The port is being produced and supplied by the Fladgate Partnership from the organic Pinhão valley. Fonsecaterra prima organic reserve port will be available from 13 November 2006 and will be priced at £10.99 (€16).

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's told Foodanddrinkeurope.com that the introduction of the organic port represents the food retailers' wider aim of capturing the constantly growing organic produce market.

The European market for organic food was worth €20.7bn in 2004, and has been growing by 26 per cent since 2001. According to AC Nielson data for 52 weeks to 3 July 2006, Sainsbury's share of the organic market stands at 30.8 per cent, being 18.4 per cent up year on year.

Figures released by the Soil Association show that this is part of a wider health trend, with overall sales of organic food having risen by 30 per cent last year.

Its research showed that British Consumers are increasingly switching to organic food due to a number of public food scares, concerns over the use of certain pesticides and colourings, and media concentration on the benefits of healthy eating.

Over the next five years, Mintel forecasts that the UK's organic food and drinks market will increase by 72 per cent to reach a value of £2bn (€2.9bn).