View our collections: Organic red wines · Preservative-free wines · Vegan wines · Natural wines
What are the best wines to drink in winter in Australia?
The best winter wines have enough body, structure, and depth to hold up to cold temperatures and the richer food that comes with the season. In Australia, the styles that consistently perform are Shiraz — particularly from McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley — Cabernet Sauvignon from Frankland River or Coonawarra, and Nebbiolo imported from Piemonte. These reds have the tannin, spice, and dark fruit that make them natural partners for slow-cooked meat dishes.
For whites in winter, Chardonnay is the most reliable choice — specifically barrel-aged or textured styles from Burgundy or the Hunter Valley, which have enough body to sit alongside roast chicken, creamy pasta, or a plate of aged cheese. Viognier and full-bodied orange wines can also work well. The common thread across all good winter wines is that they reward being paired with food and poured slowly, rather than being drunk on their own as a warm-weather aperitif.
All wines in the FAB Winter Warmers collection are certified organic: this selection prioritises structure and depth with certification details available on individual product pages.
What makes a wine a winter warmer?
A winter wine is typically defined by higher body, richer fruit, firmer tannin structure, and a warmth that comes from the combination of alcohol, oak, and ripe, concentrated grapes. The result in the glass is a sense of weight and comfort that feels right against a cold night and a heavy plate.
The red varieties best suited to this are Shiraz, Grenache, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Nebbiolo — all of which have the structure and intensity to carry rich, slow-cooked dishes. Many are aged in oak, which adds layers of spice, leather, and smoke that amplify the sense of warmth. Fuller whites — Chardonnay, Viognier, and aged Riesling in dry styles — can also qualify, particularly when they have been barrel-fermented or have had extended lees contact that adds weight and texture. These are not light, nervous wines for a hot afternoon. They are wines that earn their place at a table.
Are all the wines in this collection certified organic?
All wines in this collection are presented by Drink FAB as certified organic, with certification details available on individual product pages or on request. For Australian producers, ACO (Australian Certified Organic) is one of the most widely recognised certification marks — some producers also work with other recognised certification pathways. For imported wines, certification labels vary by country and producer: French wines commonly carry Ecocert or AB (Agriculture Biologique) certification; Italian wines may carry CCPB or equivalent European bodies; biodynamic wines often carry Demeter certification globally. The most reliable approach is to check the individual product page or contact us directly for the specific certification on any bottle.
Organic certification means an independent auditor has verified that the vineyard operates without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilisers, and that the winery meets defined standards for processing. It is a verifiable accreditation — not a marketing claim.
What is the difference between organic and natural wine?
Organic wine is a legally defined category in most wine-producing countries. It refers to wine made from certified organically grown grapes, with the certification applying to the vineyard. Winery practices can still involve significant intervention — commercial yeasts, fining agents, and sulphur additions may all be permitted under organic certification standards.
Natural wine has no legal definition anywhere in the world. The term is used informally to describe wine made with minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the winery: wild yeast fermentation, no or very low added sulphur, no fining or filtration, and organic or biodynamic grape growing. Because it is self-declared, "natural" as a label is inconsistently applied and not independently verified.
In practice, many of the best wines in the Drink FAB Winter Warmers collection are both certified organic and made with low or no winery intervention — the organic certification gives you the verifiable standard, and the winemaking approach gives you the expression of terroir that makes these wines interesting. Where both apply, it is noted in the individual product descriptions.
What organic wine certifications should I look for in Australia?
In Australia, ACO (Australian Certified Organic) is one of the most widely recognised organic certification marks on wine labels, and is a reliable shorthand for genuine organic practice when you see it on a bottle. Some Australian producers also use other recognised certification pathways, so ACO is not the only valid signal — but it is among the most visible.
For imported wines, certification varies by country and producer. French wines commonly carry Ecocert or AB (Agriculture Biologique) certification. Italian wines may carry CCPB or equivalent bodies. Biodynamic wines — those farmed according to the lunar calendar and Steiner agricultural principles — often carry Demeter certification, which encompasses organic standards within a broader framework.
The most reliable approach is to check the individual product page for the specific certification on any bottle you are considering, or contact Drink FAB directly. Where certification details are not visible on a product page, they are available on request.
Do you stock preservative-free wines?
Yes. A number of wines in this collection are made without added sulphur dioxide — listed on Australian wine labels as Preservative 220. These are wines stabilised through careful fermentation management and winery hygiene rather than the addition of sulphites.
It is worth being precise about the term: all wine contains trace naturally occurring sulphites as a by-product of fermentation. The terms preservative-free and no added sulphites refer specifically to the absence of added SO₂, not to the complete absence of sulphur compounds. The distinction is noted on Australian wine labels — contains sulphites is required where sulphites are present above a threshold, regardless of whether they were added or naturally occurring.
The Organic Hill Preservative Free Founders Shiraz is a reliable example — a well-structured McLaren Vale red made without any added preservatives.
Are these wines vegan-friendly?
Many are, but not all — and the distinction is worth understanding. Conventional winemaking uses animal-derived fining agents to clarify and stabilise wine before bottling. Common examples include gelatine (derived from pork or beef collagen), casein (from milk), albumin (egg whites), and isinglass (from dried fish swim bladders). These agents are added during production and largely removed before bottling, but they do come into contact with the wine.
Vegan wines use non-animal fining alternatives — most commonly bentonite clay, pea protein, or activated carbon — or are left unfined and unfiltered entirely. The latter is common in natural and low-intervention wines.
What are low-intervention wines?
Low-intervention winemaking refers to an approach that limits additives and processing at every stage — vineyard and winery. In the vineyard, it means organic or biodynamic farming: no synthetic chemicals, cover crops instead of herbicides, and working with the natural ecosystem of the site. In the winery, it means allowing fermentation to begin with the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grape skins, using no or minimal added sulphur, and avoiding fining, filtration, or other processing that strips texture and character from the wine.
The result is wine that expresses its origin more directly — the grape variety, the soil type, the season, the producer's decisions. Low-intervention wines are less predictable than conventionally produced wines, but at their best they are more interesting and more specific to a place. It is worth noting that low intervention is distinct from simply certified organic. A wine can be certified organic and still be produced with significant winery processing. The two approaches overlap frequently but are not interchangeable.
Is organic wine actually worth the extra cost?
It depends on what you are comparing. Against a supermarket own-label, the comparison is straightforward: certified organic production costs more because the inputs are more expensive, the yield is often lower, and the third-party auditing adds cost. That premium reaches the bottle. Against a conventional specialist wine at a similar price point, the picture is more nuanced.
The honest answer is that organic certification is not a guarantee of quality — it is a guarantee of process. What it tells you is that the producer has made a decision to farm without synthetic shortcuts, which is often a reliable proxy for the care and attention they bring to everything else. The best organic wines in this price range taste as good as, or better than, their conventional equivalents. The certification is the frame; the wine is the argument.
If you are uncertain, the easiest test is to open something from this collection alongside a conventional wine at a similar price point. The Handpicked McLaren Vale Shiraz and the Krinklewood Wild Shiraz are both good benchmarks — wines where organic farming is part of a clear, considered approach to quality, not a marketing layer applied after the fact.
Which wines in this collection pair best with winter food?
Winter cooking tends towards longer, richer preparations — braises, roasts, slow-cooked pulses — and the wines that work best have enough structure and flavour intensity to hold up to them rather than being overwhelmed.
Shiraz and Grenache work best with slow-cooked red meats: braised lamb shoulder, beef short ribs, duck confit, pork belly. The spice, dark fruit, and generous body of these varieties complement the deep flavour of reduced, fatty dishes.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo are the better choice for roasted meats, venison, or mushroom-driven dishes. These are more structured, firmer wines that benefit from protein and fat in the food to soften their tannins.
Tempranillo and Sangiovese are the most versatile Italian and Spanish choices — they work across a wide range of winter dishes from pasta with meat ragù to slow-roasted pork with herbs, and are comfortable in a more casual setting than the bigger reds.
Textured Chardonnay — particularly barrel-aged or wild-fermented styles — is the strongest white for winter. Roast chicken, creamy risotto, cauliflower gratin, and dishes with butter and cream are natural partners. The Krinklewood - Chardonnay 2023 in this collection is a good example.
Dry rosé is more useful in winter than most people expect. A structured Provençal style with real texture — like the Famille Negrel Horizon — works well with cheese boards, charcuterie, roasted salmon, and lighter starters.
Can I build a mixed winter selection?
Yes. You can mix and match any bottles from across the FAB range — you are not limited to wines within this collection alone. Most of our regular customers build their own mixed half-dozens or dozens for cellar rotation, selecting across styles, regions, and price points.
Any combination of 3 or more bottles in this collection receives 20% off. Six or more bottles qualifies for free delivery Australia-wide. There is no requirement to buy within a specific range or category to qualify.
If you would like a recommendation for a mixed winter selection — a specific combination of reds, a white, and something for the table — get in touch directly. We are happy to suggest a selection based on what you are cooking, who you are opening it with, and what you have enjoyed before.
