Organic Wines: 5 Things You Should Know as a Consumer
For wine enthusiasts, exploring the world of organic wines can be a charming and rewarding experience. Organic drops offer unique flavours while satisfying your desire to support the planet you call home. They also give you a chance to support winemakers who are going to the effort and expense of producing wines in a sustainable way. One look at the cost of grape harvesters and grape harvester parts in Australia, and you’ll understand just how costly it can be to run a vineyard, let alone an organic one.
To help you navigate the beautiful but often confusing realm of organic wines, here are five essential things you should know as a consumer:
1. Understand the organic certification
Genuinely organic wines come from grapes grown in vineyards that adhere to strict organic farming practices. To ensure the drop you’re considering is the real deal, look for organic certifications such as Australian Certified Organic, USDA Organic, EU Organic, or other labels specific to the wine’s country of origin. These certifications tell you that the winemaker has met rigorous organic standards, so you can usually rest assured the grapes were free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. You’re also looking at a wine that’s free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
2. Look for sustainable vineyard practices
While it’s important to know what’s not in the wine, it’s equally essential to understand what is in there. If you want an extra helping of karmic brownie points from your wine selection, look for brands that adopt sustainable practices such as water conservation, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable soil management. These practices promote the health of the vineyard and the ecosystem within which it flourishes, leading to healthy terroir, high-quality grapes, a happier planet, and delicious wines.
3. Opt for wines made with minimal intervention
For a delicious drop that’s as natural as can be, look for organic wines that boast minimal intervention in the cellar. This approach allows the natural flavours and characteristics of the grapes to shine through during the fermentation process.
Minimal intervention fermentation generally involves native yeasts. Those with allergies will be happy to know that it usually also features minimal use of additives and results in wines with low sulphite levels. As a result, these wines offer a more authentic representation of the grape varietals and their terroir, giving you a true taste of the fruit and the land it grew in.
4. Select wines that support good health for you and the planet
In most wine-producing regions, organic farming practices are designed to promote healthier soil while reducing pollution and supporting biodiversity. As mentioned in the previous point, organic wines usually also contain lower levels of sulphites, making them better for your health, especially if you are sensitive to these compounds.
5. Consider the taste and style
One mistake many consumers make is to assume that all organic wines are going to taste more or less the same. The truth is that there’s an abundance of diversity in the realm of organic wines. So you have endless avenues of exploration ready to take you through different regions, grape varieties, and winemakers. You'll find exceptional complexity and purity in many of the bottles you try, with each one offering unique characteristics to tantalise your taste buds.
By understanding these core aspects of organic wines, you can make more informed decisions and embark on a rewarding journey into the world of sustainable, flavorful, and environmentally conscious wines. We wish you all the best on your wine-tasting voyage!
Daily Bulletin
