Firstly, it is essential to consider the many different understandings given by the consumer, often varying depending on one’s age or culture, or of one’s definition of a ”natural wine.”

For some, this regroups wines from organic viticulture (without adding or spreading fertilizers or chemical pesticides). Most of these consumers never consider unreasonable human intervention, such as the excessive spreading of plant or animal concoctions aka “teas” in the vines throughout the ripening of the grapes and or brutal interventions in the vineyard or the cellar during fermentation or maturation.

For others, it’s defined as wines without sulfites. They do not, however, specify whether this includes all sulfites or only excessive addition in the winemaking and bottling process. A sulfite allergy is a sensitivity or severe intolerance to potassium bisulfite KHSO3, or ”simple sulfites.” However, the demand for a wine without any sulfites whatsoever is technically impossible because sulfites occur naturally during the fermentation process of turning grape juice into wine. It a quite simply a natural occurrence. It is therefore clear that no honest and upstanding wine merchant can guarantee you a truly sulfite free wine. To put it simply, sulfites, yes, but with incredible moderation.

Natural wine can also be interpreted as the practice of winemaking biodynamics. A religion for some, Demeter is the official biodynamic certification and refers to the philosophy and practice of natural and sometimes esoteric actions. This results from returning to ancient and ancestral farming practices and observance of the Farmer’s Almanac. It is a dedicated approach to the fundamentals of organic practices resulting in extraordinary quality and typicity of the different soils and terroirs in the wines. Keep in mind, however, that "biodynamic" and "natural” wine do not speak the same unique language – they only share a concept of human non-intervention on our planet’s ecosystem's natural cycle, cosmic influences, and extra-planetary energies. If you want to understand the basics, I advise you to reread your Greek classics and the writings of Rüdolf Steiner, founder of Anthroposophy, and a more current esotericist (1920).

Viticulture and Biodynamic Viniculture is a practice (unlike so-called "Natural wines”) where human intervention is complete and indissoluble from its fundamentals.

For others, natural wine is defined as follows: funky, cloudy, unfiltered, different with some sour taste... like when beer meets wine!! I have to be honest with you, because I especially do not want to offend fanatics of these bizarre and atypical wines, however, this wine practice is...beyond me and doesn’t appeal to me at all. I find it difficult to combine eco-responsibility and eco-disaster. These wines are a fad, and, as we all know, fashions reflect counterrevolutions from previous generations. They are sometimes brutal and often, unfortunately, flatten social and political conformities by proclaiming, “difference brings about change.” There’s a reminiscence of going back to the seventies with and “flower power.” If that’s your preferred style...good for you. Still, I must inform you of three essential facts.

Art by Jordan Piantedosi

First, these wines refer in the world of sommeliers and winegrowers (oenophile experts) to all the aromas and visual defects of what is defined as a faulty wine.

These wines are immediately rejected for consumption for reasons of hygiene, unpleasant smell and taste, demonstrating a lack of professionalism and application of expertise.

Second, for some these wines are not very healthy for consumption. The instability due to lack of rigor and the total refusal of human intervention throughout the process worries me. Do you eat your organic carrots or your neo-organic potatoes without washing them beforehand? Do you do this to protect yourself from soil and other foreign elements during cooking and their consummation? Do you not clarify your broth before consuming it (in a natural way) to eliminate impurities?

Third, remember that moderation always tastes better and that excess never pays off (never bears good fruit.) Natural wine can be good, pleasant, and preserved over time without danger while respecting the necessary and urgent acts of an active and resonant ecology. We categorize these wines from sustainable practices and philosophies.