Natural wine, or nature wine, is making a strong comeback in France and around the world. The goal of natural wine is to recover the natural expression of a terroir. So nature wine is made from grapes grown using organic farming. There are also other production approaches aimed at letting the grape express itself. In this article, we dive deeper into the world of natural wines.
What is a natural wine?
Natural wine is made in keeping with many criteria whose ultimate goal is to allow the grape to express itself perfectly. These criteria run through every stage of winemaking, from growing the grapes to vinification. Natural wine is made from grapes grown using organic farming. The grapes face no herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers or other synthetic inputs. What is more, to make this wine the harvest must be entirely by hand. Vinification must leave as much room as possible for the natural expression of the grapes. As a result, technical interventions that could alter fermentation or the wine’s development are banned. Adding chemical products is strictly forbidden, with the exception of sulfites. These can be added if needed. The maximum accepted dose of SO2 is 30 mg/L for red wines and 40 mg/L for white wines. For comparison, the maximum amount of sulfur allowed by the European Union for conventional wines is 160 mg/L.
Natural wine, organic wine: what are the differences?
There are differences between organic wine, biodynamic wine and natural wine. These show an increasingly small presence of inputs and intervention in the winemaking process.
Organic wine
Organic wine appeared recently and is defined by a European Commission regulation. The organic wine label has evolved to take in a whole approach to wine. It covers not only viticulture but also the winemaking process. To follow an organic wine approach, the grower must add no synthetic treatments to the vines. The label also calls for a reduction (for now a very small one) in inputs during vinification. That said, organic wine still allows certain practices to continue. It is possible to add tannins, wood chips, sulfur or yeasts to the wine.
Biodynamic wine
Making biodynamic wine requires a further step beyond organic wine production. The aim of this method is to build a dynamic between the soil and the vine. The grower can use plant-based preparations to help the vine develop. Growers who use these techniques also follow the lunar calendar. The idea is that the vine’s development and the soil’s dynamic should be tied to the lunar cycles. The foundations of the biodynamic movement come from a philosophical current called anthroposophy, theorized by Rudolf Steiner.
Natural wine: the next step?
Natural wine production appears as the step beyond organic and biodynamic wine. The aim of nature wine is to guarantee minimal outside influence on the development of the grapes and the wine. Natural wine comes from ripe grapes, grown at least organically and harvested by hand. There can be no addition of outside yeasts or other inputs. And the use of sulfur is limited to a minimal dose. The table below shows the maximum permitted sulfur dose by wine type:
| Type of wine | Maximum sulfur dose (SO2) |
|---|---|
| Conventional red wine (EU standard) | 160 mg/L |
| Red wine from organic farming | 100 mg/L |
| Demeter red wine (biodynamic) | 70 mg/L |
| Natural or nature red wine | 30 mg/L |
Going even further, some turn to wines that are free of any inputs or sulfites (in French, S.A.I.N.S, “Sans Aucun Intrants Ni Sulfites”).
How to taste a natural wine
Tasting a natural wine is no small matter, especially the first time. First, you have to give the natural wine time to open up. To do that, do not hesitate to open your bottle of nature wine a good hour before tasting it. The wine can then open up: it needs to breathe. If you want to go even further, you can decant it or swirl it gently in your glass. On the nose, the aromas can seem slightly off-putting, but do not stop there, you will be surprised by the flavor that develops on the palate. Finally, follow our wine tasting guide to taste your natural wine the right way.
