The wine world is abuzz with talk of natural wine. So what is it, and what makes it different than non-natural wine? First off, all wine is made from grapes, so the basis is always natural. The addition of yeast combined with the natural sugars of pressed grape juice make alcohol – aka wine! This, more or less, is how wines have been made for centuries. However, after the SecondThe wine world is abuzz with talk of natural wine. So what is it, and what makes it different than non-natural wine? First off, all wine is made from grapes, so the basis is always natural. The addition of yeast combined with the natural sugars of pressed grape juice make alcohol – aka wine! This, more or less, is how wines have been made for centuries. However, after the Second World War, agriculture underwent a time of massive industrialization, and viticulture got swept right along. Though the creation of wine sounds straightforward, actually a lot can go wrong. From a lack of balance to complete spoilage, winemaking isn’t as easy as it may seem and since wine only makes money if it gets sold to consumers, it’s of paramount importance to producers that their wine is bottled in pristine condition. Advances in technology created many processes that can help protect grapes and wine from unforeseen pitfalls. In the mid- to late-20th century, herbicides and pesticides were sprayed in vineyards, reverse osmosis helped control alcohol levels, cultured yeasts guaranteed a smooth fermentation, and oak barrels and staves influenced the character of the finished wine. Standardization became fashionable, with wines tasting the same vintage in and vintage out. ...more ...less
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We cannot currently ship this product to the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, TX, UT, VT, WA
Keep Reading About Natural Wine
As the pendulum always swings, about 10 years ago some wine experts began to push back against this standardization. People began to remember that wine is still ultimately an agricultural product, subject to variation due to outside circumstances. As we saw the rise in popularity of farmer’s markets and heirloom cultivars, so did winemakers begin to think about how to align their winemaking more closely with nature. Thus was bornAs the pendulum always swings, about 10 years ago some wine experts began to push back against this standardization. People began to remember that wine is still ultimately an agricultural product, subject to variation due to outside circumstances. As we saw the rise in popularity of farmer’s markets and heirloom cultivars, so did winemakers begin to think about how to align their winemaking more closely with nature. Thus was born the natural wine movement. Simply put, natural wines are left alone as much as possible. They are made from organic grapes with no additions of yeasts, excessive sulfur, or chemicals. Minimal intervention is the name of the game, with the resulting bottlings speaking of where the grapes are grown, the character of the grapes, and the variations of vintage. Above all, these are wines that taste alive. ...more ...less