Organic wines are a hot topic right now. Sales of organic wine are increasing year on year and no doubt you have seen or purchased organic wines.

In this article, we talk about sustainability in the wine industry and share tasting notes of inexpensive organic wines.

Organic Wine
According to the WSET organic wines are made using organic agriculture and include several sustainable practices. For example, it allows a small number of treatments against pests and diseases.

Organic wines that bear an ‘organic’ stamp on their labels must be certified by a regulatory body. The complexity is that there are several institutions worldwide that can provide this certification and not all of them share the same requirements.

In general, sustainable agriculture practices promote a deeper understanding of what is happening on the vineyard and take a closer look at the weather to prevent disease before it occurs as opposed to ‘curing’ the disease by spraying chemicals following a calendar.

It also promotes more biodiversity in the vineyard. This could encourage habitat for some predators of certain pests which will help to control them in a non-chemical manner. Plant diversity in the vineyard can also help capture CO2 and provide nutrients for the vines once cut and ploughed into the soil.

Eco Packaging
Besides practices at the vineyard, sustainability is a concept that can be implemented across the whole value chain of wine.

Packaging is another area of focus, some of the practices we are seeing across the industry are:

• Natural cork – it is classed as renewable and one of the most sustainable materials on the planet (a cork tree can be harvested several times during its lifespan), it is compostable and biodegradable.
• Synthetic cork – some are made using renewable energy which can lead to a lower carbon footprint or include some plant-based materials.
• Capsule-free – less material, less rubbish. The capsule in still wines is the ‘cover’ that goes around the upper edge of the neck of the bottle and also covers the cork. It can be made of aluminium, plastic, wax
• Screwcaps – recyclable and in some cases made from recycled materials
• Recycled paper – for the labels
• Different types of containers for the wine -from bags to cardboard formats or glass bottles that are less heavy

Searching for the Lightest Bottle
We turned to the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) to talk about glass bottles -they are a global platform focused on advancing sustainability across the wine industry.

When discussing packaging, specifically the weight of a bottle of wine, currently there is no regulation regarding this topic and, of course, the heavier the bottle, the larger the carbon footprint. According to Decanter, the average weight of an empty bottle of still wine is 500g although you can find bottles of 800gr or even more than 1kg!

The SWR advocates that by 2029, 80% of the wine in the world should be bottled using bottles that weigh 420g max.

People say size matters -or weight in this case- since it plays a role in the perception of the quality of a wine. There are still some markets that wouldn’t purchase a bottle of wine if it is perceived as ‘too light’ (we are looking at you Asia).

I held an empty bottle that was 390g and it was the lightest glass bottle I’ve ever held. Did it affect the perception of the wine? Well, no because I knew what I was drinking and the price of the wine, but since it was a style of wine made to be drunk young and with an inexpensive pricetag, I found it to be a smart differentiator in this price bracket.

Inexpensive Organic Wines
We are The Wine Snug, not The Wine Snob so we taste wine across all different price ranges. For this article, we focused on inexpensive wine that can be purchased at a supermarket. Enter the Bliv range from the massive VSPT wine group (Chile & Argentina wines). The range includes 1 white wine, 1 rosé and 2 red wines.

These are our notes and tips.

• B-Liv Sauvignon Blanc 2023, 12.7% abv

Made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

A juicy wine with notes of lime juice, citrus, a hint of minerality and herbal with Med+ acidity. Try it with St Tolas Goat’s cheese to enhance your flavour experience.

• B-Liv Rosé 2023, 12.9% abv

Made with 100% Merlot grapes.

This is a dry wine with notes of fresh red fruit (cherry, strawberry) a hint of citrus and very little residual sugar, only 1.5 g/L, more on the mineral side. We do love a Rosé with minimal sugar and with that price tag, this is an okay everyday Rosé (yes we drink wine every day, that’s our job, but remember, always in moderation).

• B-Liv Red Blend 2020, 13.5% abv

A blend made from the following grapes:

40% Cabernet Sauvignon

30% Syrah

30% Carménère

This wine has a buttery nose and soft tannins with notes of black fruit, blueberry & blackberry. Ruby colour, fair for the price you are paying.

• B-Liv Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, 13.5% abv

Also a blend, made from :

90% Cabernet Sauvignon

7% Syrah

3% Carménère

With notes of ripe fruit (red and black) and a hint of vanilla from oak. This is a dry wine with med+ acidity/tannin, med alcohol/body.

Where do you stand when it comes to organic wines? Let us know if you would like more organic wine reviews by The Wine Snug from other price points and follow @thewinesnug for All Things Wine.

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Ara Esparza
Is a Wine writer, Marketing leader and Digital Creator with a WSET L3 certification. She founded and manages THE WINE SNUG a website dedicated to dedicated to All Things Wine where she shares her passion and knowledge of wine. Through its creation, design, and launch, she has cultivated a network of contacts within the Irish wine industry.