands of Roundup and discovered that over a dozen had high levels of arsenic. He reported finding over 5x’s the amount of poisonous arsenic that is legally allowed along with high amounts of harmful heavy metals. “Arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) were present in numerous pesticide formulations, at levels well above admissible ones in water.”

Some of the popular wine brands tested included:

• Gallo
• Beringer
• Mondavi
• Barefoot
• Sutter Home

While organic wines may still contain Roundup and glyphosate, it is at much lower levels.

It’s up to the consumer to choose organic options to show that we will not tolerate this dangerous chemical in our wine, beer, and our food.

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Sources

“I-Team investigates controversy over weed killer and California wine”. ABC 7 News. Accessed April 3, 2018. http://abc7news.com/health/i-team-investigates-controversy-over-weed-killer-and-california-wine/1332495/

“Roundup’s Toxic Chemical Glyphosate, Found In 100% Of California Wines Tested”. Healthy Holistic Living. Accessed April 3, 2018. http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/roundups-toxic-chemical-glyphosate-found-100-california-wines-tested.html

“Monsanto’s weed killer is contaminating popular wines and beers”. WineWaterWatch.org. Accessed April 3, 2018. http://winewaterwatch.org/2018/03/monsantos-weed-killer-is-contaminating-popular-wines-and-beers/

“Toxicity of formulants and heavy metals in glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides”. Science Direct. Accessed April 5, 2018. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221475001730149X

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