Natural Wine

Natural wine is a loosely defined category of wine made with minimal intervention, typically using organically or biodynamically grown grapes and avoiding additives, commercial yeasts, and fining agents. While the practice of low-intervention winemaking dates back millennia, the modern natural wine movement gained momentum in France in the 1960s and 1970s, pioneered by figures like Jules Chauvet and later championed by Beaujolais vintners such as Marcel Lapierre.

Key ingredients are simply grapes, native yeasts, and often a small amount of sulfur at bottling—or none at all. What distinguishes a great natural wine is its vibrancy, clarity of terroir, and a living quality in the glass. The best examples are balanced, free of faults, and expressive of the grape and place, rather than relying on oak or manipulation for character.

Regional variations are vast. In France's Loire Valley, producers like Sébastien Riffault make textural, oxidative Sauvignon Blancs, while in Italy's Friuli, Radikon and Gravner produce skin-contact orange wines. In the United States, California's Broc Cellars and Oregon's Division Winemaking Co. have been instrumental in popularizing the style. In Japan, the movement has taken root in Kyoto, where Comore Vino, praised by *Cosa mangiamo oggi?*, offers a curated selection of natural wines that reflect the global shift toward transparency in winemaking.