Organic wine has been defined as a wine made from certified organically grown grapes and without any added sulfites; the basic idea being that making wine from grapes grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers is better for our planet and therefore, in all likelihood, better for the wine drinker.

Conventional wines, produced with conventional agricultural practices, rely heavily on chemicals. The use of chemical pesticides and herbicides can throw the natural harmony of the vineyard completely off balance by starting a destructive cycle- the soil gets stripped of minerals essential to its health, thus necessitating an ever-increasing reliance on artificial inputs.

The organic methods of farming help to obtain the strongest and richest grapes possible. Organic vineyards have more natural resistance to poor weather or pestilence, and therefore tend to perform better in poor vintages than non-organic ones. Besides that, many organic vineyards hand pick their grapes, rather than using mechanical pickers. This approach allows only the ripest and healthiest bunches to be picked, with minimal damage to the vine, fruit or soil.

To avoid the use of pesticides, some farmers look for biodiversity, meaning they grow plants other than vines in and around the vineyard. Such a technique helps regulate the vineyard soil by attracting beneficial flora and fauna into the vineyards, such as insects, spiders and predatory mites. These cover-crops provide shelter and food (pollen, nectar) to the beneficial bugs, which decreases the need for insecticides or pesticides.

There is some controversy about whether it is really possible for a wine to have no sulfites. Conventionally, sulfite or sulfur dioxide is used as a preservative in wines. It has strong antimicrobial properties and some antioxidant properties, while the actual health effects or consequences of sulfites are debatable. Wine may be available as without any added sulfites, but there may be naturally occurring sulfites in the wine that occur as a by-product of fermentation.

In terms of taste and flavour, organic wines stand consistently at par and, in some cases, above their conventional counterparts, and are as reasonable in price and varied in styles.

The availability of a variety of wines from local and international brands at the market shelves, has left wine drinkers not only spoilt for options, but confused as well.