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An Expert Guide to Enjoying Wine
Organic, natural and biodynamic wines
with HELEN MCGINN — International wine judge, presenter, acclaimed author. Fortnum & Mason’s ‘Drink Writer of the Year’.
Lesson 24 of 25
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When a wine is organic, it means the grapes have been grown without any pesticides or herbicides used in the vineyards. They are also required to have lower sulphur levels. Either it will say on the front that it’s organic, or there will be a green sign on the back label.
From the Lesson Workbook
Organic, Natural and Biodynamic Wines
When a wine is organic, it means the grapes have been grown without any pesticides or herbicides used in the vineyards. They are also required to have lower sulphur levels. Either it will say on the front that it's organic, or there will be a green sign on the back label.
Wines Featured
Testalonga Baby Bandito Stay Brave Chenin Orange Wine, £18.90
Made from the Chenin Blanc grape in the Swartland region of South Africa.
Château Maravenne Collection Privée Rosé 2021 Côtes de Provence, £18.99
Made from a blend of grapes in the Provence region of France.
My Top Tips for Finding Unique Wines
Biodynamic wines take organic principles up a notch, with the winemaking process largely being guided by the phases of the moon. The vines are pruned, the grapes picked and the wine produced all in accordance with the best practices that keep the vineyard in complete balance with nature.
Your Assignment
Natural wines can be a little harder to come by in supermarkets but are widely available from independent wine shops and specialist websites. Have a browse of the sites below, and choose a couple of natural wines to try and see how they compare to your normal tipple.
https://lowintervention.com/
www.shopcuvee.com/
https://pullthecork.co.uk/
www.naturalbornwine.com/
www.itsalive.shop/
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Interior and exterior confidence
Create Academy has been such a great resource. I'm in the middle of renovating a bungalow with a very large garden and the courses have offered a wealth of information to dive into and explore new ideas. I'm...
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Absolutely love Create Academy
Absolutely love Create Academy! The instructors are extremely informative, and it is beautifully filmed. Create Academy is great value for money and plan on renewing my subscription yearly because there are ...
SG
May 31, 2026
Magic in small spaces
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
Carla
May 30, 2026
Your Instructor
Helen McGinn
International wine judge, presenter, acclaimed author. Fortnum & Mason’s ‘Drink Writer of the Year’.
With over a decade of experience sourcing and sampling wines from around the world, it’s safe to say Helen McGinn knows a good bottle. When she moved away from her career as a wine-buyer to raise a family, the requests for recommendations from friends and family persisted and her fascination with good wine remained - so she set up her now award-winning blog ‘The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club’. As well as sharing tips on where to buy the best wine, Helen used her substantial knowledge to help people navigate and understand the complexities of different wines. It’s Helen’s approachable ability to give anyone the confidence to choose and drink better wine that has earnt her a regular seat on ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. She is also an international wine judge and an author of two novels.
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