Organic wines are environmentally friendly, and also a great way to enjoy wine as nature intended.

In accordance with the Australian Certified Organic Standard, makers of green (organic) wine don't apply any synthetic chemicals to the soil, vines or wine. Their wines must contain no more than half the amount of preservative found in conventional wines.

The organic wine movement started in Australia in 1971 when Gil Wahlquist planted the seeds of organic wine and established Botobolar vineyard in Mudgee. In 1984 it became the first certified organic vineyard in the country. So what all the fuss about? Organic wine is based on a number of key criterias these are:

. All natural
. Produced using environmentally sustainable farming methods
. Grown without artificial pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilisers
. Contains no genetically modified (GM) ingredients
. Contains minimal or no added preservatives (good news if you're sensitive to sulphur dioxid
. Must be genuine to display an official 'certified organic' logo

Minimal intervention helps to produce a wine that's as close as possible to nature. Where possible the winemaker can use existing wild yeast for fermentation, rather than introduce a strain. The Nature's Step Organic Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc is an example of how naturally occurring yeast can bring out the wine's distinctive flavour and aroma.

Environmental sustainability is an important requirement of organic winemaking. The winemakers at Gemtree Vineyards in McLaren Vale for example have taken green to the extreme by creating a 10-hectare wetland area for native plants, frogs, birds and other animals.

Organic winemaking has come a long way since early, and often disappointing, attempts to produce an organic or green wine of comparable quality to conventional wine.

Australia produces several fine certified organic preservative-free wines, including the Temple Bruer Preservative Free Cabernet Merlot, which is especially good news for people who are sensitive to the preservative sulphur dioxide.Finally, in Australia there are three agencies that certify organic grape and wine producers.