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• Buy Sulphite Free Wine
  natural wines made with
  virtually no added sulphur or
  other chemicals
• Buy Organic and Biodynamic Wine
  produced from organically grown
  grapes with minimal additives
• Buy Low Sulphite Wine
  wines with only minimal
  additives

 

 

We have some superb new organic, biodynamic and sulphur free wines recently arrived from Domaine Viret in the Rhone which are listed on our Sulphite Free page. We also have some superb boutique organic and biodynamic Spanish red wines and Cavas listed below.

Before we begin let me dispel a big myth – Organic Wine is not necessarily low in sulphites! Most people presume that it is, and this is exacerbated by many producers and retailers who like to exploit this misunderstanding to help sell their ‘organic’ wine.

Legally speaking there is no such term as ‘organic wine’ as recognised by the European Union, and you’ll never see that term on a bottle of wine. What is permitted is ‘wine made from organically grown grapes’ and this is massively different. Yes, certainly the grapes are produced in accordance with the relevant organic regulations, but once they leave the vineyard to be turned into wine they are often processed exactly the same as any other grapes with the addition of sulphur and up to 80 other chemicals. So we think we’re buying a wine made as naturally as possible? Well, no - in most cases we’re not!

NEWSFLASH - We have just sampled (19th August 2010) a top boutique BIODYNAMIC South African red which retails at £25 per bottle. The free sulphur was huge, one sip and Jane had a severe reaction! It just goes to show that despite organic or biodynamic certification, they are still allowed to play fast and loose with the sulphur! I appreciate this winemaker has added 'plenty' of free sulphur for the purpose of protecting his wine but he would be better off trusting the wine's natural anti oxidants instead. Even I couldn't drink it because all I could taste was the sulphur. If you are sensitive to sulphites, or just want to cut out these additional additives, opt for our sulphite free wines. Just to add some figures for factual information, these biodynamic wines are permitted to contain 90 mg/l of total sulphur. The winemaker told me he leaves 35 mg/l of free sulphur in his wine (plus some bound sulphur obviously). This is no lower than many non biodynamic wines, so you can see "biodynamic" does not mean low sulphur! The good news is that after speaking to us he is looking at ways of reducing his sulphur levels for the next vintage. instead.

There are some smaller producers who do make wine as naturally as possible, and quite often these will be organic or even biodynamic. But there are a vast array of companies out there who see the 'organic' tag as a great marketing ploy. The 'organic wine' which we all picture in our heads, is a wine made by a small family winery where they toil on the land using only natural methods to produce a natural wine that they’re immensely proud of. Well the big companies know this, and they play on it to pass off factory produced bulk wine, cleverly disguised as hand crafted wine, by camouflaging it with organic status.

The cheap organic wine which is readily available in supermarkets and multiple retailers, is made in sterile factories by companies who simply purchase some organically grown grapes then process them as cost effectively as possible. They aren’t interested in making quality wine, just a wine that fits a certain retail price point, knowing that the organic tag will help sell it.

If you want genuinely good quality, naturally made organic wines you need to go one step further and search out wines which are not only organic, but made in small quantities by dedicated producers. Get away from this mass produced commercial wine. There are passionate producers out there making hand crafted wines of the highest quality with absolute minimal chemicals and additives, such as Domaine Viret

Just to explain the situation regarding the sulphur content of organic wines in general, some organic wines, made by smaller producers with passion, are likely to contain less TOTAL sulphur than mass produced wines. However they are likely to contain the same amount of FREE sulphur as any other wine, and are therefore no safer for sulphite intolerant people than any other wine. Anyone suffering from a sulphite intolerance should look for no added sulphur wine or low sulphite wine which is completely different to organic.

There is of course a crossover between the different categories here, as the few producers who proudly make quality natural wines without the addition of sulphur are also likely to grow their grapes organically or biodynamically, such as Domaine Viret. But this probably adds to the confusion rather than clarifies it.

In summary, Low Sulphite or No added Sulphur Wines may well be Organic or Biodynamic, but just because a wine is Organic (made from organically grown grapes to be precise) doesn’t mean it’s low in either sulphur or the other 80 different chemicals which are permitted in your wine. If you want wines low in chemicals and additives stick to ‘no added sulphur’ (more commonly referred to as sulphite free) wines, as any producer who is prepared to take the financial risks of not using sulphur, plus take on the extra work that entails, is clearly passionate about producing quality, natural wines.

Below we're listing a selection of hand crafted, top quality wines which are organic or biodynamic, produced by passionate winemakers.

 

 

Teillery Organic Wines Teillery is a family owned, dedicated organic producer in Maipo Valley, Chile's premier wine growing district. Pictured here are Solange (head of marketing) and her father (and owner of the business) Jose Teillery. The business was origninally founded by Jose's father, Joseph. In the 1990s Jose began growing his grapes organically and subsequently achieved certification from IMO Switzerland for organic production. Teillery have since gone a step further and are now cerified as "Fairtrade for Life" as well, with long term sustainable farming practices and responsible social practices for both staff and the local area. Jose did his thesis on sulphur free wines all the way back in the 1960s, and this has been a subject close to his heart all his life. As regular visitors to our site will know, the over zealous use of sulphites in wine (and other foods) is something we're passionate about trying to stop, so we were delighted when Solange approached us to import their wines. Last year they produced Chile's first ever "no added sulphite" wine. It's a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon (listed below). All their wines are very good, all low in sulphites and made as naturally as possible. We've imported four of their best below. Please give them a try, they are delicious and good for you! Teillery Website The wine is just clearing customs and we expect to have it by 5th October.

 

 

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