“Is it the task of the winemaker to put a wine naked into the bottle or to give it clothes?” The question is put by Jean Meyer, charismatic and shock-haired CEO of the famous Alsace winery Josmeyer.

“The safer a wine is, the less interesting it becomes. If you’re not ready to accept risk, you shouldn’t become a winemaker. Life,” he concludes – arms aloft, fire in the eyes – “cannot be managed.”

Winemaking in the 21st century is a complex business. More than ever before, today’s winemaker is faced with a multitude of choices at all stages of the grape-growing and winemaking process, all of which he or she is expected to manage precisely in order to come up with the ideal wine in the bottle for any given purpose or market.

One such choice concerns the environment in which the vines grow. Should they be farmed conventionally, using pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers, in order to offset nature’s vagaries and encourage consistency in both vines and wines? Or would organic, even Biodynamic cultivation be better? Is there a middle way? And are there other ways of being environmentally responsible?

Given that the answers to these questions could not only influence the yield, price and potential market of the wine but also something as fundamental as its flavour means that this is a vital issue for any wine producer, just as it is for wine drinkers. And as awareness of climate change, health issues and consumer responsibility has grown noticeably in recent years, the result is that the green issue is fast becoming one of the hottest topics in the wine industry.

So-called organic farming methods have a long association with wine growing. The origins of this approach, as part of which man-made or synthetic products such as fertilisers and pesticides are avoided, lie principally in a reaction to the rise of industrialised agricultural production in the mid-20th century. As wine at its best is considered to be a product and expression of the natural environment, there was understandably a movement to maintain the natural status quo in the vineyard.

Though there is an enduring perception among many consumers that wine is a “natural” product by default, it is worth noting that only around 2 per cent of the world’s vineyard is officially certified organic. (This figure may be artificially low, however, as many wine producers farm organically but do not certify, either for reasons of cost or fear of being associated with lesser-quality organic wine.) Nevertheless, this figure is steadily rising on the back of increased demand for organic products on world markets.

Biodynamics is like an extension of the logic of organics. Based on the teachings of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, it not only shuns synthetic products but also encourages an holistic approach to farming in which cosmic cycles, biodiversity and homeopathic treatments are essential ingredients.

Visit a Biodynamic vineyard, for example, and you may well find yourself tripping over geese (good for eating unwanted insects), wading through long grasses (good for the soil and beneficial insects), inspecting buried pots of yarrow, nettle and dandelion (treatments for the vines) and talking through the finer points of biological corridors, energy cycles and water dynamization.

It probably comes as no surprise to learn that Josmeyer (as above) is just one such Biodynamic estate. In fact, France is the global hotbed of Biodynamism, spurred on by vocal exponents such as Nicolas Joly of Coulée de Serrant, Jean Meyer, Anne-Claude Leflaive and Michel Chapoutier.

Not all, however, are evangelists. “I don’t know how or why Biodynamics works,” says the highly respected Noël Pinguet of Domaine Huet, “but it does. I did trials; the Biodynamic vineyards made better wines; I carried on. It’s that simple.”

For many wine producers, however, organic or Biodynamic cultivation is not a viable option. This may be because they are in areas where the climate is such that intervention is deemed necessary to keep the fruit and vines healthy, or because of financial or strategic limitations. Where such producers are keen to take steps to limit their environmental impact, they may adopt what is broadly termed sustainable winegrowing, whereby synthetic intervention is limited rather than stopped.

While often a good middle road for producers, such production methods vary around the world and have little in the way of defined standards or parameters. As such, it can be difficult for consumers to rely on this as a significant point of difference.

There are many other issues for wine producers to consider as regards environmental responsibility. Carbon footprints are increasingly coming under scrutiny; for the wine industry, reducing this liability means recycling water, minimising packaging waste and weight, using renewable energy sources and offsetting carbon emissions caused by transporting products to market, among other measures.

Though the wine industry has been somewhat slow on the uptake on these issues, things are now happening. A new eco-friendly winery in Rioja, lightweight bottles from Australia, Chilean wineries offsetting carbon emissions – all are new initiatives launched in the last few years.

As wine producers fight to win the custom and loyalty of environmentally minded consumers around the world, we can expect to see ever more eco-friendly practices being adopted by the wine industry, be they organic farming or offsetting carbon footprints.

The good news for wine drinkers is that they will increasingly be able to keep a clear conscience, if not a clear head, as they enjoy their favourite bottle.