AT this week's Specialists Importers wine tasting at the Bridgewater Hall I was delighted to catch up with the Vintage Roots folk.

The Berkshire-based importers were pioneer organic specialists over two decades ago, when quality organic wines were thin on the ground. Argentina and Chile, were hardly big players either. All that has changed, as proved by two Vintage Roots reds I tasted.

Jean Bousquet Malbec 2006, from the high altitude Tupungato Valley, is a fruity, intense example of this trademark Argentine varietal. There's lots of juicy red berry and blackberry fruit, with a chocolate edge, for your £7.50.

Chile's Novas Winemakers Selection Casablanca Syrah 2005 is a blast of peppery, spicy fruit with a lingering aftertaste - and it's biodynamic (£11.50). For the full range of this impressive company's wines, visit vintageroots.co.uk.

For reliable, affordable, readly available organic wine, it is hard to challenge California's Fetzer operation - in particular, their Bonterra Range.

Two Bonterras I had never tasted until last week both shone brightly. Bonterra Viognier (Majestic, Booth's supermarkets, £9.99, from May) is all apricot and peach with judicious vanilla oak peeping through its blossomy nose.

If that's attractive, Bonterra McNab is sensational. This biodynamic, single vineyard, pure-tasting red costs £19.99 from Vintage Roots, so we are talking special occasion. It is very upfront Californian blend of merlot with some cabernet sauvignon and petite syrah that drinks well now but ought to develop complexity with four or five years.

Next week, a more detailed look at the bizarre but bountiful world of biodynamic wines!



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