Warning: this chat contains sulphur.

Listen, we’re almost done talking about natural wine. It’s been the most debated movement in the modern wine world since screw caps filled the gap where a cork should go.

It’s contentious partly because it doesn’t adhere to a specific set of rules for certification and there are such different definitions of what ‘natural’ actually means. It’s possibly also a tad divisive because it made a lot of established wineries feel like they were out of touch and not down with the kids.

The old guard poo-pooed it as being a ‘fly-by-night’ experimental winemaking fling by try-hard kids that wouldn’t stand the test of time. Many scathingly scoffed at the lack of clarity the wine had in the glass and described the taste as terrible, lacking complexity that was full of faults that basically rendered it undrinkable. The randomness of wine labels lacking all the proper information also ruffled feathers.

The reality though, is that natural wine as a category has brought a welcome injection of innovation and energy to the industry while paying homage (even if unwittingly) to the heritage and legacy of the wonderful traditions behind the craft that go back hundreds of years. Also, natural wine brands seem to have a common trait of no fear when it comes to designing eye-catching, arty wine labels and, well, we love that stuff.

These days you’ll find wine bars and restaurants where the wine list is 100% natural wine. So, it feels like the world has accepted the movement is here to stay, thus rendering any further chat on the topic unnecessary. But, after long chats over a sherry or two and some excellent anchovies on toast at Alma, we realised we still had a bit to say on the subject — especially around the definition and the rules around sulphur in wine.

So, fill your glass with something completely impossible to see through and feel the nature. This is the not serious natural wine chat.

Chat Facts

We enjoyed two wines while chatting about natural wine.
1. Halcyon Days Heliacal Rise 2021, Hawkes Bay, NZ
2. Lammidia Panda 2019, Abruzzo, Italy
3. antipodes water 1L —still water
Gravel Down, West Auckland, Est. 2018
Hans Herzog, Marlborough, Est. 1998
Rippon Vineyard, Central Otago, Est. 1982
Huia Vineyards, Marlborough, Est. 1996
Organised Chaos, Hawkes Bay, Est. somewhere around 2018-ish, we think.
Supernatural, Hawkes Bay, Est. 2009
Sulphur — almost all wine contains sulfites. Winemakers have been adding sulfur dioxide to wine to act as a preservative since the 1800s. Its main purpose it to protect against oxidation (too much oxygen exposure)
A.O.C. — Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée is the French governing body that dictates wine laws within France. We mentioned it because they have crafted a definition of natural wine.
Wine additives — further reading thanks to the good cats at Wine Folly
Brett or as Pete said ‘bloody bretty’ — Brettanomyces yeasts, responsible for the distinct blend of 'barnyard' and 'medicinal' aromas known as 'Brett' character, found in wine and is considered to be a winemaking fault.
Faults — a wine fault is an unpleasant characteristic of a wine often resulting from poor winemaking practices or storage conditions, and leading to wine spoilage
Stubbies - trademarked in Australia and a pair of men's brief shorts. (sometimes too brief)
Pet Nat — short for the French 'pétillant naturel' meaning 'natural sparkling' is a wine made according to an ancestral method
Stabilise wine — in winemaking, clarification and stabilization are the processes by which insoluble matter suspended in the wine is removed before bottling
Normies - coined by our John, normies is a term of endearment for normal people aka know as punters or general public or customers. Normies make up a large percentage of the wine drinking community and are found to be highly allergic to wine wank.
Nattie - slang for natural
Saperavi — a wine variety from Georgia that has red skin and red pulp (unlike the more common red varietals that have red skin and white pulp)
Pete referred to the film Mondovino.
An oldie but a goodie. Get amongst.

If you’re interested in trying some of the wines (or importantly, the antipodes water) we talked about then do yourself a favour and push the button just to the right there…🚀

By The Bottle