The ‘O’ word resonates well with oenophiles – or wine connoisseurs. We’re talking organic, to be clear.
Organic wines are those made with organically-grown grapes, without the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. Kinder to the environment, producers work with nature to promote the vineyard’s biodiversity and encourage wildlife (think sheep, geese, butterflies and beneficial insects) to help protect and enhance plant management between the vines.
And there’s a growing appreciation for them, as consumers make more and more choices based on environmental impact. According to the Soil Association, sales are soaring and organic wines are expected to double their UK market share by 2022.
In fact, some might say the only hiccup with working in harmony with Mother Nature in an organically certified vineyard is the size of the investment.
As Ben Revell, founder of Winebuyers.com, puts it: “The general rule is that healthy grapes need fewer additives. Unfortunately, healthy grapes cost more to grow. The romance of wine, and interest in wine, stems from its ability to taste of where it comes from. The more things you introduce to the juice, the more you talk over the ability of the wine to communicate.
“For this reason, most growers adopt organics as a conviction, rather than a commercial decision,” Revell adds. “If they’re prepared to make this concession, they often go the extra mile to produce grapes of interest and quality.”
Winebuyers.com currently has around 2,500 organic wines on their website, but for two first-hand recommendations, Revell says: “White Bordeaux has long been a personal favourite of mine, and this Monfaucon Estate Nobody’s Perfect Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Bordeaux, France (£20), made by Dawn Jones-Cooper, is a notably greener, more contemporary style.”
He’s also impressed by Caruso E Minini – Naturalmente Bio Nero D’Avola DOC, Sicily, Italy (£18). “I love these Sicilian wines,” he adds. “This comes from vines in the hills above Marsala and they pick fairly early for the region, making the wines more refreshing than any other Nero d’Avola I’ve seen in the UK.”
Elsewhere, Alex Davies, wine buyer for Virgin Wines, says they’ve seen significant increase in sales and growth, driven mainly by warm, dry and windy countries or wine regions like Spain (mostly La Mancha), Sicily and Greece, where conditions are naturally conducive for organic viticulture.
Offering excellent price/quality ratio on the world stage, take Virgin Wines’ Bizios Nemea Agiortiko 2012, Greece (£25), which Davies says if you were tasting blind, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were sampling a very top-end red from Bordeaux.
“There’s a dense, ripe black fruit intensity, perfectly integrated oak, a palate loaded with black cherry fruit, silky and mouth-filling, and astonishingly well balanced. A great top-end red from a superb little estate,” says Davies.
5 fab organic wines for £15 or less
Want to discover more great green wines? Check out these top organic drops, all for £15 and less…
A plush pinot noir with excellent eco credentials – from the Ecocert winery to the label made from recycled paper – this little cracker from Cono Sur really highlights the quality and fruit-driven value of Chilean pinot noir.
Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2019, Chile (£7.50, Sainsbury’s), shows lovely cherry, raspberry and strawberry aromas, concentrated flavours punctuated with earthy tones, and a touch of spice adding to its complexity.
Who would have thought the palest wash of pink – almost transparent – could provide so much pleasure?
Adnams Provence Rosé 2019, France (£10.99, Adnams) has exquisite aromas of dried flowers. So much so, you can almost sense the stunning lavender fields and picture the untamed countryside. The winemaker, Emmanuelle Baude, has a reputation for being passionate about her vineyard – and it really shows in this beautiful rosé, marked by succulent red fruits, a wonderful purity and charming, silky texture.
As the name indicates, Terra Alta (meaning ‘highland’) is a mountainous region famous for its beautiful rolling countryside. Picasso painted here for a short stint and the scenery is said to have inspired some of his first cubist paintings. This remote wine region is also a picture of health, especially in the hands of this organic family estate in southern Catalonia.
Driven by love and respect for the land, winemaker Pepe Fuster makes Agricola Fuster Dardell Organic Red 2019, Terra Alta, Spain (£10.99, or £8.99 Mix Six, Majestic), from old vine garnacha and shiraz – for a generous, vivid wine with complex, savoury, spicy layers, framed by some playful smokiness and smooth, rounded tannins.
Luckily for sparkling wine lovers, the organic fairy tale extends to the world of fizz – and it’s immediately clear this certified organic, vegan-friendly spumante feels like a breath of fresh air with its beautifully balanced bubbles that radiate freshness.
A gentle giant of a grillo (one of sunny Sicily’s local grapes), Purato Grillo Spumante, Italy (£11.99, Ocado), is drier than prosecco, with delicate florals on the nose and an appealing herbal note among the light, citrusy fruit. Bellissimo!
A Soave with great purity and tingling freshness, Pieropan Soave Classico 2019, DOC, Italy (£15.99 or £14.39 when you mix 12 or more, Laithwaite’s), is unoaked and made from organic garganega and trebbiano grapes.
Elegant with aromas of ripe peach, pear and florals, there’s a super-fresh apple note mid palate, followed by more pear, soft nuances of melon, herbs and a streak of minerality from the volcanic soil vineyards. One to enjoy with seasonal organic ingredients, such as mushroom risotto.
Read more: What is vegan wine? Everything you need to know about vegan wine
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