People are more interested in purchasing organic wines. In the past, these wines were viewed as more expensive, but the prices now do not show a premium price. There are many organic wines in the $20 range. One organic and vegan-friendly wine that I tasted is Australia’s Yalumba GEN Chardonnay 2022, coming from the “South Australia” region.
From the 2022 vintage, all Yalumba GEN wines will be Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) certified. Yalumba GEN is 100% certified organic (by Australian Certified Organic) meaning they use no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides in their vineyard and winemaking practices. Yalumba GEN is wild fermented, using natural yeast from the vineyard to ferment their wines, and is 100% vegan-friendly.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Yalumba GEN Chardonnay 2022 (BC $27.99)
Appearance: It has a bright, clear, medium-plus intensity lemon colour.
Nose: Medium intensity nose with a mix of toasty and flinty aromas, along with stone fruits, and touches of honey and oak. Lighter aromas with decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-plus body, round with a thicker viscous mouthfeel, but the mouthfeel lightens up with swirling. Toast to start with lesser amounts of stonefruits and touches of honey and floral. With swirling you get more juicy fruit flavours, pineapple, and butteriness on the palate. Lighter mouthfeel and less thick and mouth-filling after decanting. Also less toasty flavour.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing with citrus, citrus pith, stonefruits and some pepperiness. With swirling you get pineapple and butteriness as well. The wine tastes a little off-dry after decanting on the finish. There is also less pepperiness and citrus, but you get a touch of honey.
I think a short decant makes this wine more delicate and enjoyable.
Rating: 
This organic wine has a medium-plus intensity lemon colour. Medium-intensity aromas of toast, flint, stone fruits, and touches of honey and oak. A wine that starts off bigger and rounder in your mouth, but with swirling or decanting becomes lighter in mouthfeel. Toast along with stone fruits and touches of honey and floral on the palate. Decanting lessens the toasty flavour. A medium-plus length.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
In BC, this wine is available through Nesters, Angry Otter, Village Liquor Store, Everything Wine North Van, and Viti liquor stores.
