What is Natural Wine?

And what does it have to do with my values?

Written by Lindsey Chronert

It seems natural wine found me. And if you’re reading this, it’s likely coming for you too. Over the past few years, I learned a lot at MIHO from Patrick at Vino Carta and Kate at Kermit Lynch when they’d pop in for an education and tasting. The Rose is just a couple blocks from my house, and my best friend gets a Primal subscription, so we’re always drinking something new and delicious. Before I knew it, I became someone who cared about wine and where it came from. My level of wine knowledge is entry-level, so all I really know is what I like and don’t like. And the $14 bottles at Trader Joe’s just weren’t cutting it. I’m coming to understand that wine goes beyond just the varietal (aka the type of grape). The values and philosophy behind the wine-making are important as I continue to learn and form my opinions around wine.

Join me in this journey as we learn more about natural, organic and biodynamic wines and why people are drawn to this grape juice.

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is the production of wine using simple or traditional methods. There are no specific rules to making natural wine aside from producing it without pesticides, herbicides or additives. Natural wine can also be considered low-intervention, which refers to the farming and harvest of the grapes, as well as employing a natural fermentation during the wine-making process. Natural wine is often made in smaller batches by independent farmers, rather than using industrial techniques or commercial farms. It’s bottled unfiltered and unfined. In its purest form, natural wine is made as simply as possible, leaning on an organic, hands-on approach to farming and production of the fruit and its juice. 

How does natural wine differ from organic or biodynamic wines?

Organic wine is made from grapes grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Once the grape is picked, organic wine makers still can add sugars and fining agents. If that’s the case, they’re not considered natural.

 Biodynamic wine refers more to the farmland of where the grapes are grown and how they’re harvested, typically without synthetic chemicals, tractors or heavy equipment. Farmers use animals to help keep the land and soil nourished, providing natural compost and tilling of the soil. Instead of synthetic chemicals, natural winemakers and biodynamic farmers use natural predators such as ladybugs and bees to help rid the bad bugs that damage crops. Wine grapes are typically handpicked and stomped. In the wine making process, the makers use native yeasts from their own farms instead of adding commercial yeast, sugars, dyes or agents to their wine.

One natural winemaker compares his process to the human experience. “Biodynamics strives toward balance and harmony of earth, of life or of human creation,” says Gérard Bertrand. “Think of the human body. When people eat wholesome, nutritious food, breathe clean air, get plenty of exercise and rest, have loving relationships and are stimulated intellectually and spiritually, they lead healthy lives.” In his view, viticulture should be seen in the same light, and ultimately lead to some delicious wines. 

Natural wine can be both organic and biodynamic, but it doesn’t have to be. It is more of a philosophy of the wine-making process.

What’s the intrigue of natural wine?

To understand the allure of natural wine, it’s helpful to know more about conventional wines as we compare the two. Most industrial or conventional winemakers use additives to create consistent results, cultured yeasts to provide those traditional flavor profiles and sulfur dioxide to prevent oxidation and bacterial growth. This provides a consistent product time and time again. Low intervention grape farmers tend not to spray their vines with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, or even irrigate if they don't have to. This approach generally leads to lower yields from the field, smaller batches of wine, and a quick shelf life as the bottles get picked up quickly from consumers. The natural or biodynamic wines produced are one of a kind and tell the story of a season or a point in time that we can rarely return to. Like nature itself, it is often surprising and unpredictable.

Do all natural wines have a funky flavor & sediment at the bottom?

Due to the fermentation process and bottling of unfiltered wine, there are small levels of brettanomyces that lend a “funky” taste to natural wines. All wines are different and vary in flavor. Because natural wines are unfiltered and unfined, they often have sediment or appear cloudy. All harmless.

Natural wine is fermented using the native yeast that occurs on the grapes and is usually fermented in neutral tanks on property. Neutral tanks, unlike oak, don’t change the flavor or color of the wine. Making wine in this way results in lighter bodied wine with higher acidity, lower alcohol, and bold, unmissable characteristics that set each batch apart.

Why’s everyone drinking this stuff?

At the end of the day, it’s delicious and tells a story. It’s good for our planet and communities. And in our highly digital and industrial world, we’re yearning for ways to stay connected to the natural world. So, if you share the values and taste of the natural movement, then you’re on the “natty” wine wagon. To read more thoughts about natural wine from some wine makers and local shop owners, visit here.