Organic red wine, everything you need to know about its rise

The breakthrough of organic red wines in France

A few years ago, the production of organic red wine was confidential, and the quality of the wines, although more respectful of the environment, was not on a par with the best traditional red wines.

But recently, with the conversion of a large number of winegrowers to organic farming, and after years of experimentation and learning, new 100% organic vineyards are emerging, and production quality is improving year on year, to the delight of modern oenophiles, who are as attracted by quality wines as they are by environmental concerns.

This is particularly true of Gérard Bertrand, winemaker, entrepreneur and visionary, who has succeeded in combining his passion for wine and the French art of living with deep-rooted ecological convictions. Over the past 20 years, this winegrower's son has developed a whole range of high-quality organic and biodynamic red wines, such as the cuvées of Château l'Hospitaletand Domaine de Cigalus.

Find all our organic red wines and Gérard Bertrand wine collections.

The differences between a traditional red wine and an organic red wine

Differences in manufacturing methods

A organic red wine is, as its name implies, entirely organically produced.

The entire wine-making process complies with European AB certification. This certification covers both the vine-growing phase, viticulture, and the wine-making phase, vinification. All the inputs used in the vineyard, such as fertilizers, or the products used in the winemaking process, are themselves certified organic.

Chemical fertilizers and other pesticides are of course prohibited in the production of an organic red wine or the best red wine. Unlike a traditional red wine, an organic red wine provides consumers with a guarantee of strict compliance with an ecological wine-making method that is more respectful of flora and fauna.

Tasting differences

When it comes to the final product, a good red wine is above all a question of people and know-how. The winemaker and the oenologist always play a key role in the creation of a quality red wine. We can therefore highlight the work of Gérard Bertrand and his teams of talented winemakers and oenologists, who offer consumers top-of-the-range top-of-the-range organic winessuch as L'Hospitalitasor La Sauvageonneexceptional wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Once you've made this initial selection based on the quality of the producer, the differences in taste between a traditional red wine and an organic red wine are numerous.

First of all, an organic red wine is more delicate than a traditional red wine, and needs to be cared for to deliver its full flavor potential. This fragility is due in particular to the much lower use of sulfites (sulfur).

Organic wine is therefore easier to digest and better for your health. On the other hand, it requires special attention if you want to enjoy all its taste characteristics. Organic red wine needs to be opened one or two hours before tasting.

On the palate, organic red wines deliver more finesse, with a very present balance between tannins, fruit and alcohol. Organic red wines generally have a lower alcohol content. With greater balance, they offer a broader aromatic palette, with flavors and aromas more focused on fruit, and less on sugar or alcohol.

Discover our different descriptive pages on red wine:

Languedoc organic wine

Le red wine in the South of France or the best red wine

Demeter biodynamic wine

See also :

Le rosé wine or the best rosé wine

The orange wine

And to discover the world of Gérard Bertrand wines :

Its Languedoc Roussillon wine estates

L'Gérard Bertrand family history and his know-how

The biodynamics

Or to contact us