Natural white wines

A white wine’s total sulfur is all the SO2 it contains, whether added or formed during fermentation. For the driest whites, EU rules allow up to 200 mg/L in conventional wine and 150 mg/L in organic wine. The Vin Méthode Nature charter stops at 30 mg/L.

What Sets the Sulfur Level in a White

For conventional wine, EU Delegated Regulation 2019/934 sets total SO2 at 200 mg/L for a white with less than 5 g/L of sugar, and, as a rule, 250 mg/L above that. For organic wine, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1165 sets 150 mg/L for a white with less than 2 g/L of sugar.

Below 5 g/L of sugar, grape variety makes no difference: an Aligoté, a Chardonnay or a Riesling falls under the same limit. The Vin Méthode Nature charter goes further, with 30 mg/L at most, whatever the color or style of wine.

A white with no added sulfites still contains a little, formed by yeasts during fermentation. The charter has a logo for these wines, granted up to 20 mg/L on analysis.

Grapes, Yeasts, Additives: The Charter’s Rules

To bear the mention, a white must come from 100% certified organic grapes, harvested by hand. Fermentation relies on native yeasts alone, and no winemaking additive goes into the tank.

The charter also bans any deliberate change to the grapes, such as thermovinification or cryoextraction. It excludes reverse osmosis, filtration, flash pasteurization and centrifugation; any other technique first needs the approval of the winegrowers’ union that runs the mention.

Sulfites are kept out until fermentation is over, pied de cuve starters included. On the finished wine, the producer may add a little, as long as total sulfur stays at or below 30 mg/L and a specific logo says so.

Under the Cuvée Name, a Mention to Look For

On the bottle, the words “Vin Méthode Nature” appear under the cuvée name, along with the union’s logo. The union posts the list of cuvées that carry it on its website; check it to verify a bottle.

The mention is a privately owned mark belonging to the Syndicat de Défense des Vins Nature’l, a union based in Angers. France’s consumer protection agency, the DGCCRF, approved its rules in 2020; INAO, the body that manages appellations, is not responsible for it.

Outside this mention, the term “natural wine” rests on no legal definition. A white marketed as natural without it is bound by none of these criteria, so ask the producer how the wine is made.

Logos, Négociants, Certification: Your Questions on Natural Whites

What Does the “<30mg/L” Logo Mean on a Natural White Wine?

On a natural white wine, the “<30mg/L” logo from the Vin Méthode Nature charter means sulfites were added after fermentation, even less than 10 mg. Total sulfur then stays at or below 30 mg/L, measured by the Frantz Paul method of distillation and oxidation.

Can a Négociant Make a Vin Méthode Nature White Wine?

A natural white wine from a négociant, a producer who buys grapes, may bear the Vin Méthode Nature mention, since the charter provides for this trade. It requires the price paid for the grapes to reflect the work involved, and the purchased grapes must be 100% certified organic, like any others.

Which Organic Certifications Does Vin Méthode Nature Accept?

For a natural white wine, the Vin Méthode Nature charter accepts two organic certifications: Agriculture Biologique (AB) and Nature & Progrès. They apply to all the grapes, whether the wine is an AOP, an IGP or a Vin de France.

Where Can You Buy Natural White Wines Direct from the Winemaker?

You can buy natural white wines direct from the producer on Avenue des Vins. Every wine’s page lists its grape varieties.

See also: Organic white wines - Fruity white wines - Dry white wines