The phrase “natural wine” may be confusing to some wine lovers.
That is because most regular wine drinkers who pay attention to how wine is normally produced know that it is a product of grape juice in which a yeast produces a fermentation. The yeast is then removed.
Incidental use of sulfur dioxide stabilizes the product and is essentially harmless in wine.
Yet a curious subculture in the wine world believes that the phrase “natural wine” demands that absolutely nothing modern should be used in its production.
Essentially, the phrase refers to wines made without anything being added or taken away from the grapes. Its proponents aim for purity. That can put them 180 degrees from those who try to make wines of great quality and fret not about naturalness.
The most pernicious aspect of the “natural wine movement,” as it often calls itself, is its implication that any wine not made to be “natural” is somehow unnatural.
One problem is that there are various advocates of naturalness, each with a slightly different point of view of what defines a natural wine. Some say sulfites may not be used. Others say sulfites are OK, but no fining agents, which remove negative elements such as bitterness.
Most natural wine people do not agree on how to define the term. As it turns out, neither does the U.S. government. So it is unregulated and has no agreed-upon meaning.
I have covered the wine industry as a reporter for 50 years. In that time, the processes and products used in wine production have never proven to be a risk to humans—despite some statements implying otherwise by natural wine supporters.
So you may wonder why there is such a brouhaha in the subculture about the term. Part of the reason is that those who support natural winemaking imply that those who do not are making a product that isn’t as “authentic” as it ought to be.
This casts aspersions on about 99 percent of all wine being produced around the world. But when used in moderation with food, almost all wine typically provides enjoyment and helps food taste better.
Since many natural wines diverge from the normal aromatics and tastes of wines made with more modern methods, the category has not developed any particular following.
One reason is that some natural wines can smell and/or taste a little odd.
Isabelle Legeron of France vocally supports the idea of these wines. Her book, called simply “Natural Wine,” is seen by some as the bible of the natural wine movement.
One subcategory in natural winemaking is called Pet-Nat. It is a natural sparkling wine that can occasionally be less than brilliant in color (and is occasionally cloudy). Its supporters say it has more flavors than traditional sparkling wines.
Very few natural wines will be found in supermarkets. That’s because they are usually made in tiny quantities and typically are not appealing to supermarket wine shoppers.
They may be found most often in specialty wine shops, often in the sections that carry organic or biodynamic wines.
