Natural Wine
Minimal intervention, maximum expression of terroir.
Natural wine is made with as little chemical and technological intervention as possible — both in the vineyard and the cellar. There is no legal definition, but the shared principle is simple: healthy grapes, native yeasts, no additives, and minimal or zero added sulphites.
The natural wine movement emerged in the 1980s in France's Beaujolais and Loire regions, led by growers like Marcel Lapierre and Nicolas Joly. Today it spans every wine-producing country, from Georgia's qvevri tradition to Australia's Adelaide Hills scene.
Natural wines can be polarising. At their best, they are vibrant, alive, and full of terroir character — a Gamay from Morgon that tastes of crushed granite and wild strawberries, or a skin-contact Ribolla Gialla from Friuli with a golden hue and tea-like tannins. At their worst, they can be volatile, mousy, or oxidised. The absence of sulphites means natural wines are more fragile and sensitive to temperature and storage.
What unites natural winemakers is a conviction that great wine starts in the vineyard, not the lab. Grapes are farmed organically or biodynamically, harvested by hand, and fermented with the yeasts that live naturally on the skins. Nothing is added to the juice — no commercial enzymes, no cultured yeasts, no tartaric acid adjustments, no colour-enhancing tannin powders. The winemaker's job is to guide the fermentation, not engineer the outcome.
The best producers walk a careful line: enough cellar hygiene and skill to make stable, delicious wine without the safety net of industrial chemistry. The result is often wines with remarkable energy and a sense of place that conventional winemaking can smooth away.
Gamay · Chenin Blanc · Cabernet Franc · Poulsard · Trousseau · Savagnin
Beaujolais · Loire Valley · Jura · Georgia · Friuli · Adelaide Hills
Notable Producers
Marcel Lapierre
Morgon, Beaujolais
Domaine de la Coulée de Serrant
Savennières, Loire
Radikon
Oslavia, Friuli
Pheasant's Tears
Kakheti, Georgia
Serve natural wines slightly cooler than conventional equivalents — 12–14°C for reds, 8–10°C for whites. A light chill tames any volatile acidity and lets the fruit shine. Decanting for 20 minutes can also help.
Natural wines thrive with simple, honest cooking: charcuterie boards, roast chicken, grilled vegetables, aged cheese. Their acidity and textural complexity handle richer dishes surprisingly well. Avoid very delicate preparations — the wines' own character can dominate.
Common Questions
What makes a wine "natural"?
Natural wine is made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes, fermented with native yeasts, and bottled with minimal or zero added sulphites. No additives, no fining, no filtration (or very light filtration). There is no legal certification — it is a philosophy rather than a regulated category.
Why do natural wines sometimes taste different?
Without the stabilising effect of sulphites and modern winemaking techniques, natural wines can show more variation between bottles. They may have a slight haze, funkier aromatics, or a cider-like quality. The best examples channel this into complexity and vibrancy rather than flaws.
Do natural wines contain sulphites?
All wine contains some sulphites naturally produced during fermentation. Natural winemakers add none or very little (typically under 30 mg/L total, compared to up to 200 mg/L in conventional wine). People with genuine sulphite sensitivity may tolerate natural wines better, but they are not sulphite-free.
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