Organic wine-growing is all the rage and so much the better. It seems right to me to encourage the practice. It’s a return to healthy agriculture, which focuses first on the taste of the grape and the terroir. It provides added value in terms of what we have in our glass.

You have to admit that it requires a lot of conviction and additional work with the vines. This is basically cultivation without herbicides, fungicides or pesticides and with a minimal addition of sulfites. To date, only about nine per cent of French vineyards practice this kind of agriculture. In other words, we’re at the early stages. Nonetheless, growing demand both here and abroad is contributing to the increase in what’s available. In fact, in the SAQ outlets, no fewer than 660 products are certified organic. Of these, 426 are in the Cellier section.

For fans of wines having freshness and highly complex aromas, the appellation Costières de Nîmes is likely to please. This Rhone-valley wine has a generous flavour bursting with fruit and sweet spices. It’s a harmonious assemblage – a mixture — dominated by Syrah from 35-year-old-vines, along with Grenache and Mourvèdre. The 2015, an exceptional vintage, is still on the shelves. This is a natural gourmet-style wine.

Are you familiar with Cono Sur? French people will remember that it was the official partner of the Tour de France cycling event in 2016. This Chilean vineyard has become known for its agro-organic wines and its bicycle logo. This time, it’s an assemblage dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, the “national grape” of Chile. Ripe fruit; vegetable, ropy notes; and a substantial texture in the mouth. This is a dry wine, with only 1.9 g of sugar per litre, and 12.5 % alcohol. Nice balance.

Lastly, we head off to the Argentine terroir and a famous Italian winemaker: Masi. This is a white with aromas of flowers and exotic fruits. Freshness and a very small amount of residual sugar provide the wine with great finesse. With this wine, you can discover the Torrontes grape in assemblage with Pinot Gris. A well-crafted wine at a low price.