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food&wine Fast Fact According to IBISWorld's 'Organic Farming in Australia' report, the organic farming industry in Australia generates $579m each year and has grown by 10% annually from 2008 to 2013. salad (goat's curd, honeycomb, handpicked leaves, beetroot reduction and besan flour pancake) on the summer menu served with Cullen's Mangan, a blend of malbec, petit verdot and merlot. Step by step You have to remember that producers of organics incur costs, too. And those who have the most to lose are organic winemakers – not only is it a costly process to farm this way, but they also risk losing entire vineyards if vintage conditions are unfavourable. Yet there are a number who have strong convictions regarding sustainable and organic viticulture, including Joch Bosworth of Battle of Bosworth wines in McLaren Vale. "I started going down the organics road in 1995 after coming home from jobs in Victoria and overseas, realising how easy viticulture was in McLaren Vale," he says. "I was uncomfortable using chemicals and it just made sense to get the vines into balance using old, natural techniques rather than chemicals with their associated knockon problems." Joch believes that a combination of organic practices and knowing what to do in the vineyards has increased the quality of his product: "Everything needs to be thought through and questioned. Most operations are a step-by-step process and cannot be started until the first step is complete. All pretty simple, but it takes lots of time, work and money if you get it wrong. You have to pay attention." Battle of Bosworth, along with other wineries, is now producing preservative-free wines, extending its offerings beyond organics. Organic egalitarians Previous page and this image: The organic and biodynamic production of food and wine is gaining traction in Australia. Tamburlaine wines in the Hunter Valley has been taking an organic approach for a decade now, and operates vineyards in Orange too. They know that what they're doing is beneficial and have just launched a range using fruit from Orange as the demand for organics grows, with 13 per cent of the population drinking these styles, and the segment growing a very credible 107 per cent since 2010. However, there are obstacles, the main barriers to sales being price and availability. That's why Tamburlaine decided to launch a cheaper range at an accessible price point to allow more consumers to enjoy the great taste of organic wine. Managing director and chief winemaker Mark Davidson says that when they took over the winery in 1985, organics was not on their minds, but now they are certified organic and biodynamic and have become Australia's first carbon-neutral winemaker. 25