THE CASE FOR NATURAL WINES
Natural wine isn’t new – by any means. It’s the way wine has been made for thousands of years. Of course, winemaking has changed and evolved into a much more modern process, and most of the wines we drink today is a result of that evolution.
And these modern wines have their detractors. Why? Because most commercially made wines usually have additives, preservatives, and in extreme cases, even added flavors, all of which may take away from what purists call the art of winemaking.
What is natural wine?
It’s surprisingly hard to define natural wines, mostly because the community has resisted attempts at a rigid and official classification.
Even more confusion also comes from its many names. Organic wines, biodynamic wines, low-intervention wines, and raw wines are sometimes used interchangeably with natural wines and often mean the same thing.
In short? Natural wines are wines made with organically or biodynamically farmed grapes, with little to no additives or preservatives in the viticultural process.
Why go natural?
Most call this low-intervention winemaking, as in, wines made with as little interference from the winemaker as possible. Ergo, letting the so-called essence of that harvest’s wine shine. It’s creating wine with character and personality – wine with its own fingerprints – that many modern wines have steered clear from for a more consistent product.
Your white wine may be slightly cloudy, and your red wine might be more acidic, but fret not, these are what give natural wine its character and funkiness.
What’s the argument for going natural?
Little to no additives and preservatives also mean fewer wine headaches or hangovers for some people, potentially due to the lack of sulfites added, a preservative used in most wines. But most of all, what you’re getting is a purer, often-times artisanal and small-batch wine, made with minimal intervention from the winemaker, resulting in unique, exciting, and innovative wines.
Try the many natural wines we have on our menu at both our restaurants – SPRMRKT Dempsey Hill and SPRMRKT Cluny Court.
