Clos Henri produces a fully organic, dry-grown sauvignon blanc. Clos Henri Wines

Organic wines don’t immediately come to mind when thinking about budget-conscious purchases and Top Value bottlings because they can often have higher costs of production and come from smaller producers without the economies of scale which large producers can achieve.

In general, the average market price of organic wine is between 10% and 20% higher than conventionally-farmed wines, depending on the country. This does not take into account wines at the very top end in regions like Burgundy, where most of the icon producers will be practising organic farming at prices an order of magnitude higher than their less-renowned peers.

This presents an interesting challenge which was worth investigating. Analysing the reviews from the past year, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is no shortage of good value organic New Zealand wine in the market. Below are some of the picks from the bunch as well as some general regions and styles where you can find more.

Some countries, such as Spain, can produce organic wine at very good prices due to their costs of production and a good spread of low-disease pressure climates, as shown by the Unexpected Organic Garnacha 2022 from Aylès, and Bodegas Piqueras Valcanto Syrah 2021 from Almansa. Likewise, Italy can offer good value at the entry-level of organics, especially when it comes from a large producer, such as the Tavernello Organico Sangiovese 2023 from Rubicone.

In New Zealand, unsurprisingly, sauvignon blanc leads the pack with a slew of organic wines coming out of sunny Marlborough. A perennial favourite is Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc: the 2024 is superbly crafted with beautiful fruit expression and the floral nuances of the 2024 vintage. The vineyard is fully organic certified and even dry-grown, which makes it one of the best buys in Top Value. Villa Maria has an organic range too, called Earth Garden, whose Sauvignon Blanc 2024 from Marlborough also delivers good varietal typicity. For something fresher and more saline, Darling Vineyard, who have been organic from the outset, have a ‘second label’ which is affordable called Little Darling Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2024.

The Neudorf Tiritiri Rosé. Neudorf Vineyard

Nearby Nelson producer Greenhough has an outstanding organic wine, the River Garden Sauvignon Blanc 2024 which is packed full of complexity and savoury interest on top of the bright fruit. Not to be outdone, Hawke’s Bay offers Paritua’s Stone Paddock Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2024 for a riper, fuller style.

If rosé is your preference, then look no further than Neudorf Tiritiri Rosé 2024 from Moutere, Nelson. A stunning value for the quality, it also comes packaged in very light weight glass to further reduce its carbon footprint.

Marlborough can even offer a rare example of ‘orange wine’ in the form of the Selection Massale Orange Grüner Veltliner 2023. The vineyard is kept as a secret but it is fully organic certified so vineyard sleuths should have a fun time working it out.

Lastly, one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries, Mission Estate, has a new range called The Gaia Project which contains an organic Syrah 2023 entirely from the Gimblett Gravels. This was a very difficult vintage but the wine came through with easy drinkability and is worth your attention for the price.