Avoid the pesticides: Find organic wine in the grocery store

Key takeaways:

• Use your past favorites as inspiration when shopping for organic wines
• Make sure you understand the differences between organic and natural.
• Choose an organic certified wine
• Avoid sulfites, especially if you have allergies
• Prioritize value over cost
• Consider using an app to guide you
• Look for an experienced winery

If you’re lucky, you live in a place where you can buy wine in the supermarket and if you’re trying to avoid pesticides and shop sustainably, you can find a wine that is just as organic as the strawberries, spinach, and kale in your cart. But knowing where to start when shopping for organic wines can be tricky. 

Many grocery stores don’t sort their wines based on their organic status or lack thereof. Also, grocery store employees often lack the in-depth wine knowledge you can find in other places. So, where do you start if you’re looking for organic wine in a grocery store? 

This guide will point you in the right direction. It provides hints and tips on how to choose organic wine from your local grocery store. Live in an area where you can’t buy wine at grocery stores? Don’t worry. You can apply these tips in the aisles of your local liquor store as well. 

Use your past favorites as inspiration

Delving into organic wines doesn’t mean that you have to start from scratch. Instead, use the wines you’ve enjoyed in the past as a jumping-off point for inspiration. 

For instance, if you know you enjoy California merlots, consider trying a merlot from another part of the world. Similarly, if you like Argentinian malbecs, try an organic Argentinian malbec. This approach allows you to branch out gently while starting from a familiar place. 

Note the differences between organic, natural, and biodynamic

While you’re shopping, you may see these three terms on wine bottles: organic, natural, and biodynamic. Note that these terms may be used interchangeably in colloquial settings but they have different meanings. 

Organic wines feature grapes grown on an organic farm and they avoid chemical-laden fertilizers but may use organic chemicals and treatment methods. Natural, in contrast, is a very vague term. It implies that the wine was made with minimal intervention but it does not have any specific definitions. 

Finally, biodynamic wines are made with grapes grown with a very specific set of farming practices. These growers are very focused on ecology and sustainability.

Choose a certified wine

Because words like “natural” can be a little deceptive, you should also look for organic certification. In particular, when you’re choosing organic wines at grocery stores, look for USDA organic certification. If a wine has been certified, that means it meets the standards set by a reputable organization. 

Avoid sulfites in your organic wine

In addition to choosing a certified organic wine, you can go a step further and look for a wine that doesn’t have any added sulfites. Some wines labeled “organic” use added sulfites to preserve the wine during the shipping process and this practice does not affect their organic status. 

When you find an enticing organic wine, look at the label to make sure it doesn’t include added sulfites. Though uncommon, exposure to sulfites can cause a range of issues including dermatitis, hypotension, abdominal pain, asthmatic reactions, and even anaphylactic shock. If you have a sulfa allergy, definitely look for no sulfite-added wines.

Prioritize value over cost

Whether you’re buying organic wine or not, don’t hyper-focus on the cost. The most expensive wines aren’t always the best and the cheapest ones aren’t necessarily the worst. 

Typically, grocery store wines are set up by price – you find the highest-cost bottles on the top shelves and the lower-priced options near the bottom. Keep in mind that wine with low- to mid-range prices can be tasty and quaffable and on the flip side, some expensive wine is overpriced for what you get. Look for a balance of price and quality. 

Use an app

Assessing value can be almost impossible when you haven’t tried a wine before. You may not want to lug a copy of “The Oxford Companion to Wine” or “The World Atlas of Wine” to the grocery store but luckily, you don’t have to – there’s an app for that. 

Apps such as Vivino, Delectable, and Wine-Searcher give you the power to research wines right from the wine section of your local grocery store. Simply, scan the wine’s label into the app and get all kinds of information on average price and taste reviews. 

Most of these apps also let you record your thoughts on different types of wine so you can track what you love sipping. The Wine Ring app even features patented AI that gives you recommendations based on the wines you’ve enjoyed in the past. 

Look for an experienced winery

Some organic wines have developed a reputation for tasting different than conventional wines – subpar wines in this category often hit the palate like cider, sour beer, or kombucha. If you’ve had this experience in the past, don’t give up on organic wines. These quality issues stem from the winery, not the organic grapes. 

To ensure quality at grocery stores, opt for organic wines produced by experienced wineries. Ideally, your organic wine should come from a winery that also produces other types of wine, like vegan. This helps to ensure the producer understands the wine business in general and isn’t just trying to jump aboard the organic trend.  

Contact us for high-quality, great-tasting organic wine and more

The next time you’re shopping for organic wine at the grocery store (or anywhere else), try a bottle of Virgen from Bousquet. Backed by USDA organic certification, our Virgen line is made from organic fruit with no added sulfites, and whether you choose our cabernet sauvignon, malbec, or red blend, you can look forward to enjoying a super flavorful, fresh-tasting wine that is fully organic. 

To learn more, contact us directly at Domaine Bosquet or check out our website to see where you can find our organic wines in your area.