Natural Wine: A Beginner's Guide to the Movement Changing How We Drink

Natural wine is the most contested term in contemporary drinks culture. Its supporters argue it represents a return to authentic, terroir-driven winemaking — wine as it was made for centuries before industrialisation. Its critics — including many respected sommeliers — argue that 'natural' is an unregulated term applied to wines of wildly variable quality, from profound to faulty.

Both sides have a point. Which is to say: the world of natural wine is large enough to contain both extraordinary revelations and expensive disappointments. The beginner's challenge is knowing where to look.

**What makes a wine 'natural'?**: There is no legal definition, but the general consensus within the movement is: organically or biodynamically farmed grapes (no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers); hand-harvested; fermented with native (wild) yeasts rather than commercial yeast cultures; minimal or no added sulphites; no fining or filtration. The result should be wine that, in the words of the movement's philosopher Alice Feiring (alicefeiring.com), 'tastes like somewhere'.

**Where to begin**: Start with producers whose wines are reliably clean and expressive before exploring the more experimental end of the spectrum. In France: Marcel Lapierre (Beaujolais), Domaine Overnoy (Jura), Jean-Pierre Robinot (Loire). In Italy: Radikon (Friuli), COS (Sicily). In the US: Scholium Project (California), Matassa (Languedoc).

**Buying and learning**: The Natural Wine Company (thenaturalwinecompany.com), Vom Boden (vomboden.com), and RAW Wine (rawwine.com) — whose annual fair takes place in London, Berlin, and New York — are excellent resources. Wine journalist Isabelle Legeron MW (isabellelegeron.com) is the movement's most authoritative writer.

**The Sparkling Dimension**: Pétillant naturel — 'pétnat' — a form of sparkling natural wine made by bottling before primary fermentation completes, producing gentle, persistent bubbles — is one of the movement's most successful categories. A glass of pétnat with fresh citrus juice is the natural wine world's most joyful mimosa.