So, you’ve had the delicious treats of pancake Tuesday (so much maple syrup!) and if you’re anything like us then lent seems like a good excuse to be a little more well behaved for the next 40 days. Two days in and dropping that sugar from the coffee already seems to be taking a toll!

But there’s something far more enjoyable to try; the rapidly growing world of organic wines. Like any produce from organic farming, organic wines are made from grapes without the use of artificial chemicals and fertilizers. They are becoming more and more popular, and have even experienced a larger growth in the market than non-organic varieties in recent years.

However, you may not have realised quite how much organic wine you’ve sampled! The requirements for official certification of organic wines varies from country to country, but can be very costly. As a result, some smaller wineries won’t chase the certification, but still bottle the technically 100% organic wine. It’s always worth reading the label as they’ll be sure to mention the wine’s organic roots on there!

So, why go organic? Well, the benefits of choosing organic over non-organic wine have been widely discussed (who doesn’t like talking about wine?!), with an obvious positive being that the farming has a much gentler environmental impact due to the exclusion of any man made chemicals. But are there also benefits from organic wine for the connoisseur?

 We chatted to our good friend Sinead Loughnane of LemonBeets Nutrition in Cork for some answers…

“Many people choose organic wine as they find they don’t suffer from facial flushing while consuming and don’t experience the dreaded hangover as badly as they would on a non-organic wine. This could be down to the grape used or the fact that organic wines can normally be much lower in added sulphites.”

Well now, wine without the flushed cheeks and less of a hangover? We could be onto a winner! But don’t go too crazy just yet, it still has to be enjoyed responsibly of course! In the grand scheme of things, delving into organic wines could be a small but healthy change for you. And let’s face it, having more wine to try can only be a wonderful thing!

Here at J&C Kenny we love to hear your thoughts, so please do let us know which organic wines you’ve tried and what differences you’ve noticed to your regular favourites! If you’re completely new to the organic lifestyle (or just giving it a spin for lent!) then we stock a number of organic varieties which we’d love for you to try. Email us at info@jckenny.ie for a complete list which includes organic wineries such as Chateau Ballandreau and Domaine du Chateau D’eau.