Natural wine has to be one of the most divisive areas in the wine industry. People in the trade can tie themselves up in knots about it – whether it’s fervently and dogmatically protesting that it is the only wine to drink, to those who think it’s just an excuse to charge a lot of money for an unfinished wine. It really can be a terribly polarising product for what is simply one of life’s little pleasures.
Before becoming a wine writer, I actually sold wine for a good many years in my own wine shop and bar – including natural wines. I would never have described my place as a natural wine bar (we had over 600 wines from around the world, made in a variety of styles) but customers would often ask after it, whether it was to try a new style, or to emphatically state that they didn’t like it.
But what even is natural wine?
A simple definition might be useful at this stage, which is easier said than done, but I’ll have a go for you. In general terms, a natural wine is the wild and untamed version of its more “tweaked” relative – it’s been made with nothing added and nothing taken away.
This breaks down in the following way: in the vineyard the grapes are grown without any chemical intervention, so no herbicides or pesticides. When the grapes then reach the winery, they will be greeted with a “hands-off” winemaking approach.
Contrary to the romantic belief that many of us have about wine, making wine often includes a number of additions, such as synthetic yeasts to kick-start the fermentation; sugar and acid to impact how the wine tastes, along with a gamut of colourants and preservatives – none of which are involved in natural winemaking.
I always compare it to a super-squishy, “Mother’s Pride” style of heavily processed white bread, versus a sourdough loaf made with just flour, water and salt.
And then there’s the s-word… sulphur.
To some in the wine world, adding sulphur might as well be like mixing in the devil’s blood. For the record, this is not something I believe; a little bit used judiciously is no bad thing. But my opinion on this is not really surprising, as you’ve probably realised by now that I’m not a dogmatic person. So a natural wine is essentially made from pure, unadulterated, non-manipulated grape juice.
It has soared in popularity over recent years, with natural wine bars popping up all over London and around the country. But the reality is that it still accounts for a very small portion of the wine market. For organic wine as a whole, global wine sales have grown, but they still hover around 3.5 per cent for the whole organic category (of which natural wine accounts for a small wedge of the cake). It is not a large-scale product – it’s made on a small scale by producers who have just a handful of acres of vines. It is best described as an artisanal product.
I first became aware of natural wine just before I started working in the industry in about 2008. I went to a tasting above Antidote, a little wine bar just off Carnaby Street, which, other than the sadly now-closed Terroirs in Covent Garden, was about the only place in central London focusing on natural wine. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted – I couldn’t believe this somewhat wild and funky juice was even a wine. Some were a bit cidery, some eggily whiffy, and pretty much all of them were cloudy. But they were all very energetic.
The wine that still sticks strongly in my mind from that tasting nearly 17 years ago was Les Greilles Causse Marines from Gaillac (southwest France) – it was pure with life-giving energy. The perception of natural wine can often be a negative one, but as Pascal Lescarret, the winemaker of Causse Marines says: “We can make organic wine without having long hair and smoking grass! One can make natural wines that don’t smell like a cow’s fart.”
So ignore the dogma, the natty wine bros in teeny-tiny beanies, and the cool kids. Don’t be intimidated and just try it. There are so many exciting natural wines available on the market. They may taste a little different at first, but my simple advice is to open your mind to them. They are not cheap, as they’re costly to produce, but you may just find that your wine pleasure can take on a whole new dimension.
£22 Swig, 11 per cent ABV
Forget everything you thought you knew about prosecco, this is real prosecco. “Col Fondo” literally translates as “with its bottom”. No, it’s not a saucy Italian take on the Carry On films, but refers to the secondary fermentation that takes place in the bottle with its lees (yeast cells). It is unrefined, unfiltered and made without any additives in the method used before the industrialised process for prosecco was introduced at the beginning of the 20th century. This has much less sweetness than conventional prosecco – there’s a refreshing savoury lick and a tart green apple crunch and seaside wild fennel, matched alongside buttery toast with a generous spread of lemon curd on top.
£19.65 Parched Wine, 11.5 per cent ABV
I’ve always thought the wines of Martin and Anna Arndorfer are amongst the most approachable and affordable natural wines available widely. They’re making wines in the Austrian region of Kamptal, just northeast of Vienna. This is a blend of 85 per cent grüner veltliner, 10 per cent chardonnay and 5 per cent neuburger. The juice undergoes a light maceration with its skins, of between 10 and 30 days, giving it its soft amber hue. It has beautiful aromas of lemon and lime citrus pith, firm peaches, a sprinkle of white pepper and a refreshing, quenching acidity. It is a friend to many foods, including aromatic noodle broth and my personal favourite, dim sum.
£16, Drop by Local, 13.5 per cent ABV
From an estate that’s over a hundred years old, located not too far from the town of Nîmes, in the bouche de Rhône (mouth of the river Rhône) in southern France. This lively and peppery red is 100 per cent Syrah, and is unrefined, unfiltered with no added sulphur. It’s packed with brambly dark fruits, earthy blackberry, dark plums, with a moreish richness thanks to its bright acidity. This crowd-pleasing style of red is a great introduction to the world of natural wine and would be the perfect match for a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb studded with garlic and rosemary served alongside a Mediterranean ratatouille.
£17.40 Les Caves de Pyrene, 14.5 per cent ABV
Fabrizio Iuli, the winemaker of this barbera from Piedmont has a beautiful philosophy, “I try to make gentle wines”, his hands-off approach to really quite fulsome grape varieties, is exciting and enticing in equal measure. This is super lively and highly drinkable, with notes of pipe tobacco, blackberry, wild black cherries, fresh redcurrants and smooth, but present tannins. Fabrizio’s care for his wine is evident, and this wine exudes the same charm that he displays so beautifully too.
Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer, presenter and columnist specialising in wine and spirits as well as travel and lifestyle
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