Stellar Organic: The Art of Producing the 1st Organic, Fair Trade and Sulphur Free Wine in Africa

People assume that the finest wines in the world are produce with very strict standards for purity. That is not the case as the demand for sulphur free wines has exploded, especially in the organic wine industry. In the organic debate, the USA reserves the label of organic wine for wine made from organically grown grapes and without any added SO2 and where the SO2 level is below 10ppm. The majority of wines made from organically grown grapes have added SO2 but are referred to as organic wines. The majority of organic consumers are under the impression that organic wines contain no preservatives and are surprised to discover that this is not generally the case. Stellar receives constant queries from the public regarding the availability of SO2 free wines. Producing an SO2 free wine allows us to recapture the credibility in organic wines while at the same time giving our customers what they want. On the winemaking side the flavors are cleaner and more transparent. In red wines the colors are often better. SO2 can bleach color. Stellar Organic is South Africa’s largest producer of organic Fair Trade Certified™ wine. Each year, close to 2 million bottles are produced for the local market and export destinations in Europe, the UK, USA, Canada and Asia. Stellar has been an innovator in the wine industry and has really set the standard for organic wines by becoming the first organic winemaking operation. Well-known for its organic certification and Fair Trade certification, Stellar changed the wine industry standard by becoming the first cellar in Africa to produce commercially viable, no-sulphur added wines. Their wines have won numerous awards over the years in both national and international competitions, proving that organic Fair Trade wines can more than measure up to their conventional counterparts in quality. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jeremy Shapley, CEO of Stellar Organics. Stay tuned!