What do you mean by “natural wine?”
When customers come into the store looking for natural wine, I first like to ask what they mean by “natural.” Are you looking for organic or biodynamic producers? Are you looking for wine without added sulfites? Are you looking for low-intervention producers? Would you like the bottle to look natural and hipstery? We have all of the above, and plenty that fall into each of those categories.
To say you’re looking for natural wine is a clue in itself. Maybe you’ve heard the term on a podcast or seen natural wines on Instagram, but does that mean you were given a decent explanation? Not necessarily. It’s our job to explain why “natural wine” is not the best term. We can’t start a conversation or provide you with good service until we’re on the same page. So, what are the options?
Let’s start with grapes. Like most produce there are organic and conventional growing practices. Farms that practice organic viticulture do so without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or artificial treatments in the vineyard. To be certified organic the U.S. wine cannot contain added sulfites. So, we get a two-for here. But what’s the deal with sulfites? Are they categorically bad? Of course not, a bag of dried fruit contains more sulfites than a bottle of wine. Sulfur dioxide is a natural byproduct of winemaking and has existed in every wine produced since antiquity. It acts as an antioxidant and an antibacterial for wine.
If a wine gets on a plane in Sicily and travels to Massachusetts it is going to experience different altitudes, temperatures, and varying states of motion. S02 stabilizes the wine so that when it’s affected by air pressure it doesn’t experience undesirable oxidation. It keeps its properties intact and prevents additional bacteria growth. If you drink orange juice from Florida, you have lost your right to argue against sulfites in wine, or I just ruined orange juice for you.
Where does that additional bacterial growth come from? Just about anywhere, which brings us to another level of naturalness, naturalosity, if you will. Yeast. “Spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts” means that a modified strain of yeast was not chosen or specifically grown to inoculate juice that has been pressed and is ready for the next step. Certain strains of yeast beget particular flavors and characteristics in wine.
The practice of reconstituting active dry yeast to initiate fermentation isn’t inherently bad though. How many of us have made bread using the same process? The reason larger producers can rely on their wines to be consistent regardless of unpredictable elements like the weather, is that they use controls like specifically designed yeasts.
Organic farming aside, why do we use the term “natural wine”? Until this year, it was a catch-all phrase whose existence served only to frustrate people who sell wine. But this past April a group of winemakers in the Loire Valley were granted approval to certify natural winemakers in France. Labels now indicate that a wine is Vin Méthode Nature which means that the grapes used are certified organic, hand-harvested, and spontaneously fermented. Indigenous yeasts are used to ferment, and the wines contain no added sulfites.
Right now, certification is voluntary. However, as with many formal certifications they require oversight, and soon they will require more. It’s difficult enough to survey the properties of the forty or fifty VNM winemakers there are now (they are mostly policing themselves at the moment). Patrolling those practices effectively becomes tricky as that number of producers grows. And that’s just France. It should be noted that this certification was created because a handful of producers were discovered to be using the term “natural wine” without substantiation of practices.
Next, biodynamics. We have Austrian agricultural philosopher Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) to thank for that. He maintained that the vineyard is a living organism and should be able to sustain itself without the use of mechanization or synthetic influences. It sounds pretty straightforward. He loses acolytes when he starts talking about burying cow horns full of manure for the winter in specific locations, digging them up six months later, mixing them with water, and spraying the concoction throughout the vineyard during the afternoon only. Additionally, planting, tilling, harvesting, and bottling are completed according to the lunar cycle and other pre-determined celestial rhythms.
So, do we buy in to the magic? I’ll say this, vineyards that are Demeter certified, be it in Europe or the U.S., have completed the arduous process of proving that their methods meet every standard. So, whether you believe in it or not, wines that come from these producers were gently shepherded by winemakers who care deeply about wine. Does this mean that it’s better? Does it mean that you’ll enjoy it more? That’s for each of us to figure out. But after reading through sixty-four pages of regulations, I can tell you that we are guaranteed wine of a certain level of quality whose producer believes in a wholly sustainable process that takes into account the health and well-being of the vineyard and every organism living within it.
As for wines that are vegan-friendly, we have to know about the fining (clarifying) agents used. If you’ve ever made consommé, it’s the same idea. Certain animal proteins like egg whites, caseins, or gelatins are used to attract the small particles left in the juice during fermentation. Left long enough most wines will clarify themselves. To expedite the activity or ensure complete clarity for the purpose of standardization, some wines are fined and filtered. So, if you’ve ever heard one of us rattle off which of our wines are unfined and unfiltered, now you know why. If you’re a strict vegan, it’s very helpful to know. We don’t often think about wine as an animal product, but then you’d have to be aware of the specifics of the process.
This is why I contend that the wine industry asks more of its consumers, and more still of serious enthusiasts, than almost any other trade. To appreciate good wine is one thing, but once you develop preferences and the ability to discern levels of quality, it’s not long before you find yourself researching growing methods, vinification techniques, and weather patterns at the very least, especially if you plan on building a collection. How do you think I got here?
The take-aways:
All biodynamic wine is organic, not all organic wine is biodynamic.
Wine made with organic grapes doesn’t necessarily come from a certified organic producer.
Countless producers adhere to organic and biodynamic farming practices without official certification.
Certification costs money.
Minimal additions of sulfur are not inherently bad, in fact they can be beneficial.
If you are vegan, you should ask about fining and filtering processes when you purchase wine. (smaller retailers usually have closer relationships with importers and distributors who have these answers)
“Natural wine” now only has official meaning in France.
If you ask us about natural wine, we still know what you mean, but we’re going to ask you a lot more questions.
