Natural wine is defined by a philosophy of minimal intervention, a stark contrast to the more controlled and predictable methods of conventional winemaking. While it lacks a single, legally binding definition, its core principles guide a process that begins with organic farming and ends with a product that is often unfiltered and contains few, if any, additives. These fundamental differences in production are directly responsible for the unique, complex, and sometimes unpredictable flavor profiles that distinguish natural wines from their conventional counterparts.
Natural vs. Conventional Winemaking: A Comparative Overview
| Production Stage | Natural Wine Approach | Conventional Wine Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Farming | Grapes are typically grown using organic or biodynamic methods, avoiding synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Practices like planting cover crops and dry farming are common to promote soil health and biodiversity. | Vineyards may use approved chemical pesticides and herbicides to manage pests and weeds. Farming practices are often geared toward maximizing yield and consistency. |
| Fermentation | Relies on native or "wild" yeasts present on the grape skins for spontaneous fermentation. This process allows for a unique expression of terroir and can lead to distinctive, unpredictable flavor profiles. | Typically uses commercial or cultured yeasts, which are selected to ensure a consistent and reliable fermentation process and to achieve specific, predictable flavor outcomes. |
| Additives | Made with minimal to zero additives. The goal is to preserve the wine's unique essence, with very low or no added sulfites used for preservation. | Commonly uses various approved winemaking additives to adjust taste, color, sweetness, or acidity. Sulfite additions are standard to ensure preservation and stability. |
| Finishing | Often undergoes minimal or no clarification and filtration. These stages are seen as interventions that could strip out character, which can result in a cloudier appearance but preserves aromas and complexity. | Typically employs filtration and fining processes to achieve visual clarity and stability in the final product, ensuring it is free of sediment. |
In the Vineyard: A Foundation in Organic Farming
The divergence between natural and conventional wine begins in the vineyard. Natural winemaking almost universally starts with organically or biodynamically farmed fruit. Producers often avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, instead relying on methods that promote a healthy ecosystem. This can include planting cover crops like clover or vetch between vine rows to enrich the soil, prevent erosion, and attract beneficial insects. Some producers also practice dry farming—forgoing irrigation—which forces vines to grow deeper roots, conserves water, and can result in grapes with more concentrated flavors, according to a guide from Smith & Vine.
Conventional viticulture, in contrast, may utilize approved pesticides and chemical herbicides to manage the vineyard. While not all conventional wines are made this way, these tools are available to winemakers to ensure crop consistency and protect against pests and disease. The focus is often on reliability and achieving predictable results from the harvest year after year.
Fermentation: The Influence of Wild vs. Cultured Yeasts
One of the most significant departures in the cellar is the choice of yeast. Natural winemakers typically rely on the native yeasts that exist on the grape skins and in the winery's environment to initiate a spontaneous fermentation. Masha Alandarenko of MUR WINE DISTRIBUTION notes that this "wild fermentation" is a key reason for the distinctive and sometimes unpredictable flavor profiles found in natural wines. Because the specific mix of yeasts varies from vineyard to vineyard and year to year, the resulting wine is considered a unique expression of its origin, or terroir.
Conventional winemaking generally favors a more controlled approach. Producers often add commercial or cultured yeasts, which have been selected to perform reliably and produce consistent flavors. This method gives the winemaker greater control over the final product, minimizing the risk of a stalled fermentation or the development of off-flavors and ensuring the wine's taste profile is consistent with previous vintages.
Additives and Adjustments: A Question of Intervention
The philosophy of "low intervention" is central to natural wine. This means refraining from the use of additives that can alter a wine's fundamental characteristics. While conventional winemaking allows for dozens of approved additives to adjust acidity, color, sweetness, and texture, natural producers seek to present the wine in its most unadulterated form. This extends to the use of sulfites, a common preservative. While natural wines are rarely completely free of sulfites—which are a natural byproduct of fermentation—producers add minimal or no extra sulfites, in contrast to the higher levels often found in conventional wines for preservation and stability.
Finishing: The Debate Over Clarity and Complexity
In the final stages before bottling, conventional wines are typically fined and filtered. These processes remove sediment, microbes, and proteins to create a clear, stable, and polished final product that meets consumer expectations for appearance. Natural winemakers, however, often view these steps as unnecessary interventions that can strip a wine of its character. According to WSET, a global provider of wine education, producers may choose minimal clarification and filtration to preserve the wine's diverse aromas and complexity. This choice is why some natural wines appear cloudy or hazy in the glass. Proponents believe this unfiltered state contributes to a fuller, juicier mouthfeel and a greater depth of flavor, preserving the "essence of what made the wine," as described by Chris Foster of MORE Natural Wine.
