Simple Definition of Natural Wine August 20, 2018 10:19

Until recently “wine” and “natural wine” were the same. Then that changed with increasing technology, winemakers interested in manipulation and companies looking to expand their winemaking product lines.

 “Natural Wine”, what does this term mean?
 It means fermented grape juice.
 
Here is my red wine recipe:
  • Start with really good fresh ripe grapes.
  • Break or crush the skins to get juice.
  • Put this into a vessel.
  • Add a little natural yeast.
  • Ferment until done.
  • Remove the liquid wine from skins.
  • Clarify and age the wine in small oak barrels for 22 months.
  • Put wine in bottle and cork it.

    Otherwise it can get complicated. Wine can be manipulated and altered
    by adding things that are bought commercially and not naturally found in grape juice or wine, like microbial control agents and:

      artificial enzymes  
      artificial tannins
      yeast nutrients
      fining materials 

     Pile of tannins

     

               

     Or by using industrial manipulation like:

      centrifuges

      filtration


      reverse osmosis 

    Wine is a wonderful thing.
    Manipulations are not all bad. They can have their place.
    They can work to correct problems and make a wine approachable. For example, most folks would think a bottle of wine they bought at the supermarket was ruined or foul if they saw sediment in the bottle. Manipulations will eliminate sediment. (Although WE know sediment is indication of a superior wine. See Sediment Blog about this.) 

    I prefer not to alter or manipulate the beautiful perfect grapes I grow.
     
    Fundamentally I find that I enjoy things most when they are
    made naturally and simply.  Like wine. Like bread baked from only flour, water, yeast, salt. Cheese made with whole unpasteurized milk, rennet, salt.

    Nothing more, nothing less than is needed. It's simply natural.