Best organic wine: 10 award-winning bottles to try

With quality on the rise and prices becoming more attainable, demand for organic wine is at an all-time high, and the category is growing at a faster clip than that of non-organic wines. Farm-to-fork thinking is extending to grape-to-glass. According to Grand View Research, the global organic wine market was valued at US$9.8 billion in 2022 and is predicted to be worth US$21.5bn by 2030, though the category still only accounts for just over 3 per cent of total still wine sales, leaving plenty of room for growth.

Being organic denotes that an estate’s grapes are grown without the use of pesticides, fungicides or herbicides, while certain additives are also prohibited in the winery, and lower permitted levels of added sulphur dioxide are imposed. Wineries wanting to switch to organic status need to go through a three-year conversion process and must be officially certified by country-specific bodies to be able to use recognised organic logos on their labels.

While Sweden was an early adopter of organic wines, Germany is the biggest guzzler, accounting for around 24 per cent of global consumption. Nearly 80 per cent of the world’s organic wines are consumed in Europe. In France, Bordeaux, the Loire, and the Languedoc, winemakers are putting organics at the top of their green agendas, with 17 per cent of vineyard land in Bordeaux certified organic or in conversion, and the Languedoc blazing a trail as the country’s largest organic wine producer.

The pandemic boosted organic wine sales as consumers started treating themselves to higher-quality produce during lockdown. Proving that a rising tide lifts all ships, increased consumer interest in organic wine is having a positive effect on the gatekeepers in the industry, which in turn is leading to bigger and broader offerings, making it easier for consumers to switch to organic without hurting their bank balance.

Italy put in a strong performance at the 2022 IWSC, accounting for four of the wines in our top 10 below. Among them was the 96-point Fattoria la Vialla Riserva 2016, a decadent Vin Santo from Tuscany, which won the judges over with its ‘lightly spiced palate with hints of toasted hazelnut’. Also impressive was the Gold medal-winning Château de la Verreie Grand Deffand Syrah 2019 from Luberon, which judges described as a ‘fleshy feast of pure red fruit and hearty cassis’. Proving New World wines are equally up on their organic game, Cruz de Piedra Garbo Organic Cabernet Franc 2021 from Mendoza also got a Gold, charming the judges with its ‘beautifully balanced acidity, smooth tannins and long, elegant finish.’

Read on for our pick of the best organic wines from around the world, as tasted and rated by the IWSC.

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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