What is Natural Wine?
Natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention — usually meaning organic or biodynamic farming, indigenous yeast fermentation, no additives beyond a small amount of sulphur (or none at all), and no fining or filtration. The category has no legal definition, which means producers and consumers debate the boundaries constantly.
What goes into a natural wine
Grapes farmed without synthetic chemicals, fermented with the yeasts naturally present on the grapes and in the cellar, with little or no added sulphur. No additives like commercial yeasts, enzymes, tannins or acids. Often unfined and unfiltered, which can leave the wine looking cloudy.
What natural wine tastes like
Natural wines are stylistically diverse, but they often share certain markers — fresher acidity, lower alcohol, more aromatic complexity, sometimes a slight cloudiness or fizziness. Some are extraordinary; some are flawed. The category rewards trying widely.
Where to find natural wine
Smaller, often family-run producers across France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Georgia and increasingly the United States and Australia. Look for natural wine bars, dedicated importers and shops that specialise in low-intervention wines.
Find wines for this guide at Prism Fine Wine
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is natural wine the same as organic?
No. Organic refers to grape farming; natural goes further to include winemaking practices like indigenous yeast and minimal additions.
Are natural wines always good?
No more than conventional wines are always good. The category includes both extraordinary bottles and faulty ones — the lack of intervention is a higher-risk approach.
Do natural wines age?
Some do, some do not. The lower-sulphur approach makes some natural wines more fragile, but well-made examples can age beautifully.