The rise of organic wine over the last few years has been pretty staggering and every year we see a bigger demand for it, but why go organic?
Organic wine producers are popping up all over the world and it’s believed that the organic market is growing faster than any other wine sector.
We should lay our cards on the table right now and admit that we absolutely love organic wine and that’s why we stock a pretty comprehensive range at our North Berwick store.
Now, we’re most definitely not having a go at any vineyards that don’t use organic processes – no, no, no. You have to remember that the vast majority of the world’s producers are not organic.
What is organic wine?
Before we go any further, let’s clear up what organic wine is because this can cause a bit of confusion. Quite simply, organic wine is wine that is produced without the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides when growing the grapes.
A common mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that organic wine does not have additives. Not true. Organic wines may still have things like yeast or egg white and animal enzymes added to them so if you’re looking for a vegan wine, make sure it stipulates that.
Most commercial wine producers will use these common – and it must be said, completely safe – chemicals to protect their harvests and give a better yield. Organic vineyards, obviously, will not.
Why choose organic?
There are a few reasons that the wine connoisseur would want to drink an organic wine over a non-organic wine.
For some, it’s the fundamental issue of consuming something that has been in contact with a chemical.
Of course, this is a completely understandable position and it’s one that becomes more mainstream as we, in general, gather a better understanding of how our food and drink is produced and where it comes from.
Many passionate wine drinkers also want the produce they drink to be as pure as possible. The reality is that the chemicals used in fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides do make their way into our wine albeit in minute quantities.
This doesn’t sit well with some people so they choose to go organic.
Is organic wine always better?
This is a question that wine lovers could get quite heated over and there isn’t a short answer. We’d say organic wine can be some of the best wine in the world, most definitely.
But, just because a wine is organic, it won’t necessarily be better than a comparably-priced non-organic wine.
Our favourite organic wines
Regardless of your opinion on organic wines, there can be absolutely no doubt that there are dozens and dozens of world-class organic wines to be enjoyed out there.
Here are three of our favourite organic wines, all of which are available from our North Berwick store 133 High Street or from our online shop.
BENJAMIN LEROUX AUXEY-DURESSES
This is quite rich and relatively soft for Auxey, yet with a lovely finish and some orange blossom and lime notes. Buy it now
DOMAINE L’AUMONIER SAUVIGNON BLANC
A gorgeous bright straw yellow colour with golden highlights and a fantastically complex taste. Buy it now
GUY ALLION ‘LES PARCS’ PINOT NOIR
Strawberry-fruited and creamy-textured, this is a joyously ripe, juicy Pinot with a good deal of cool-climate finesse. Buy it now
