The word 'organic' is currently going through a metamorphosis. Once it applied to the chemistry of carbon-based life forms, but now it heralds a 'health benefit' when you find it on a label. I long ago discovered that the best foods are those with the least artificial additives, but when we come to wine a different set of problems are encountered.

There is no single European-wide body that determines whether or not an 'organic' label can be applied to a bottle of wine. However, you can rely on the statement that an 'organic' wine is made from organically grown grapes. There are two lines that need to be pursued from here - first, what can and can't be used on organic grapes, and second, is an organic wine necessarily better than one that isn't?

So to the first line of inquiry. Organic grapes are not free from chemical intervention, although herbicides, fungicides and pesticides are not permitted. Defining organic grapes is similar to defining any crop, but the complicating factor here is that wine is not simply grapes. All grapes need to be sprayed with copper sulphate to keep mildew at bay, both organic and non-organic. All wines - especially white wines, will have some sulphur dioxide added to it - without it shelf-lives would be impossibly short. So you can imagine a scenario where a wine producer in a high-humidity area uses as much copper sulphate as necessary as well as using the maximum permitted amount of sulphites. This could legally be labelled as 'organic'. In another part of Europe a wine-maker uses almost no copper sulphate, uses the barest minimum sulphur dioxide, but hasn't looked for certification because the paperwork is so horrendous. This wine may not be labelled as organic.

But there's another point to consider. It's perfectly possible to make bad wine with good grapes. Wine is several processes away from the basic crop, so the wine maker and his skill is the deciding factor in the final taste of the wine, given an equivalent quality of original grape. Simply using organic grapes will not, in itself, ensure a great wine. The truth is that many small producers deeply respect their crop, their heritage and their traditions, but out of sheer economic necessity they do not seek certification, since they want to retain the right to use a chemical spray in the event of a disaster, whether it be fungal or pest. Common sense tells us that no one wants to use expensive chemical unless they have to and most problems are best solved by letting nature take its course.

So taste a wine first. If it tastes good and it's organic, then think of that as a bonus. But if it's organic and it doesn't score well on taste, then leave it on the shelf.

Wine of the Week.

Chateau du Parc 2002

This is an organic wine from the Languedoc and it's well made, so you have the bonus of 'organic' and a pleasing, medium-bodied red as well. A further bonus is that you're not being asked to pay a premium for its organic tag, it comes off the shelf at a reasonable €8.99. Available from Marks and Spencer.