Although most people associate "organic" with food — fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, even chocolate — the term applies to more than just edibles. Thanks to improvements in organic winemaking over the past 20 years, eco-conscious oenophiles are now getting in on the action, too — without having to sacrifice quality or taste. While the selection of bottles available a few decades ago may have, um, soured some consumers on organic wines, today's market is a whole different story.

"We encourage anyone who has not recently purchased a wine made from organic grapes to go out and buy a bottle," says Colleen McCafferty, marketing coordinator for Organic Vintners in Colorado. "We're quite certain they will be pleasantly surprised."

Ready to give organic wine a chance (or second chance), but not sure what to look for at the wine store? Read on for the basics of understanding, shopping for and, most importantly, drinking organic wine.