Comparing the taste of organic and non-organic wine

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Question submitted by Koh Ann Noi, Singapore.

I notice that organic wine is trying to catch a foothold in the wine market, with the ‘organic’ trend becoming the latest wave to hit the market. How can we compare the taste of organic and non-organic wines as wine experts? Personally, I do not find any difference.

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Firstly, we need to recognise a few significant differences. One is that there are different regimes of so-called ‘organic’ classification around the world, and that one person’s ‘organic’ might not even get close to another. Given that there is no global standard meaning for the term ‘organic’, let’s move on.

There is the world of difference between organically grown and organically made. You can throw all manner of chemical in ‘organically grown’ wine and still call it ‘organically grown’. The major risk attached to growing grapes organically are weather, climate and pests or diseases. If you attempt to grow organic grapes in wet areas, or where vine disease is typically prevalent and damaging, you might have bitten off more than you can chew. But if you’re in a fine, stable environment that is generally disease-free, you could succeed massively.

Really, ‘organic’ winemaking is little more than a con. As far as I am aware, a winemaker can basically can do everything he or she would as part of a normal winemaking process and call it ‘organic’ aside from a few minor exceptions like stabilising wine with Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone PVPP. Winemakers can add as much sulphur dioxide as they want to for organic which is simply ridiculous in my humble opionion to preserve and protect their wines. Frankly, wines that are made ‘preservative free’, which excludes the addition of sulphur dioxide, follow a much more stringent regime.

So, it’s little wonder that you can’t pick the difference between ‘organically made’ and ‘normal’ wine, for it doesn’t really exist. But, in a wet year, your are certainly more likely to distinguish wine from genuinely organically grown fruit to that which has been able to benefit from the application of fungicides and other chemical agents that have protected the fruit to some extent.

All of this hasn’t stopped growers and makers of ‘organically grown’ and ‘organically’ made wine – not to mention the emerging plethora of biodynamically produced wine – from sounding considerably holier than thou. In many cases, but certainly not all, they do so with some reason.

I have seen myself the differences in soil health and texture that repeat themselves time and again when people have changed from an old-fashioned and relatively thoughtless approach to viticulture to biodynamics. But would the same have occurred without going the whole hog, by just taking a more fastidious approach to viticulture with modern technical means? Maybe yes, may be no. Impossible, in many cases, to say.

Just because a vigneron has adopted a biodynamic or organic philosophy in the vineyard, there is no necessary reason for them to make better wine than their neighbour who might not. There are simply too many other variables involved.

The highest-profile Australian wine made with a biodynamic approach is Cullen’s Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. The estate vineyard has an ‘A’ grade Biodynamic Certification. The Mangan vineyard, which also contributes to this wine, does not have this certification. The company’s red vineyards have recently been converted to the Scott Henry trellis, with a view to increasing the presence of ripe flavours and to develop higher quality tannins. So, even with this world-class wine it is still to early to say with absolute certainty what precise effect biodyamics have had on its taste, texture, complexity and longevity. I might personally believe that the biodynamic approach has contributed something to these aspects, but I cannot yet confidently precisely itemise and quantify these changes, whatever they may be.

So, as we constantly find with innovations in wine, much of the early work behind major developments is done through gut feel and good intent. It takes time, especially in such a complex process as viticulture and winemaking, to be able to pinpoint precisely what effect results from what innovation. I believe that in a decade’s time we will all be much better placed to understand the effects of organic and biodynamic philosophies in vineyards good, bad and ordinary.

Regardless of that, much of what is being carried out under these banners are done in the name of less chemicals, a genuine love and respect for land, a sense of guardianship for future generations, and a conviction that quality will ultimately come from a process that cares for the soil and nurtures the vine. In itself, that is a very good thing.
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