Translation missing: en.A Quick Definition of "Natural Wine.": A Quick Definition of "Natural Wine."

Natural Wines: A quick note about "Natural Wine." This is a term that gets used a lot these days, but what exactly does it mean?

There is no legal definition for Natural Wine as of yet. France has recently adopted a set of rules to attempt to define it, but here in Australia it's still quite open.

Essentially, the term "Natural Wine" refers to wine that has had no additions or subtractions throughout the winemaking process. Firstly, the fruit must be farmed either organically or biodynamically. It's important to note that many natural producers may not be certified (even though they do follow these practices).

Secondly, no additions can be added throughout the winemaking process. This includes yeasts, acids, tannins, sugars - basically anything that is not naturally present in the must. Fermentation is spontaneous and carried out using the natural yeasts on the grapes. A small addition of sulphur to protect the wine at bottling is generally accepted, though some producers don't add any sulphur at all.

Finally, the wines cannot be fined or filtered at all. Filtration can strip flavour and structural compounds out of the wine, and leads to a more homogenised product. The use of fining agents has a similar effect. This lack of filtration means that natural wines can throw a light sediment in the bottle, or appear slightly cloudy. Rest assured, any sediment or haziness is completely harmless, and not an indication of a faulty wine.