Natural wine is a type of wine produced using simple or traditional methods, without the use of pesticides or herbicides and with few or no additives. It is typically produced on a small scale using traditional rather than industrial techniques and fermented with native yeast. In its purest form, natural wine is simply unadulterated fermented grape juice with no additives in the winemaking process. Other terms for the product include low-intervention wine, raw wine, and naked wine.
There is no universally accepted definition of natural wine, but it is generally agreed to be wine that is farmed organically or biodynamically and made without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and intervention in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. While all natural wines are organic wines, the reverse is not necessarily true.
Natural wine is a highly debated and endlessly complicated topic that never ceases to get all manner of people riled up. Some people take issue with the term “natural wine” and prefer the phrase “low-intervention” wine, or “naked” wine, or “raw” wine. Regardless of the terminology, natural wine is a growing trend among wine enthusiasts who appreciate the unmediated flavors and expressions that come from grape to glass.
Natural wine is ultimately an ideal that producers aim for, but are not always able to meet. It is a highly risky and laborious process that requires meticulous care in both the vineyard and the cellar. However, the results can be thrilling, with wines that combine a respect for nature with traditional methods of production and that both taste and feel really good.
