Tasting organic wine: instructions for use
Organic wine seduces wine lovers, and rightly so! White wines are often more delicate aromatically, more acidic (fresher) and mineral, and red wines are slightly more structured, fuller-bodied, with more fruity and spicy notes. They are very well balanced wines with a more sustained expression of aromas. Find out how to store and enjoy an organic wine in the right way!
How to store organic wine before and after opening
To begin with, if you have ordered your organic wine with home delivery, wait at least 48 hours before opening a bottle: the wine needs to rest from transport. Ideally, you should store your natural wine in a cellar at a constant temperature and hygrometry, around 12°C for whites and 16°C for reds. This is because temperature can affect the balance between tannins, fruit and alcohol. If you don't have a cellar, no problem: simply store your bottles lying down in a place sheltered from the light, rather in a humid environment, and protect them from major temperature variations. These precautions help preserve the wine's aromas while avoiding oxidation. After opening your bottle of organic wine, you can store it in the refrigerator and/or with a Vacuvin-type system.
Tasting an organic wine
The wine itself
Organic wine (AB) requires care, as it is a delicate product. The winemakers rely on a moderate use of sulphur (which initially prevents rapid oxidation), which makes the wine more fragile. Before starting a tasting, uncork your bottle of organic wine at least 2 hours before serving, especially for red wines: this allows the wine to oxygenate.This allows the wine to oxygenate. To compensate for the fizzy or pearly aspect of certain natural wines, simply decant the wine and let it rest in the open air at a moderate temperature. If you do not have a decanter, you can also oxygenate your wine by swirling it in your glass. Don't hesitate to taste it before serving: if your wine is too cool, let it warm up naturally on your table or in the glasses. etc etc .... And don't forget to find out the ideal tasting temperature before opening your bottle (it is noted on every wine page on our site). A wrong serving temperature can completely change the perception and the pleasure of the tasting!
The glasses used
The glasses you use while tasting your organic wine can also affect your perception of its aromas! We advise you to use a nice wine glass, clean but not too clean: just wash it with hot water so as not to spoil the flavours of the wine with the chemical molecules of a washing-up liquid. In addition, the use of a cleaning product sometimes prevents the aromas from attaching to the wall of the glass, which then hinders the expression of the wine on the nose.
Our selection to introduce you to the flavours of organic and natural wine
The care taken with natural wines from vinification to bottling gives the wines a better resistance to ageing. An organic wine will also bring a greater presence in the mouth, which is not built on alcohol, but on the balance of flavours and structure. Far from the linear profiles of traditional wines, organic wine will play with your taste buds in all subtlety thanks to quality grapes and respectful vinification, with a slow and regular vegetative cycle. Some organic winemakers have tested maturing certain vintages in Roman amphorae(see the video with JC Lapalu on our site, via the FAQ menu). They believe that, as oxygenation is already maximum with this rather porous material (terracotta), the organic wine concerned oxidises less quickly once opened. Try it on your side! Find the organic wine that meets your expectations and put these tasting tips into practice in your online organic wine cellar!
Here you will also find some exclusive introductory wines, ideal for discovering.