Up until recently, the only wines labeled “organic” were bad wines. This is not to say that there weren’t excellent organic wines out there—but they weren’t labeled as such, because to the average consumer, “organic” meant hippie health food that you consumed for the sake of ideology, not taste. So even if you were a winemaker who did follow organic practices, you would only hurt your sales by advertising this fact.

In the last few years, with increased concern about health and the environment, organic foods have moved into the mainstream and more and more consumers are asking questions about organic wines. “Organic wines were considered inferior, a ‘green’ fad, an anti-establishment statement. But now there is a clear trend in the demand for cleaner, purer products, and so the marketing of wine has gone in that direction,” says Alain Chabanon, who makes organic wines in the Languedoc region of southern France.

What exactly is organic?

Originally all wine was organic—before man started messing around with chemicals. So really this “new” trend is a return to old methods. But there isn’t agreement on what organic means in the modern day. Standards, rules and enforcement (if any) are different all over the world. In some countries the government decides; in other countries a private certification organization sets the rules.

In general terms, an “organic” wine is made without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides—that applies to the grapes growing in the vineyards as well as to the winemaking in the winery.

Depending on the country, the percentage of organic grapes required for a wine to be considered organic can vary from 100% to as little as 70%. In some countries, winemakers are not allowed to add sulfites and still call their wines organic; in others this is OK. In some countries, the organic standard must also apply to sterilization of the equipment, bottles and corks used; others aren’t so strict. And not every wine that is labeled organic has been independently certified.

“Because there isn’t one set of guidelines or rules, it can be really confusing. But as long as people get a rough idea of what organic wines are, that’s the important thing. More and more people want to put less chemicals in their body, and that’s where these wines come in,” Niall Keddie, resort sommelier at the Evason Hideaway and Evason Hua Hin Resort, says.

What do you gain?

There are three main reasons why you might want to go organic. The first is concern for the environment. “The decision to make organic wine is part of my life philosophy. I try to do my part by not adding pollution to an already polluted planet earth,” says Mr. Chabanon, who would eventually like to go beyond organic and make biodynamic wines.
The second is for your health. “People are better informed, they want to put healthier things in their bodies and expose themselves less to chemicals. And the lack of manmade substances can only be a good thing,” Mr. Keddie says.

The third reason is simply because they are better—or they can be, in the hands of a skilled winemaker. According to Mr. Chabanon, organic grapes make better wine. “The taste is better due to the reduced yield,” he insists.

What do you give up?

An organic wine will nearly always be more expensive than a comparable non-organic wine. Without the use of herbicides, winemakers need to spend more time taking care of the plants, which means higher labor costs. Also, by not using chemical fertilizers their vines won’t produce as many grapes as they would if they did use them.

Another disadvantage for consumers is that you have fewer choices. Most of the wines on the market are non-organic. And those that are organic are not always easy to find.

How do you find them?

With over 20 organic wines on their list, the sister Evason properties in Hua Hin most likely have the biggest selection in Thailand. This is no small feat. You won’t find “organic” stickers on bottles in wine shops or supermarkets. We even called two of Thailand’s leading wine importers and asked them to recommend some of their organic wines. Neither could—or was willing to—identify even one. “We’ve never thought about it,” was one response.

“It takes some detective work. Most organic winemakers don’t advertise this fact. When I was making this list I asked our suppliers, but most didn’t know if their wines were organic,” explains Mr. Keddie. Also, remember that some winemakers make organic and non-organic wines.
In the end you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the extra effort. “There are no guarantees, of course. But I think that organic wines are very exciting and in the future they are going to become even more important.”

Resources

Wines from these six producers are available in Thailand: Domaine Alan Chabanon, Languedoc, France (www.domainechabanon.com); Alois Lageder, Alto Adige, Italy (www.lageder.com); Frankland Estate, Frankland River, Western Australia; M. Chapoutier, Rhone, France (www.chapoutier.com); Wittman Westhofener, Rheinhessen, Germany; Vietti, Piemonte, Italy (www.vietti.com).
Importers of their wines: Wine Care, 9/7 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-261-4602; Take Fin, 8/22 Soi Sammitre, Ratchadaphisek Rd., 02-653-0154, www.take-fin.com.

The old-fashioned way

Some facts about winemaking at Domaine Alain Chabanon

No fertilizer or pesticides are used in the vineyards
They prune the plants a lot to keep yields low
The grapes are picked by hand and only in the morning
After picking, the grapes are immediately taken to the winery in shallow (so they don’t get squashed), open-weave (so they can breathe) baskets
The grapes are sorted by hand
The grapes are not pumped into the tanks—gravity does the trick (the tanks are in the basement and are filled from above)
The grapes get a foot-massage (really)—pigeage in French
The wine is not filtered
The wine is not fined (adding something to make the wine more clear)—collage in French
They do not add yeast