03 · Making Enthusiast

Natural wine explained

"Natural wine" has no legal definition in most countries, no single flavour profile, and no universally agreed standard. What it has is a philosophy: minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery, letting the grape and place express themselves without additives or correction.

The spectrum: from conventional to natural

Wine production exists on a spectrum of intervention. The categories below are not rigid — many producers occupy grey areas — but they describe the main positions and the terms you'll encounter on labels and at fairs.

Conventional wine

Synthetic pesticides permitted; commercial yeasts; wide range of additives and processing aids (fining agents, enzymes, acidification, deacidification, mega purple colour additive, oak chips); sulphur dioxide added freely.

Sustainable / Integrated

Reduced synthetic input; no certification standard required; voluntary good practice. Most mainstream producers fall here.

Organic wine

Certified: no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers in the vineyard. In the winery, EU organic wine regulations cap sulphur dioxide additions but still permit most other additives. See IFOAM for global standards.

Biodynamic wine

Organic plus: lunar calendar, herbal preparations, holistic farm system. Certified by Demeter International. Some of the world's most acclaimed producers.

Natural wine

No agreed legal definition internationally. Typically: organic or biodynamic viticulture + minimal winery intervention (indigenous yeasts, no/low sulphur, unfined, unfiltered). The closest to a regulated term is Vin Méthode Nature (France, from 2020).

What happens in a natural winery

In the vineyard, most natural producers work organically or biodynamically — no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. In the winery, the key markers are: indigenous (wild) yeast fermentation rather than commercial yeast strains; no or very low sulphur dioxide additions; no fining agents (gelatine, isinglass, egg white, bentonite); and no filtration before bottling. The goal is to preserve what was in the vineyard and avoid adding or removing anything that would change it.

This approach has genuine advantages — wines can show a distinctly place-specific character — and genuine risks. Without sulphur dioxide, wines are vulnerable to oxidation and microbial instability, especially in warm storage conditions. Natural wines typically require careful handling: keep them cold, drink them relatively young, and treat them like perishable food rather than conventional wine. See how to store wine.

The Vin Méthode Nature standard (France)

In 2020, a group of French natural wine producers established the Vin Méthode Nature voluntary certification — the closest thing to a regulated natural wine standard in the world. Requirements: certified organic viticulture; indigenous yeast fermentation; maximum 30 mg/L total sulphur dioxide (with or without any addition, since grapes naturally produce some SO₂ during fermentation); no other additions or subtractions permitted. Wines meeting the standard may carry the Vin Méthode Nature logo. The standard has been adopted slowly; many natural wine producers remain outside it, either because certification is costly or because they disagree with specific terms.

Sources: Syndicat Vin Méthode Nature (French natural wine standard); IFOAM Organics International (organic farming standards); Demeter International (biodynamic certification standards); AWRI (sulphur dioxide research in winemaking). Last updated: 2026-10-19. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About natural wine.

Is natural wine better for you?

The scientific evidence is limited and contested. The main claim is that lower or zero sulphur dioxide reduces headaches and adverse reactions. However, the evidence that sulphur dioxide at permitted levels in conventional wine causes headaches is weak — histamines and other compounds in wine (found at higher levels in red wine) are more plausibly the cause for most people. Some people genuinely react to sulphites, but they typically have asthma or severe sulphite sensitivity and will react to many other foods as well. "Natural wine" with zero sulphur is not necessarily free of other allergens, and can be microbiologically unstable. See the natural wine sulphite debate for the research.

Why do some natural wines taste funky or unusual?

Natural wines — particularly zero-sulphur or very low-sulphur wines fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered — are more microbiologically active than conventional wines. This can produce: volatile acidity (a slight vinegary edge, from acetic acid); brett (barnyard, smoke, leather notes from Brettanomyces yeast); refermentation in bottle (small bubbles, slight fizz, cloudiness); and mouse cage (a controversial fault more common in natural wines). Supporters argue these characteristics add complexity; critics argue they mask variety and origin. The debate is partly aesthetic, partly technical. See common wine faults for how to identify these.

What is pét-nat?

Pét-nat (short for pétillant naturel — naturally sparkling) is a sparkling wine made by the ancestral method: the wine is bottled while fermentation is still in progress, so the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is trapped in the bottle. Unlike Champagne (which undergoes two separate fermentations and riddling), pét-nat uses only a single fermentation. The result is a lightly sparkling, often cloudy wine with residual yeast sediment. Pét-nat is a natural wine staple — low-sulphur, unfined, and typically bottled under crown cap. Styles range from bone dry to off-dry. See sparkling wine methods.

What is sulphur dioxide and why is it used in winemaking?

Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) has been used in winemaking for centuries — Roman winemakers burned sulphur candles in barrels. It serves two main functions: as an antioxidant (it binds to oxygen, preventing premature oxidation and browning) and as an antimicrobial (it inhibits bacteria and unwanted yeasts). Without it, wine is vulnerable to oxidation and microbial spoilage — particularly at low levels of residual sugar, without which yeast have less protection. The debate in natural winemaking is about the appropriate level: EU regulations permit up to 160 mg/L in red wine; Vin Méthode Nature allows a maximum of 30 mg/L. See the sulphites glossary entry.