In a word, perception. Rightly, most consumers already think of wine as a natural product, though they're likely influenced less by knowledge of winemaking and more by those lovely leafy vineyards pictured on labels and in ads. So although they may seek out organic versions of lettuce, tomatoes, or beef, they don't necessarily think to do so for wine.

Many wineries are cautious about promoting their organic designation. They know that most consumers buy wine on the basis of its taste and quality - the organic part is just a bonus. It's a point of pride for many winemakers that consumers buy their wines for the "right reason": taste, not ideology. Organic wines also have an unfortunate history. In the past, they were perceived (often correctly) as being poorly made and prone to going bad quickly because they lacked preservatives.

As well, many vintners are wary of the red tape and cost required to designate themselves organic. They may not want to lock themselves into just one mode of production - especially in the event of a virulent attack of pests or rot, which might require emergency chemical treatment. In that situation, if an organic winery had to remove the designation from its label, it would be in the awkward situation of having to explain why to its consumers. Further, if a winery has several products and not all are organic, that might reflect badly on the others.

For this complex array of reasons, only a few organic wines actually make a selling point of the fact and highlight it on the label. Most others hide it on the back of the bottle in small print or don't mention it at all.

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