All the medallists from the Global Organic and Vegan Masters 2024

Judged on their vinous prowess, the wines in this year’s Global Organic and Vegan Masters are proof that consumers have more choice than ever, reports Patricia Stefanowicz MW.

Superb moments of surprise and enjoyment are part and parcel of judging the Global Organic and Vegan Masters.

It’s enticing to know absolutely nothing about entries: not grape variety nor blend, not origin; only price, colour and, perhaps style, along with the fact that the wines are produced from organically grown grapes and, most likely, vegan. In the end, though, we have to judge entries as simply wines, ignoring the ‘organic’ or ‘vegan’ modifiers.

Among the still white wines, the unoaked versions, perhaps unsurprisingly, are inconsistent in style and quality, but there are still some very good examples to be found. Under £10 there was an orange wine from top producer Cramele Recas in Romania that garnered a Gold medal. A Gold was also awarded for a Chardonnay from Raimat in Catalonia.

Choose carefully

In the £10-15 price bracket there are a few ‘stars’, but one must choose carefully. At £15-20 the wines show origin, character and generally high quality, as they should. Gérard Bertrand’s Nature Orange from France in particular deserves a special mention.

The oaked white wines fared better. There is a good range of flavours and oak, with expressions showing texture and concentration. Château Maris ‘Brama’ Grenache Gris from France and Stoneleigh’s Marlborough Chardonnay from New Zealand stand out.

Sadly, the rosé wines in this year’s competition were underwhelming. The preoccupation with going ever paler in colour seems to strip out some of the fruit. That said, there are a few good examples. Château Leoube’s unoaked Secret and the oaked wines at around £25 from Domaine Mirabeau and VIK are well worth sourcing for their gastronomic qualities. Unoaked red wines were variable. The better ones we tasted are juicy, delightful, ‘gluggable’ drinks when slightly chilled. As anticipated, the oaked red wines were of a high standard. There is excellent value to be had at £10-15 where lively fruit kissed by oak gives delightful balance and texture. Perhaps the most satisfying bracket is £15-20 where the concentration of flavours and sophisticated use of oak give layers of complexity at reasonable prices. Chile and Argentina are always a ‘safe betting option’. VIK, in particular, with its Carmenère wines, demonstrates the organic regime well.

Beautiful examples