The Alessa wine guide
What organic wine really means.
A clear guide to organic, biodynamic and natural wine, and why what happens in the vineyard matters in the glass.
If you have ever stood in a bottle shop staring at a label that says “organic” and wondered whether it actually means anything, you are not alone.
The word appears everywhere: on wine, food and skincare. Like many words that are used too often, it can begin to lose its meaning. So let me explain what organic wine is, what it is not, and why it is the standard behind the wines I choose for Alessa Vino.
01
What does organic wine actually mean?
Organic wine starts in the vineyard, not the winery. The soil is farmed naturally, while insects, microbes and plants around the vines are treated as part of the vineyard rather than something to remove.
In Australia, certified organic wines can carry accreditation from bodies such as Australian Certified Organic or NASAA. In France and Italy, the EU organic mark also sets rules for farming and limits what can be used in the cellar.
Organic does not mean flavourless, cloudy or overly worthy. The best organic wines are alive, complex and expressive. Thoughtful farming should make a wine more pleasurable, not less.
02
What is biodynamic wine?
Biodynamic farming takes the organic idea further. It treats the vineyard as one living ecosystem: soil, plants, animals and atmosphere. Producers work with natural preparations and often time planting, pruning and harvesting around lunar and seasonal cycles.
It may sound unusual, but some of the world’s most celebrated estates farm this way. At their best, biodynamic wines can have remarkable energy, depth and a vivid sense of place.
Alessa Vino works with both certified organic and biodynamic producers. Certification matters, but the quality in the glass matters too.
03
Where does natural wine fit?
Natural wine is the least regulated of the three terms. It generally means organic or biodynamic grapes, wild fermentation and very little intervention in the cellar. A producer may avoid commercial yeasts, fining agents and heavy additions, using little or no added sulphur.
Natural wine can be extraordinary. It can also be unstable or flawed when the work is careless. This is why curation matters. A philosophy on the label is never a substitute for balance and pleasure in the glass.
Every wine at Alessa Vino is personally tasted before it earns a place on the site. It must meet the same standard I use for a restaurant wine list: if I would not pour it at the table, I do not list it.
04
Why does it matter?
Wine is an agricultural product. The health of the soil, the resilience of the vines and the decisions made by the grower all shape what eventually reaches your glass.
Organic and biodynamic farming can produce grapes with stronger natural defences, more complex flavours and a clearer expression of where they came from: what the French call terroir. It is the place in the glass.
That is what I look for: wines with character, balance and honesty, made by people who care about their land and the people who will drink the bottle.
“Organic is not a style of wine. It is a way of caring for where the wine begins.”
The Alessa standard
Chosen for the table, not the label.
I grew up in the Rhône Valley, where wine was not a hobby or a status symbol. It was on the table, made by people who understood their soil and seasons.
I brought that same standard to restaurant wine lists in Australia and to Alessa Vino. Small production and careful farming matter, but the final question is simple: is this a beautiful bottle to share with food and people?
If the answer is yes, it belongs here.
Alex’s organic wine picks
Three bottles to begin with.
Personally tasted, restaurant tested and chosen to show how expressive thoughtful farming can be.
Explore the Alessa cellar
Wine with more character and less guesswork.
Discover restaurant-selected French and Italian bottles chosen for food, people and real pleasure.
Find your wine