You’re sitting on your back porch with some light music in the background. You swirl the crystal glass in your hand and go to take a sip of your favorite wine. Your mind wanders and a series of questions pop into your mind:
- Is this wine natural?
- What is Natural Wine?
- How would I know if what I am drinking is a Natural Wine?
As you develop an understanding of wine the world opens and you realize you want to know where your wine is coming from and how you can incorporate your love for wine into your lifestyle. However, there is very little information available to consumers on the subjects of organic and Natural Wines. Here we will be covering the topic in depth, so that you can know what a Natural Wine is and how it can add to your life.
What is Natural Wine Really?
This may complicate things, but there isn’t actually a universally accepted or legal definition of what Natural Wine is. That said, a simple definition that most agree to is as follows:
| ...wine that is farmed organically (at minimum) and made (or rather transformed) without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and 'intervention' in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. As such neither fining nor (tight) filtration are used. The result is a living wine – wholesome and full of naturally occurring microbiology. |
In essence, Natural Wine is wine that has not been tampered with as far as the manufacturing process is concerned. Human intervention is limited. The processes that Nature takes on the grapes to turn them into wine is all that is included in the loose description of "Natural Wine".
How is This Different From Organic Wine?
Many wine consumers will see the word "organic" on a bottle of wine that they are considering purchasing and mistakenly believe that this always means that the wine is natural. That is not the case.
All Natural Wines are organic wines. However, not all organic wines are Natural Wines.
The label "organic" simply references how the grape was grown, not how the wine was handled once it was in the cellar. Therefore, it is possible to grow grapes in an organic manner that doesn't necessarily correspond with the wine being completely natural.
For example, there are 76 additives approved for use in winemaking by the FDA. The full government public list is here. Some are harmless, while others can be toxic. An example is dimethyl dicarbonate, which can be toxic to humans in raw form. Other additives include defoaming agents that prevent wine from foaming, preservatives that prevent wine from spoiling, and colorants that change a wine’s color.
Organic wine can include any of these additives, while Natural Wines do not include any toxic chemicals.
Does it Matter if My Wine is Natural?
How much should it matter if a wine is natural or not? If the wine tastes great, shouldn't that be good enough? That depends on what your priorities and values are.
If you care about what you consume, you care about the environment, you care about maintaining your active lifestyle, and you care about the level of pollution that is put into that environment, then you might want to think about purchasing Natural Wines over more general wine offerings.
Conventional wines are often produced via farming practices that are detrimental to the environment. Something that is mass produced on the scale that the traditional wines are is almost never good from an environmental standpoint. The use of pesticides, insecticides, and other products are polluting the environment and are not great to take into your body either. However, these are frequently used chemicals in the conventional wine production process.
Natural Wines help you avoid taking in those chemicals and having those chemicals spread to the environment where your wine was created. This is both better for the environment and for your peace of mind.
Storage of Natural Wines
You might wonder if there's anything special you need to do about the storage of Natural Wines. As it turns out, you can actually store them in the same way that you would store your conventional wine. That is to say that you will want to keep it away from extreme temperatures and from direct sunlight.
Many people say that Natural Wines are a bit more sensitive to temperature swings and other conditions than conventional wines are. This makes sense, given that natural vines are, in essence, organic and alive. There are some advantages that natural wines have over traditional wines. For example, they are known to last longer once they've been opened.
To maintain the longest possible lifespan of your natural wine, you will simply put the cork back in and place the wine back in the fridge once you are done consuming it for that day. It is known to stay good for days or even weeks after it has been open. In some extreme cases, Natural Wine has even been known to last for months after initially being opened! The exact length of time that you can expect to get great flavor out of your Natural Wine will depend on how it was made and if it was designed for immediate consumption or not.
Is Natural Wine Better?
It is up to the individual consuming the wine to determine if Natural Wine is better or worse than conventional wine for their personal tastes. There are some general pros and cons for Natural Wine to consider when trying to evaluate the value of Natural Wine.
Pros:
- Environmentally-friendly - Pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals are not used in the production of natural wine. They don't go into your body, and you may be able to avoid some of the worst impacts of consuming wine that is produced in this way.
- Natural Taste - The way that the wine tastes is natural because it is literally only created via natural processes.
- Supporting Small Family Farmers - Natural Wine is is a specialty product that is crafted and created by passionate winemakers. When purchasing natural wines you are directly supporting the artistry and craft of small farmers and winemakers who grow with intent.
- Additive Free & Lifestyle Friendly. Because Natural Wines don’t have synthetic additives in them like dimethyl dicarbonate, they fit much better into your lifestyle if you are watching what you consume.
- Not as easy to find - It is a lot easier to find conventional wines are virtually any and every store. The same cannot be said of Natural Wines.
- May be more expensive - There are situations when it may be more expensive to purchase your wine if it is completely natural. The price tag for natural wines can be somewhat higher due to the specialized procedures that are required to get it produced.
How Dry Farm Wines Approaches Natural Wine
Dry Farm Wines has made it our mission to deliver cost effective Natural Wine right to our customers’ door. Each new box is curated from hundreds of wine labels, grapes, and regions, all conveniently shipped directly to you.
We believe in our product so every bottle we send you is protected by our 100% Happiness Promise. If you don't like a wine for any reason, we will either replace the bottle or refund you in full, whichever you prefer.
Is Dry Farm Wines the Wine Membership Box for You?
Ultimately, every person has to decide for themselves how much they might want to try Natural Wine over traditional options. Developing a palate is a continuous process and finding the right types of wines for your journey is a part of that process. If you’re interested in high quality wine from a company that delivered right to your door Dry Farm Wines is the right wine membership for you.
Wine companies are not required to report additives they use, how they farm, or even the accurate alcohol content on the label. So Dry Farm Wines vets every wine and grower to ensure they meet our strict guidelines. Our lab testing process ensures that all of the wines in your box meet our criteria.
- Sugar Free
- Lower Alcohol
- Lower Sulfites
- Organically Farmed
- No Industrial Additives
It is time to become a wine club member! Join a community of wine enthusiasts at Dry Farm wines today by choosing our wine membership subscription box.
