What Is Natural Wine?
You may have heard that natural wine has become the new “hip” thing in the wine industry, but it’s more than just a trend - it’s a return to the roots of winemaking. Unlike conventional wines, which undergo filtration, chemical adjustments, and the addition of preservatives, natural wine is made with as little human interference as possible. The idea? Let the grapes and their environment do the talking.
The Principles Of Natural Winemaking
Natural winemaking embraces the concept of low intervention. Contrary to what you might think, this doesn’t mean a lack of effort. In fact, it requires skill and vigilance. Without synthetic chemicals or technological shortcuts, winemakers must ensure that their grapes are healthy and ripe, free from disease and imperfections.
A majority of natural wine producers follow organic or biodynamic practices:
- Organic farming focuses on avoiding synthetic pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, favouring more natural alternatives like compost and crop rotation. While copper sulphate is permitted in small quantities, the aim is to support a balanced ecosystem.
- Biodynamic farming takes things a step further, incorporating lunar cycles and spiritual philosophies to maintain a holistic vineyard environment. This approach enhances biodiversity and helps ensure the land remains fertile and vibrant.
How Is Natural Wine Made?
Natural winemaking thrives on spontaneity. Ambient yeasts from the vineyard and winery initiate fermentation, avoiding the commercial yeasts used in traditional winemaking. The wines are often unfiltered and unfined, resulting in a more "raw" product that may look cloudy but expresses the wine’s true character.
Sulphur dioxide, often added to wine as a preservative, is used sparingly or not at all. This allows natural wines to develop their unique flavours but also means they can vary from bottle to bottle, and year to year. For some, this is part of the appeal - each bottle tells its own story.
Common Styles Of Natural Wine
Natural wine comes in various forms, each offering something distinct:
- Petillant Naturel (Pet-Nat): A style of lightly sparkling wine made using the Methode Ancestrale, where fermentation continues in the bottle, trapping CO2. Expect a fizzy, cloudy wine, often lower in alcohol and bursting with fresh, lively flavours.
- Orange Wine: While not always natural, orange wine is often made using natural winemaking techniques. It's made from white grapes that are fermented with their skins, giving the wine a deep amber colour and tannic structure. This style imparts complex flavours of citrus peel, nuts, and florals, offering a bold contrast to traditional white wines.
- Glou Glou: These light, fresh, low-alcohol reds are perfect for casual drinking, often served chilled. They feature bright red fruit flavours and are easy to sip by the glass.
Natural Wine And The Environment
One of the primary appeals of natural wine is its focus on sustainability. Natural wine producers often employ hand-harvesting and minimal machinery, reducing their carbon footprint. By farming organically or biodynamically, they protect the environment, favouring biodiversity and soil health.
While natural wine is certainly more environmentally responsible than conventional wine, it’s important to note that issues like transportation and packaging still affect its overall impact. However, with its emphasis on sustainable practices, natural wine offers a more eco-friendly model compared to conventional wine production.
In choosing natural wine, you're supporting a movement that prioritises quality, transparency, and a closer connection to the land. Interested in exploring the unique world of natural wine? Discover our collection and experience a wine that reflects the true essence of its origin.