WHAT IS A NATURAL WINE OR A WINE WITHOUT SULPHITES?

Surely you have already heard about natural wine, which is wine without sulphites or even biodynamic wine? But what exactly is it?

Creating a Natural Wine means getting back to basics!

You need to trace right back to the 1903 and 1904 major wine worker strikes to hear the term "natural wine" for the first time. At that time, it meant producing wine "without artificial production". In the 1950s, Jules Chauvet, a wine grower-merchant and chemist of his time in Beaujolais launched the natural wine movement, becoming its spiritual father. But what is it?

Natural wine is in fact a wine "without added sulphites", as sulphites are found naturally in wine. When the grape ferments, it produces sulphur dioxide, our renowned sulphite. Used a great deal in the agrifood industry and in particular in ready-meals, this powerful antiseptic may give you a killer headache.

So, to sum up, a natural wine is a wine where no or very few inputs such as sulphite have been added during vinification. Even though no legislation has been introduced to date, the Association des Vins Naturels explains that a natural wine is an organic or biodynamic wine, vinified as naturally as possible. In other words, "nothing is removed and nothing or only homeopathic doses are added and ideally humans do not get involved, they just assist". 

How is it tasted?

Tasting is a totally different ball game. Many people agree in saying that you need to try it several times. If you detect an after-taste of rotten eggs or stables, don't worry these are reduction smells caused by a lack of aeration. You may also feel a "slight fizz" when you put the wine in your mouth, but don't panic, this is normal. Some winemakers add CO2 to protect their wines. To avoid this unpleasantness, decant your wine and shake it slightly.

Another key piece of advice is that a natural wine is kept at a temperature of 15°C maximum. As it is not fixed with inputs, if the temperature is too high, this could reactivate the fermentation process. So it's over to you now!

So, we advise you to start your adventure without delay with our selection of natural wines under €15 for a unique experience without breaking the bank.