Attempt at explanation: What are natural wines?

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The phenomenon of natural wine continues to be talked about. Some swear by modern wines, while others see it as a marketing ploy to charge more money for a bottle of wine. But the truth is that in Swiss cities such as Bern, Geneva and Zurich there are now restaurants and wine bars serving only natural wines.

The term natural wine has a problem: It’s not clearly defined. Many winemakers who declare their wines to be natural wines reject modern interventions such as sulfurization or temperature-controlled fermentation in favor of artisanal practices of the past. The idea is that wine should be made with as little intervention as possible.

Natural wines in focus

Organically or biodynamically grown grapes are often used for natural wines. Additionally, many wineries that produce so-called natural wines use only native yeasts and avoid adding any sulfur or other additives. Fermentation and maturation usually take place in old vessels such as amphorae, and bottling is unfiltered.

However, avoiding the addition of sulfur increases the risk of bottles becoming defective. When sulfur is not added, there is an increased risk of unwanted microbes appearing in the wine, which sulfur can kill. Because red wines naturally contain more antioxidants than white wines, the risk of bottle defects is higher for white natural wines.

Leading winegrowing countries such as France and Italy have now introduced national certifications for natural wines in order to more precisely limit production methods. However, wineries that include natural wines in their product range are free to decide whether they want to comply with these rules or continue to interpret the term natural wine independently.

Most of the time only small amounts

Proponents of natural wines often claim that the best possible expression of a region can only be achieved using their own methods. However, this claim is risky since such a statement is a matter of opinion. When it comes to drinking quality, the range of natural wines is similar to traditionally produced wines, that is, from miserable to sensational wines.

White natural wines should be drunk relatively quickly after release, while some red natural wines may have some storage potential. It is equally important to maintain the cold chain from purchase to home to prevent premature spoilage. Because many natural wines are bottled in small quantities, they are generally priced in the mid- or upper-end range.

Source : Blick