No Evil makes premium organic wines with none of the monkey business.
If you’ve found yourself picking up an organic bottle of wine recently, you’re far from alone. You’re one of the many people adding to the one billion bottles of organic wine that are expected to be sold by 2023.
Over the last few years organic wines have exploded in popularity. More and more people are searching out winemakers that utilise organically grown grapes that are free from herbicides, pesticides, and other chemical agents.
One of Australia’s favourite organic wine ranges is South Australian wine label No Evil. The team at No Evil have long running relationships with some of the state’s best organic grape producers, which means they’re able to source premium organic fruit without the higher prices that usually come with organic produce.
To tell us more about No Evil and their approach to crafting organic (and vegan-friendly) wines, we caught up with Ross Marshall from Fourth Wave Wine. Ross has been working with No Evil during the rise in popularity of organic wines, so he took a moment out of his day to give us the finer details of organic wine production and how No Evil approaches their beautiful South Australian wines.
Q. First things first, what’s the biggest difference between organic and non-organic wine?
To begin with, organic wines are made from grapes that have been farmed organically, or without the use of harmful chemicals to control pests and disease in the vineyard. Through great vineyard management the result creates healthier soils and vines, which ultimately shines through in the wines.
Q. Are there benefits to organic wine?
I would say most organic wine buyers appreciate the idea of enjoying wine that contains less impurities or additives. As for organic vignerons, I’d say they consider their fruit as having a superior flavour and brightness because it’s been handled more naturally and without harmful chemicals.
Q. Where does No Evil source its organic fruit from?
We craft No Evil wines using organic fruit sourced from premium vineyards, predominantly in South Australia. Here in South Australia the drier, warmer conditions are very favourable to organic farming principles. That means with vineyard and canopy management the growers have less need to rely on chemicals to control things like disease.
Q. In the No Evil range there's the Speak No Evil Organic Shiraz, the Hear No Evil Organic Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Hear No Evil Sauvignon Blanc. What drew you to those three particular styles of wine?
They’re three of the most popular wine varieties for wine drinkers. They’re recognisable and have a preferred taste profile for many people. We wanted to make organic wine more accessible for everyone, which is why we looked at these three varieties.
Q. Usually organic options of products tend to be more expensive, how have you managed to keep No Evil at an affordable price?
That’s true, there are many examples of really expensive premium organic wines out there. However, we’ve made No Evil a premium wine range using premium fruit while still making it affordable. We have long standing grower relationships that enable us to blend and craft wines from multiple vineyard sources. And that means we’re able to offer consistently high quality at a more affordable price point.
Q. No Evil is also a vegan range. What about it makes it vegan compared to other wines?
One of the final stages of the winemaking process is called fining. During the fining stage some winemakers will use an agent made from animal or meat products (like egg for example) to clarify the wine. But that isn’t the case for No Evil and that’s what makes the label vegan friendly.
Q. What’s your personal favourite wine from the No Evil range? And can you recommend a food pairing to go with it?
I am enjoying the No Evil Cabernet Sauvignon at the moment. It’s a medium weight with dark berry fruit flavour and would pair very well with grilled lamb cutlets and roast chat potatoes.
