Natural Wine. What Does It Mean?

Natural Wine. What is it? There is no single definition, really. Certainly organic and biodynamic wines are "natural" because they have very specific regulations to follow and certifications to garner. But when a winemaker visits a restaurant or wine shop to taste their wares, when the question of "Are these wines natural?" comes up...the room goes silent. What is the answer? And anyway, just calling a wine natural does not guarantee drinkability (an expensive lesson learned). Though "natural" should not be used as a descriptor of wine, wines that are farmed organically or biodynamically are certainly "natural" and can be consumed with assurances that the farming techniques of these wines are regulated and certified. The landscape will continue to change and the movement in the wine industry is certainly toward less intervention.

In the meantime, I have created The Pure Wine Club to highlight the best of what I find (organic/biodynamic) and send them directly to the consumer who is as interested as I am in the subject. And as for the term, for now, "natural wine" will have to rely on the fact that from farm to bottle, these wines are minimally influenced by the farmer and winemaker (but not entirely untouched!).

You'll discover all this and more as a member of the Original and Only Wine of the Month Club.