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 nonorganic
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.