Organic Comes of Age in Australian Wine Industry

Organic Comes of Age in Australian Wine Industry

CELEBRATING THE AUSTRALIAN ORGANIC WINE AWARDS 2020

Australia’s organic wine industry has recorded a surprise increase in exports, despite the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and the damaging trade dispute with China.

The $1.1 billion industry has been devastated by disruptions to key supply chains due to the pandemic and the imposition of huge Chinese tariffs, yet organic exports stand out as a major success story for the Australian wine sector.

Wine Australia research showed organic exports increased by 9% in 2020 to 257,470 9-litre case equivalents, which contributed to the combined organic and biodynamic export value of $16 million.

The significant growth, despite great uncertainty in the global market, indicates the organic sector is on course to become a powerhouse of the wine scene, as it continues to increase production and build a reputation for taste and quality, both with consumers and experts.

Renowned wine writer, Josh Martin, who was the associate judge for this year’s Australian Organic Wine Awards, predicts organic drops will soon become the wine industry’s leading labels.

Well-regarded brands including Stefano Lubiana, Angove, Tamburlaine Wines and Gemtree have become favourites with consumers, not just for their certification status, but also their flavour.

Mr Martin said certified labels reaching the price of $500 a bottle, like Cullen Wine’s top Cabernet Sauvignon, was a significant milestone in the trajectory of the industry.

“Organic wines are competing with their mainstream contemporaries and winning, I see them becoming the industry leading wine within the next 5 to 10 years,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin said health and environmentally conscious consumers, and the rise of organic boutiques that promote certified ingredients, were contributing to the growth of the sector.

Internationally, Wine Australia data highlights Sweden as Australia’s largest market for certified organic wines, making up 35% of exports, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada. drops could not be overlooked as a key consumer driver.

“Viticulturalists and winemakers dedicated to organic and biodynamic practices are enhancing soils and, in turn, the quality of the grapes are improving,” he said.

“It means better wines for consumers - I have never understood why people would not want to drink a wine free from chemicals and pesticides. It’s an easy decision to make.”

The Australian Organic Wine Awards 2020 was hosted by Australian Organic Limited and judged by Ramon Arnavas, Ken Gargett and Alex McPherson.

The awards were open to any certified organic vintner in Australia and received 120 entries in total.

Four wines were awarded top honours at the Australian Organic Wine Awards 2020

Louise Wright Photography

Stefano Lubiana Wines’ 2018 Estate Chardonnay took out the Cullen Trophy Wine of Show while the Red category was awarded to Victorian producers, brothers Michael and Tony Lee, from Foxeys Hangout, for their 2019 Pinot Noir.

“There are so many wineries producing stunning, fantastic wines so it was good to take a breath and assess them and celebrate the great wines that are around,” Mr Martin said.

“This is also a reflection of how big the organic wine industry is, as there is an Awards talking specifically to those wines.”

While currently a thriving sector, the industry’s pioneers recall the initial slow adoption of organic practices.

Gourmet Traveller Wine was Major Partner for the Australian Organic Wine Awards 2020

Louise Wright Photography

Michelle Gadd, who founded online wine retailer Organic Wine in 2002, has watched the industry develop and studied viticulture when the wine was seen as “niche”, rather than a product that would grow in popularity with mainstream consumers.

“Most people in the industry put organic wine down to a ‘few hippies in the hills growing grapes’ and not doing a great job of making wine,” Ms Gadd said.

“I was doing a graduate diploma in viticulture and I got laughed at by a few of the conventional farmers in the course when I said I wanted to promote organic wine.” Ms Gadd concedes the popularity of organic and biodynamic alcohol was slower on the uptake than organic food, but attributes that to myths and misconceptions about the industry.

“I got asked ‘what’s not organic about wine?’ all the time because people like to think there’s nothing harmful about fermented grapes. But it’s the reality of any industry that large-scale producers often are using large-scale processes, which involve mechanisation and chemicals, and sometimes corners are cut,” she said.

“Consumers also thought organic wine would be much more expensive, which is not necessarily true.”

Ms Gadd said growers, makers and consumers were all pushing the boundaries; consumers are demanding more variety at different price points, winemakers are experimenting with different techniques, and viticulturalists are striving to create better quality vines and grapes through improved quality soils.

“Bigger labels are converting to organic, which shows the industry has matured. We can offer biodynamic wine, vegan, natural and preservative-free wines; it’s appealing to more people,” she said.

Cullen Wines, based at Wilyabrup, Margaret River, is a notable label that was quick to adopt organic practices and is now classified as a carbon positive business.

Managing Director, Vanya Cullen, one of Australia’s leading winemakers, said the winery was completely biodynamic and had $100,000 worth of carbon credits in the coffers.

However, when the family converted from a minimal inputs vineyard to biodynamic nearly 20 years ago, the biggest backlash came from the wine industry itself.

Vanya Cullen of Cullent Wines believes consumers are driving the demand for organic wines

“We thought it would be a wonderful thing, and everyone would be really positive about it, but our sales actually dropped. So, the next year we went back to being a ‘normal’ vineyard with a sustainable tag because it wasn’t doing our business any favours and we had to be realistic about that,” Ms Cullen said.

Today, however, Ms Cullen said consumers were more adept in environmental issues, and the biodynamic and carbon positive credentials held merit in the market.

“The shift to better understanding of the science has been really satisfying,” she said.

“We understand that with our gut microbes, that when you have a healthy gut, you have a healthy brain. It’s exactly the same with the land.”

Ms Cullen believes primary producers have a responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint.

“I think every business should have some sort of ethical accountability where they are giving back to the land or to the environment because we’re all taking from it,” she said.

Panel Chair Judge Ramon Arnavas comparing some of the entries of Australian Organic Wine Awards 2020

“Farming is easier with chemicals, but people who farm organically put in the extra effort to really care for the land.”

Tune in to our latest Australian Organic Collective podcast episode to hear from retailers Michelle Gadd and Stuart Wood from Organic Wine, wine writer, and associate wine judge Josh Martin and vintner Vanya Cullen, discuss the state of the Australia organic wine industry.

Vanya Cullen, of Cullen Wines, believes consumers are driving the demand for organic wines.