Waitrose at forefront of organic wine boom

By Michelle Perrett

Published: 21 August, 2018

Waitrose has revealed that organic wine sales are up 57% year-on-year as customers look for more sustainable wines.

The supermarket chain said that consumers are increasingly interested in more sustainable products with organic wine showing increasing demand.

Maria Elener, wine buyer at Waitrose said: “We have seen a really strong increase in demand for organic wines in the last year and are thrilled to offer our customers the largest supermarket range, with 54 wines from 18 different countries equating to a 60% market share.”

Lee Holdstock of Soil Association Certification said that organic wine is having a really buoyant period, with growth that is 10 times higher than non-organic wine.

“Supermarkets, such as Waitrose, have sourced some amazing organic wines from all around the world,” he said.

“Higher certification standards for organic wine mean it is low in sulphites, while research shows that organic crops and products – including organic red wine – have higher levels of antioxidant rich bioflavonoids. Choosing organic also means helping protect our vital wildlife and reducing exposure to potentially harmful pesticides and chemicals.”

Jeff Cichocki, the head winemaker at American winery Bonterra Organic Vineyards, which is stocked at Waitrose, said that people care where their food comes from and how their wines are made.

“Three decades ago, we started with the belief that organic grapes would make outstanding wines. People thought we were crazy, but over 30 years later demand has never been higher – we haven’t looked back.”

To celebrate organic month this September, Waitrose will be stocking an exclusive Purely Organic 12 bottle base for £123.

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