What Is Natural Wine? A Beginner's Guide
If you've spent any time browsing wine lists or scrolling through Instagram lately, you've probably noticed natural wine having a moment. It shows up at trendy restaurants, farmers markets, and in the hands of people who seem very confident about their choices. But what actually is it – and is it worth your attention?
The Short Answer
Natural wine is wine made with as little human intervention as possible, from vine to bottle. That means no synthetic pesticides or herbicides in the vineyard, no commercial yeasts added during fermentation, and minimal (or zero) additives in the winery. The result is wine that's meant to express its place and its vintage as honestly as possible.
You'll hear it called a few things: raw wine, low-intervention wine, naked wine. All refer to the same general idea.
How Is Natural Wine Different from Regular Wine?
Conventional winemaking involves a long list of tools and additives that help winemakers control flavor, consistency, and shelf life – added sulfites to preserve freshness, commercial yeasts to drive predictable fermentation, fining agents (like egg whites or gelatin) to clarify the wine, and more. None of this is necessarily bad, but it means the wine you're drinking has been shaped as much by the winemaker's choices as by the grapes themselves.
Natural wine strips most of that away. The grapes ferment on their own native yeasts – microorganisms that live naturally on the grape skins and in the cellar. The wine is usually unfiltered, which means it can look a little cloudy or hazy in the glass. It may have a slight fizz from residual fermentation. These aren't flaws. They're features.
Natural vs. Organic vs. Biodynamic: What's the Difference?
These three terms often travel together but they're not interchangeable.
Organic wine is a certified designation. In the U.S., it means the grapes were grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and no sulfites were added. Certification requires third-party verification, which means there's actual accountability behind the label.
Biodynamic wine goes a step further, treating the entire vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem. Biodynamic farmers follow a farming calendar based on lunar and astrological cycles and use specific preparations to enrich the soil. It's a philosophy as much as a method, and it's also certifiable (look for the Demeter certification).
Natural wine has no official certification or legal definition. There's no governing body, no universal standard. A winemaker calling their wine "natural" is making a values statement more than a regulated claim. This gives natural wine its freewheeling appeal – and its occasional inconsistency.
One important distinction: all natural wines are made from organically farmed grapes (at minimum), but not all organic wines are natural. A wine can be certified organic while still using commercial yeasts and filtration.
What Does Natural Wine Taste Like?
This is where things get interesting – and occasionally divisive.
Natural wines can taste wilder, more alive, and more surprising than their conventional counterparts. You might pick up funky notes (think: kombucha, cider, or even a barn-like earthiness), bright acidity, and flavors that feel distinctly less polished than a mass-produced bottle. Some people love this. Some people do not.
Because natural wines aren't filtered or stabilized the same way, they can vary bottle to bottle within the same vintage. That's part of the charm – and part of the reason some drinkers find them frustrating.
They're also available in every style: reds, whites, rosé, sparkling, and orange wine – which is itself a common companion to the natural wine world.
A Word on Sulfites
Low or no sulfites is one of the defining characteristics of natural wine, and it's a selling point some drinkers find appealing. Sulfites are naturally occurring during fermentation but are often added by winemakers as a preservative. Natural wines typically contain far less than conventional wines.
Worth noting: the claim that sulfites cause headaches isn't well-supported by science. But if you've found yourself feeling better after switching to lower-sulfite wines, natural wine is worth exploring.
Is Natural Wine Better for You?
Not necessarily – but it's made differently. No synthetic chemicals in the vineyard and fewer additives in the cellar means fewer unknown variables in your glass. For drinkers who care about what goes into their food and drink, that matters.
What natural wine is better at: rewarding curious drinkers willing to try something a little off the beaten path.
Ready to Explore?
Natural wine exists on a spectrum. Some bottles are approachable and fruit-forward; others are challenging and funky. The best way to figure out where you land is to try a few.
Our Sustainable Wines collection is a great starting point – it brings together organic, biodynamic, and low-intervention bottles across styles and regions, including options like:
Calvari Organic Red Blend – An easygoing Italian red made without additives or synthetic agents, with notes of blackcurrant and ripe strawberry. Perfect for pasta night or a low-key weeknight pour.
2023 Sous L'Océan Organic Bordeaux Blanc – A crisp, lively Sauvignon Blanc from a producer that partners with conservation organizations, with citrus and passionfruit on the nose and vibrant acidity throughout.
2023 Les Chartrons Bordeaux Blanc – A sustainably produced French white at an accessible price point, great for beginners dipping their toes into the category.
Whether you're a longtime wine enthusiast or someone who's just starting to pay attention to what's in the bottle, natural wine is worth your curiosity.