Would you pay more for organic/biodynamic wine?

April 17, 2019

I give up.

I’ve spent the better part of the evening searching, blindly, for one thing – an organic or biodynamic sparkling wine under $20 that I’d want to drink.

So far, I’ve come up with so few names it’s barely worth mentioning. It’s not until I raise that price to $30 that I get anything interesting.

Sure, it’s sparkling, so value is even harder to find (as sparkling is inherently more expensive to produce). But this search did have me thinking – would you pay more for a wine because it is organic/biodynamic? Is this a trigger to have you part with more dollars?

It’s a worthy question, as figures out this week from ISWR suggest that organic wine is headed for ‘huge growth‘, with Cellarmasters recording sales of organic wine up by stupid amounts too.

The potential speedhump for this rampant growth prediction, I’d argue, is that there aren’t enough well-priced organic wines available. Not yet. Makers like Angove, Yalumba and Bosworth (with the Spring Seed brand) are releasing plenty of products, but it’s still small bikkies in volume terms.

What’s worse is that some of the new inexpensive organic wines aren’t even that good, banking on the ‘organic’ label to mask what are average industrial wines – like this one that Mike Bennie reviewed recently.

Importantly, making organic wine is more expensive. As studies like this one note, extra inputs – labour, principally – push up costs. And in turn, that should make organic wine more expensive to buy – the ‘the organic tax‘ that Campbell Mattinson suggests.

But I’m interested in what you think. Would you pay more for organic/biodynamic wine?

P.S. If you have any good organic Australian sparkling recommendations for circa $20 let me know as well…

Biodynamics, organic

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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14 responses to “Would you pay more for organic/biodynamic wine?”

David Lloyd

April 17, 2019 at 7:23 pm

AG, how goes parenthood? I have been struggling to maintain a small vineyard and produce wine and make a $ for years. I think Eldridge has a very good reputation and the wines get great reviews. However, I stand back and watch the latest trend or style or variety that is hot and people flock to it like Sydney people abandon their favourite restaurant for a while, if not permanently for the latest “Hot Spot” that has just opened. In terms of organic, biodynamic, natural and sustainable I have a great deal of concern about the use of the terms, especially if promoting it as a reason to buy. All wine is poisonous to the human body so if you drink it you have to accept that you are probably at risk. If you want to counter that by buying organic etc I see that as the person at the petrol station buying a Zero Sugar soft drink with a large bag of crisps. I drink wine, probably too much BUT my fundamental driver is how the flavours and textures match what I like and then I chuck in a bang for bucks issue. Clearly organic etc has no relevance to me. I try and produce my wine with care in a sustainable way using mulch and minimal use of chemicals to keep my land healthy as I see my self as the temporary caretaker of it. I also see my use of energy as equally important and with just a 5KVA PVC set up and two solar hot water services I am close to being carbon neutral. Its a wholistic approach to my wine production but I have zero desire to use that as a marketing tool.

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Bob Colman

April 17, 2019 at 7:58 pm

I too produce wine, albeit on a small scale. I class it as natural wine as the grapes I purchase are organically grown and there is nothing added to the wine (including SO2). I think the widely used term “organic”, often prominently displayed on the label is misleading. The general wine buying public seems to believe that a wine labelled organic is “pure and simple” ie the grapes are grown organically and nothing is added during the wine making process. When I explain that organic can also mean organic additives they are quite surprised.
To answer your question, no I can’t think of anything under $20 labelled as organic I would want to drink or give to my mother in law. May I also add that I’m rather partial to David’s PTG

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Andrew Graham

April 17, 2019 at 10:02 pm

I also am rather partial to the PTG. I like organic viticulture a lot, and although I don’t embrace some aspects of biodynamics, I respect the practice too.

Would I pay extra for something just because it’s organic? Not necessarily. Though if a great wine went up in price because the grapes now come from a certified organic vineyard, I definitely wouldn’t have an issue.

Human justifications are weird…

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Tim Eckert

April 18, 2019 at 11:04 am

Hi Andrew,
Try Tscharke Wines? I’m sure you would have come across them? Damien is doing amazing things there with his organic/biodynamic practices. Best thing is – amazing prices for great quality organic wines.
It’s not quite a sparkling, but his Eva Frizzante at $10 is unbeatable for a semi-sparkling wine….
Cheers
Tim.

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Wade Doolan

April 18, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Interesting point, AG.

For good value organic wines, for me it’s pretty hard to go past Ben Gould’s Blind Corner Blanc and Rouge. $18 on the shelf, organic cert. It’s hard to find value in Margaret River Cab Merlot and Dry White as it is, but with the organic badge, unheard of.

Very solid wines too, doing the job they are supposed to.

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Andrew Graham

April 18, 2019 at 1:08 pm

Good one Wade, on the list.

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Simon Colwell

April 18, 2019 at 5:11 pm

Short answer: Nope.

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John

April 18, 2019 at 5:37 pm

I’ve tried the PTG and Blind Corner wines and agree that they are good examples of an ‘organic/sustainable’ nature. Since coming across the wines on offer from Living Wines (https://livingwines.com.au/)i’ve encountered some interesting foreign “natural wines” however I would rather buy Australian wines as the foreign examples I’ve sampled are often more expensive and I have to say I have tasted my fair share of “mouse-y” wines too. Agree also that their is a groundswell for “all things organic” – including wines, by a largely growing Australian upper -middle income class that perceive that organic= natural=healthy. Sometimes this is true, however, as stated above, you have to look for the fine print. Cheers.

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Henry Carus

April 19, 2019 at 1:12 pm

I regularly pay more for organic/bio-dynamic wines, and ones that I love include from low to higher price, Templer Bruer, Kalleske, Gemtree, Standl, Carlie, Cullen, and Jasper Hill, with quite a few others around

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Rory Shannon

April 22, 2019 at 4:10 pm

This topic rankles me, or rather the followers of Organic Wine do.
As a retailer I see the increase in customers asking for Organic wine, not really understanding what it means or its verification. On the Mornington Peninsula we don’t have any Certified Organic Wines, and those customers are shocked to hear it. “Well”, they say, “the Peninsula better get on the programme!”
I think David Lloyd hit the nail on the head saying: ” I try and produce my wine with care in a sustainable way using mulch and minimal use of chemicals to keep my land healthy as I see my self as the temporary caretaker of it. “.
It’s almost an insult to all those winemakers trying to make a decent wine and an honest buck, and be dealt a shocker of a vintage and be expected NOT to combat those conditions with sprays. They care about their land, they have invested in it heavily.Organic Wine does NOT equate to Better Wine!

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Bob Colman

April 22, 2019 at 4:52 pm

Rory, there are sprays allowed in organic viticulture.
Yes, you are correct in saying organic wine does not necessarily equate to better wine but surely the less nasties used in growing the grapes the better off we are going to be in the long run rather than slowly killing the soil.
What annoys me is the deliberate marketing of organic implying (to the average punter) that nothing has been added during the wine making process.

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Andrew W

April 29, 2019 at 9:36 pm

The question posed is whether or not to pay a premium for organic or bio-dynamically farmed wines. Simply put no. Reputations are hard earned, a certificate of participation shouldn’t be a shortcut to a sale. I do however believe there is a corollary between winemakers who pay keen attention to what happens in their vineyards and those that make outstanding wine.
Here is an in-exhaustive list of Australian wineries that employ organic or bio-dynamic and “lo-fi” principles that in my opinion offer favourable qpr’s, some are even investment grade!! Bindi, Sami-Odi, Castagna, Jasper Hill, Cullen, Yangarra, Ruggabellus, Cobaw Ridge, Hochkirk, Gentle Folk, Eldridge, Lark Hill, Eastern Peake, Ravensworth, Blind Corner, Stoney Rise, Stefano Lubiana, Giant Steps, Brave New Wines, Sam Vinciullo and Frankly… by Bob.
To further add to the conversation above, I’d like to advocate for an ingredients list to be put on wine labels. Wineries who include, SO2, Tartaric acid, Mega Purple or Isinglass should be expected to display these things clearly in the same way Standard Drinks are legislated. When the average consumer is confronted by the vast swathes of “manipulated” wine they’ll encounter, the path forward will be clear.

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Andrew W

April 29, 2019 at 9:59 pm

Hunter Valley failed to get a mention above, would include Harkham in that list too.

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Cactus

May 15, 2019 at 6:22 pm

I’m probably a minority here but I mostly roll my eyes whenever I see the terms organic or sustainable. They are mostly a con in my view used by marketing spivs to get you to pay more for inferior product.

If the booze is good and at an acceptable price – I buy it. I do disproportionately buy from smaller wineries or boutiques because I like to support small business people in part. But mostly because they tend to put so much effort into their product and they don’t have a brand or marketing budget to break my ‘good booze at an acceptable price’ mantra.

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