WITH the steady spread of organic labels in the food and drinks industry, it was inevitable that French wine-maker Pierre Perrin would be asked if his organic fine wines were but part of this growing health fad.
Pierre was, after all, on a one-day stopover in Singapore on Wednesday to talk about his internationally famous line of Perrin et Fils (Perrin & Sons) wines which has been with his family for five generations.
He was en route to Seoul, South Korea for a food and wine festival this and invited AsiaOne to Booze Wine Shop in Capital Tower, the retail outlet where his wines are sold, for a chat with AsiaOne about organic wine and wine growing in general.
So are his wines part of the organic food rave? The 34-year-old Frenchman smiles and says quietly that his family started growing organic wine way back in 1956, long before it was fashionable to eat and drink things organic.
His family has run Perrin et Fils, since 1909 after it bought over an ancient vineyard which had started in 1549 in the Chateauneuf du Pape region in Southern Rhone Valley in France.
Over the years, Perrin labels such as Chateau de Beaucastel (its trademark vintage which comprises a blend of 13 varieties of grapes), Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Perrin "Les Sinards", La Vieille Ferme, Perrin Les Cornuds" - and a special label, a cuvee (a blended wine) produced in memory and honour of Pierre's grandfather, Jacques - have all had rave reviews the world over. A Google search would attest to this.
The family calls this commemorative cuvee, Hommage a Jacques Perrin.
The 1995 vintage of this wine is available at the Booze Wine Shop at S$680 a pop, says its owner, Emil Teo, 35, who adds that he only has stock of three bottles after one was sold recently. He runs another Booze Wine Shop retail outlet in Republic Plaza, Raffles Place.
Pierre, a fifth-generation wine grower in his family, is the head of production and wine-making after he took over from his father, Jean-Pierre in 1996. His dad is 64 today.
With the family's many vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley, totalling 270 hectares, only about 1.4 million bottles are produced a year as the family sets limits on the number of bottles for each label.
Pierre says of organic wine: "My family started to grow this wine so long ago because we respect the good earth and the creatures such as worms and beetles living in it. In our vineyards, it is a joy to see bees, butterflies and ladybirds making daily visits.
"The use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides poisons the earth and kills these living things and contaminates the water system. We respect the earth and decided decades ago to go organic, says Pierre.
Asked if this was somewhat altruistic and if profit was not also a motive, he says: "Ah, but it costs 20 per cent more to produce organically grown wine, More workers are needed to weed vineyards and to create huge compost pits into which we throw all the leftovers of wine production such as the pressed grapes, their twigs and leaves. We add worms for soil aeration as well as for their ability to turn and loosen the compost.''
He also points out a potential health hazard of non-organically grown grapes.
"You must have read now and then that scientists have found traces of pesticides in salads, no matter how well you wash them." His tacit message was that these poisons could well be found in wine which are not grown organically.
He adds: "Organically-grown wine tastes better. It has more flavour. And although we spend 20 per cent more producing it, we keep the cost to buyers much lower than that."
So how does he control pests and fungus? "We use minerals which occur naturally in the earth - chalk, copper and a bit of sulphur dioxide and spray these, after mixing with water, on the vines."
His organic wine processing method is to run the grapes through a spiral pipe and flash-heat them for 1.5 minutes at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius before they are crushed.
This kills the polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) in the grape juice which would otherwise turn the wine vinegary during the fermenting process. This heat process also reduces the need for using more sulphur dioxide, the natural killer of PPOs. Heated grape skins also facilitate juice extractions.
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He was at pains to point out that many of his vineyards have the "Ecocert" stamp to certify that they are authentic growers of organic grapes. Ecocert is an inspection and certification body which carries out inspections over a three-year period on vineyards which claim to produce organic wines.
Its officers check the growing, harvesting and wine-making processes and often also makes surprise visits.
"Just breach one rule and you are out," says Pierre of how strict the assessment standards are.
Pierre, who says he loves to run marathons (he will be at the 42 km Marseilles-Cassis run this Sunday), is married with two daughters aged six and four, and has a degree in agronomics, or the the science and economics of crop production and management of farmlands.
In 1996, he received a second degree from the University of Dijon in oenology, or the study of wines and wine making.
Since 1999, he has settled into the role of winemaker for the entire stable of Perrin wines and is also in charge of export and marketing.
His wife is a wine-buyer for another wine company. "Don't worry, we have no conflict here," he says with a smile.
In 1999, his brother Marc took charge of the business in America, Russia and Japan while he focussed on the Britain and other Asian markets. Other family members in the business are his uncle Francois and another brother Thomas who markets the family's wines in Canada.
Wine lovers can taste Perrin wines at Capital Towers outlet of Booze Wine Shop in Robinson Road, which has a stock of more than 800 labels from all over the world.
Booze organises regular wine-tasting sessions on Fridays from 6pm to 8pm. The session, known as the 6 O'Clock Club, allows visitors to taste three top wines from a featured winery each week for a nominal fee of $10. It also offers a choice on the fourth glass for free.
Asked if booze was hardly the right word to describe wine, Emil says: "Wine or beer or vodka, it all boils down to alcohol and wine lovers like to get a little heady with their drinks.
"Also, I wanted to remove the snob element in wine-drinking as more Singaporeans have developed a taste for wine."
Agreeing, Pierre adds: "They are also becoming more educated about wines and this is in part due to the fact that many now travel overseas and do drink wine while on holiday."
As to the price range of the wines sold at Booze, Emil says: "Anything from S$30 a bottle to S$2,000."
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