If you are a wine drinker, you may have started to notice an increase in labeling and marketing terms over the past couple of years. Wines described as "organic," "biodynamic," and "natural" have all found a steady place on store shelves. These terms indicate a flip side to the product, commonly referred to as conventional wine. Since wine is first and foremost an agricultural product, it consists of variable farming techniques. While most are probably familiar with the concept of organic food, natural wine goes a step beyond.
For the average consumer, purchasing wine is already complicated enough. Different colours, styles, grapes, and origins mean the list of options is seemingly endless. While it's clear that conventional and natural wine are somehow opposing, an absence of regulations can result in confusion. At the most basic level, Vox explains conventional wines are made using additives and chemicals in the vineyard and winery, whereas natural wines are often described as "nothing added, nothing taken away."
There are definitely strong opinions, debates, and controversies surrounding the two styles. While some people strive for purity in wines and think that everything beyond should be avoided, it's important to follow your own beliefs. If you are happy drinking a certain wine and are fine with the way it is made, then don't hesitate to revel in your enjoyment.
What is natural wine?
First and foremost, grapes should be hand harvested from environmentally friendly vineyards, such as those deemed sustainable, organic, or biodynamic. Next, fermentation is spontaneous, which means it should occur due to the wild yeast in the vineyards and cellars. This is comparable to the process of making kombucha and other fermented foods, and HuffPost reports that similar gut-health benefits are noted.
Finally, there should be no additives during any part of the natural winemaking process, though sulfites are regularly a point of debate. Depending on the region and rigidity of its definition, a small quantity of added sulfites are permitted. Natural wines are rarely clarified or stabilized to retain their living characteristics, often appearing cloudy.
What is conventional wine?
You could say that conventional wine is all wine made with technical or chemical intervention. This can indicate the use of pesticides and herbicides in the vineyards, machine harvesting to pick the grapes, lab cultured yeast to initiate fermentation, and more than 60 FDA permitted additives before bottling, explains Vox. The source remarks that, if a wine isn't properly balanced, winemakers can manipulate concentrations of acidity, alcohol, sugar, flavor, and color so that it conforms into the wine they want it to be. When it comes to sulfites, conventional wines can have up to 10 times more than the maximum allowed for natural wines.
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