Is Natural Wine Healthier?

16 July 2019

Natural Wine, Is It Really the Healthier Choice?

If you’re one of those people who likes to know exactly what is going into your body then you will have done some research into your vino. Natural wine is definitely an option to explore if you want a healthier, more down-to-earth wine to try.

First Impressions
Natural wines are a little rough around the edges, with the distinct potential for funkiness, the essence of barnyard and even a hint of compost for good measure. When compared to conventional wines, which are what most vino lovers consume all the time, natural wines are a lot more unpredictable, more alive, less refined and ever so slightly less elegant.
The first time trying natural wine can be a bit of a unique experience - moving away from the norm, bottled conventional wines that have a basically guaranteed taste from each bottle to something a bit more on the wild side. Picture this, you’re served a glass of wine that is a vibrant peachy pink colour, too opaque to see through, smelling of strawberries, but also a bit fermented like cider. A fruity and full-bodied wine, tasting fresh and earthy with a good acidity level and definite hints of wet dirt - this is natural wine.

Major Natural Wine Misconception
Although some natural wines can be dramatically different in taste when compared to conventional wine, they don’t have to follow this pattern. Some natural wines are incredibly subtle, so much so that you might even reach to check the label because to check that they are in fact different wines. Some are more memorable than others, and some are totally forgettable - natural wines aren’t just one thing, the only thing that they all have in common is the natural element.
With the drive in recent years towards organic food, it is only fair that this has moved over to wine as well - people want the honest wines, rather than commercial wines produced on an industrial scale.

What are Natural Wines?
Natural wines aren’t simply organic. Natural wine encompasses a broader approach which results in a wine that has been made with as little intervention as possible. There can be some discrepancies when it comes to different winemakers, and their personal ideologies of natural wine; but people generally accept that the vineyard will have used organic growing practices at the least.

Additives
On the whole, natural wines are generally organic but that’s not all. They also contain few or no additives and other harsh chemicals. In addition to this, very little is actually done to the grapes in the vineyard, or to their juices in the pressing, fermenting, ageing and bottling processes.
This is highly significant, as most conventional wines will contain at least one if not all of the following popular additives; sugar, egg whites, milk products, gelatin, fish bladders, calcium carbonate, tartaric acid or citric acid.

Using Natural Yeast in the Fermentation Process
An important differentiation in the natural winemaking process, when compared to conventional wine production, is yeast. Every wine requires yeast for fermentation, but conventional winemakers will use imported commercially grown yeast; natural winemakers depend on wild yeast that is already present in the vineyard.

Are Natural Wines Better for You?
The answer to this question depends on who you ask and what your food philosophy is in general. If you believe that natural foods are the best for you, you’ll probably feel the same about natural wines. Many natural wine lovers will tell you that the health benefits are secondary, it is all about the taste.

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16 July 2019

Natural Wine, Is It Really the Healthier Choice?