Natural Wine -- Here it Comes!

Natural wine has been around for awhile, but not well-known by consumers. This is changing as the organic food movement has grown its popularity.

What is Natural Wine?

With wine natural means the grapes are grown with minimal intervention and are minimally processed. There can be filtering, fining, chemicals and industrial yeasts used in the making of the wine. The makers of natural wines claim to only use naturally occurring yeasts and a hands-off approach to growing and  processing of the grapes. They key word here is "claim" as there's no set of rules or laws to restrict what can be called a natural wine. It's not quite the same thing as organic wine (which is gov't controlled) or biodynamic wine (which isn't).

Is Natural Wine Healthier?

There is no scientific evidence saying natural (or even organic) wine is healthier. You will often find less sulfites used in these wines so these wines may be better for you if that's a problem.

Is Natural Wine Better?

Whether a wine is natural, organic, biodynamic is no indication that it will be a better wine. It's actually riskier to make wines this way as some of the interventions used by winemakers is to prevent problems and increase the quality of the wine.

Finding Natural Wines

You'll have to find a winery or retailer you trust to help you find these wines. Natural wines are a bigger deal in Europe so perhaps check with some importers.