From grape to glass all we added was the bottle?

Preservative free, no artificial additives, organic and bio dynamic are a few of many terms thrown around the media and marketed relentlessly today.

Do consumers really care about where their food comes from and what goes into it? Maybe so, the organic industry is booming. Many wine producers are making the move over to organic production but the majority still seem to have their blinkers on, thinking this shift in consumer consciousness doesn't apply to their product.

Preservatives, in an organic wine that's outrageous! or so I've been told many times. Organic winemakers are permitted to add up to 125mg/L total Sulphur Dioxide to table wine which stops oxidation and spoilage microbes taking hold. In Australia, certified organic does not mean preservative free this is a common misconception.

As SO2 is a natural by product of fermentation all wines contain it at some point during production. Preservative free wines in Australia must not contain more than 10mg/L total SO2.

During red fermentation SO2 produced is bound by the skins and conveniently taken out with the marc at pressing. Preservative free whites don't have this luxury and are more prone to showing oxidation faults. So the risk during production increases, but where there's a will there's a way. It is possible to make preservative free whites without oxidation faults.

Setting the style - these wines are different in production and therefore different in style to conventionally produced wines. Striking a balance between risk minimisation and traditional wine making is the key to making a quality preservative free wine. For example, over filtration results in a stripped wine, under filtration results in wine spoilage.

Sure, I know it's a niche but it is growing fast. When lined up with conventional wines a preservative free wine looks quite different. So why do they sell? Is it all marketing hype or are people concerned about what goes into their food?

The Hunter becomes the hunted

The Small Winemakers Centre was our first stop in the search for a nice bottle of Hunter plonk. Joint cellar doors are invaluable when you're digging for a bit of gossip on who's the regions up and coming super stars. Our fist hint was the Barbera we tasted by David Hook. Off we went in search of his cellar door.

David Hook's wines are outstanding across the range, both red and white. His tasting list is not exhausting, which is refreshing for the Hunter and the cellar door staff know their stuff. It is a must taste on your next Hunter Valley trip.

The 07 Barbera is plump and juicy with plums, cherries and well integrated oak, there is plenty of soft tannin supported by well balanced acidity. The 08 Merlot is also worthy of a look. http://www.davidhookwines.com.au/