The best wines to drink this Organic September

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

The Symington family are major players in the Portuguese wine industry as pioneers in modern Douro wine and the country’s biggest organic grower. Winemakers for five generations, they started producing Douro DOC wines in the 1990s from the same vineyards and indigenous grapes used to make world-renowned port and this versatile red is now produced with grapes from the Symingtons’ own mountain vineyards.

Blending native grapes including touriga franca, tinta roriz, touriga cacional and tinta barroca, this medium to full-bodied red is vegan-friendly and has more-ish aromas of blackberry and cherry with floral undertones. In the mouth, hearty plum flavours and a fine acidity give way to a lingering black pepper finish left us wanting more. A dinner table dream, it works well with all sorts of food including meaty pasta or Spanish tapas, and will really make your Sunday roast beef sing.

Best: Budget option

Rating: 7/10

Buying organic wine doesn’t have to mean wincing at the supermarket checkout. This vibrant pinot grigio won’t bowl you over but is a no-brainer organic swap for your hard-earned mid-week glass of white. Delicate but full of zingy apple and lemon flavours that linger beyond the first sip, this crisp pinot grigio works a treat with stir fries, seafood and light pasta dishes. However, we’d be more than happy with a glass of it on its own on a summer’s evening. We’re satisfied we’ve discovered an organic bargain here.

Best: Eco-friendly wine

Rating: 8/10

You’re already making a difference if you make the switch to organic but if you really want to care for the planet, Sea Change is the brand to buy. A range of wines from vineyards across Europe, the bottles use renewable plant-based closures and label paper from sustainable forests made in part from grape waste. It also doesn’t use any plastic wrapping around the cork. They donate to marine conservation charities with every bottle sold to fund projects that protect the oceans.

That doesn’t mean you have to put up with sub-standard wine though. This sunny Valencian white is a joy to drink, made using traditional sustainable growing and harvesting methods. It’s chockful of floral flavours and zingy citrus fruits with a refreshing acidity that’s easy to sip on its own but cuts nicely through salty seafood or creamy pasta sauces.

Best: Natural wine

Rating: 7/10

Austrian wine might not be your go-to but this easy-drinking red could be the one to change your mind. The Beck Ink winery is a 15-hectare estate in the country’s Burgenland which has been farmed biodynamically since 2007 and uses native Austrian varieties with natural yeasts, minimal sulphur and no filtration to keep the wine in its most natural state. The result is a vibrant inky red packed with summer fruits undercut with a hint of intriguing spiciness that kept us coming back for more. If you’re curious about natural wines but don’t know where to start, this is the one to convert you.

Best: Fairtrade

Rating: 8/10

This full-bodied malbec is the ideal match for roast meats, casseroles and warming winter dishes. It’s the ultimate feelgood wine, ticking both the Fairtrade and organic boxes in one fruity bottle. It’s produced by Rodolfo Griguol, one of Argentina’s most well-respected winemakers, and is made from malbec grapes grown in high-altitude vineyards in the scenic Famantina Valley, 1,000 to 1,400 metres above sea level. The cold nights and balmy days create excellent conditions for organic wine and this smooth but full-bodied red lets the plum, jam and cherry flavours shine through. All this and a fantastic price too.

Best: Rosé

Rating: 7/10

The days of struggling to spot the odd organic red on the supermarket shelf are long gone. Now, even the nation’s favourite summer tipple has gone organic so it’s easy to rosé all day with a clear conscience. This crisp, vegan-friendly bottle from South Africa’s Western Cape is everything you want from a decent rosé with delicate mineral notes, tingling acidity and juicy strawberry notes to finish. It would be a match made in heaven served with a platter of seafood overlooking a baking hot beach but we’d happily take it all on its own in a sunny back garden too.

Best: Chardonnay

Rating: 8/10

If you steer clear of chardonnay for fear of landing a robust, oak-heavy number, this surprisingly light version is worth a chance. Despite its reputation, chardonnay is actually a diverse neutral grape that can take on all sorts of flavours, so if you always dislike it, you may have just not found the right one for you yet.

This fruity and disarmingly refreshing offering comes from Chile’s Emiliana, a progressive producer with a keen focus on soil health and environmental balance. The cool sea air of the Casablanca Valley gives the chardonnay a lip-smacking intensity and a distinctive tropical twist, with flavours of stone fruits and creamy toasted hazelnuts that would pair well with roasted vegetables or creamy pasta.

However, if you’re eating Asian food, try the outstanding Yalumba organic viognier (£54, Marksandspencer.com) instead, which is rich with fragrant jasmine and ginger flavours.

Best: New wine

Rating: 9/10

If you love white wine, chances are you’re already a fan of iconic New Zealand winery Villa Maria in the renowned Marlborough region. After growing grapes organically for more than two decades, the family-owned winery has finally launched its very first organic wine range including a pinot noir, merlot cabernet sauvignon, rosé and this sauvignon blanc, which hit UK shelves in August. This is the first step in Villa Maria’s plan to ensure 100 per cent of its vineyards are organically managed by 2030.

f they all taste this good, we’re certainly keen to taste more because this zesty white is a real knockout. With a riot of rich citrus and lime aromas, the wine dazzles with tingling acidity and flavours of tropical fruits, lemongrass and a hint of peach.

Best: Hearty red

Rating: 9/10

Don’t just go organic for a quick midweek drink after work. This sophisticated barolo is one that will impress any dinner party (though we’d be tempted to keep it all to ourselves).

Made from the nebbiolo grape, it’s produced by Luisella and Gian Paolo from vineyards resplendent with natural herb and flower gardens in Cascina Meriame in the heart of the Piedmont region. Their aim is to interfere as little as possible with the natural environment, making vegan-friendly wine using sustainable viticulture and no chemical products on the vineyards.

This approach lets the moreish raspberry, cherry and mint leaf flavours of this exceptional, structured red shine through. Open it an hour before drinking to enjoy it at its absolute best then serve it alongside a rich, meaty lasagne for a moment of pure Italian heaven.

Best: For special occasions

Rating: 8/10

For all the elegant fizz of champagne without the price tag, cremant is the name to know. This French sparkling wine is made outside the world’s most revered wine region but uses the same production process, known as the “methode traditionelle”. This requires a secondary fermentation within the closed bottle to produce the rich yeasty flavours and that fine natural mousse that makes your tongue tingle when the bubbles hit. It also makes cremant almost indistinguishable from the famous fizz.

This crisp Loire version is made by Clos des Quarterons, a 37-hectare estate run by the sixth generation of the Amirault family that has been organic since 2012. Their show-stopping sparkling wine is made from punchy chenin blanc grapes that sparkle with flavours of lemon, brioche, honeysuckle and apple. Simply opening a bottle is a celebration in its own right.

Best: Prosecco

Rating: 9/10

It’s estimated that the intensive farming required to produce the 500 million bottles of prosecco quaffed annually means 400,000 tonnes of soil are lost each year in Italy’s prosecco region. That’s why we recommend making a guilt-free swap to this organic version – and it won’t even dent your bank balance. In fact, we were so impressed by this planet-friendly fizz, we had to double-check we weren’t sampling a more expensive bottle.

Sourced from a 150-hectare estate 30km northeast of Venice that uses only renewable energy where possible, grapes are largely hand-picked and gently pressed to ensure only top-quality juice makes it into the bottle. The result is full of lively pear, apricot, apple and honeysuckle flavours which make this one of the most easy-drinking prosecco’s we’ve ever tried. We’ll never have another party without it.

Best: Range

Rating: 8/10

Want to go organic without the hassle of discovering all your favourite wines again? This range of sustainable Sicilian wines has a vino for every occasion including a summery rosé (£7.99, Ocado.com), a decent pinot grigio (£9.99, Ocado.com) and even an endlessly drinkable spumante (£11.99, Ocado.com).

Vegan-friendly, carbon neutral and packaged in recyclable materials, this red is made with grapes from the Vittoria region of southeastern Sicily where sandy soil gives the wine added finesse. Grapes for siccari are dried naturally in the sunshine making it a complex and intense wine that’ll bowl you over with smooth-as-silk berry flavours, a dramatic hint of spice and a long finish you won’t forget in a hurry.

Best: New Zealand wine

Rating: 9/10

Though this sauvignon blanc doesn’t actually claim to be organic on the bottle, the award-winning Yealands winery strives to produce the world’s most environmentally-friendly vinos, which are all sustainable and vegan.

Based in New Zealand’s Marlborough region, they have one of the country’s largest installations of solar panels, use sheep instead of tractors to manage grass and weeds and have developed 25 wetland areas to preserve biodiversity. They also have their own wind turbines, a purpose-built organic composting facility and are one of seven carbon-neutral certified wineries in New Zealand.

That all means you can enjoy this exceptional, environmentally-friendly sauvignon blanc without guilt, relishing its dynamic citrus flavours, fresh grassy aroma and long, crisp finish.