Natural wine

Imagine the winemaker letting the grapes tell most of the story and stepping in only when needed. “Natural wine” is not one fixed recipe, though: two bottles can be made—and taste—very differently.

Natural wine describes an approach that keeps cellar interventions to a minimum. It often involves spontaneous fermentation, little or no added sulphur, and no fining or filtration. Because the term has no single legal definition, the producer’s specific choices matter more than the words alone.

Do not rely on the words natural wine alone. Look for concrete details about fermentation, filtration, fining and sulphur when comparing bottles.