Organically Grow Grapes Is Only Half The Way Toward Natural Wine

As Jill Barth reported on this site, the French wine authorities have codified what is to be called vin méthode nature. The designation agreed to by the National Institute for Origins and Quality (INAO), the French Ministry for Agriculture and the French Fraud Control Office refers to wine produced as close to natural as the French deem possible. Applied to wine production, however, what does the word “natural” mean? 

That was, in part, the subject of a recent Zoom meeting in the Real Business of Wine series. The meeting included wine producers, wine writers and wine sellers. Among them, a Loire Valley wine producer, Jacques Carroget, had been instrumental in the movement that led to the new French wine designation. Carroget said he had grown grapes for almost a decade before he started to produce natural wine—because organic or biodynamic in the vineyard are only half the effort.

To claim the new vin méthode nature designation, French vineyards must be certified organic and harvest must be done the old-fashioned way, by manually clipping grape clusters from the vines—no machines—and to start fermentation commercial yeast is not allowed. The juice must ferment on its own, from airborne yeast. After fermentation, such interventions as filtration, reverse osmosis, flash pasteurization are forbidden.

Some protest the new designation and some would like certain tweaks applied to it. 

NY Times wine writer, Eric Asimov is not crazy about the new rules, saying “…it’s difficult to arrive at a definition, and to make it meaningful to the public.” 

Independent wine writer Alice Feiring is not crazy about the rules either, saying, “In my heart of hearts I don’t love it.” She also said, however, even though she has seen no need for regulations, “…that was before natural wine became worthy of imitation. Legislation on it is unavoidable…”

Of those at the meeting who welcome the new regulations was independent wine writer Simon J. Woolf. When another meeting participant, wine writer Birte Jantzen expressed displeasure with what she claims are many defects in natural wine, Woolf responded with, “The only way to counter the idea natural [wine] is rubbish is to establish standards…”

One particular winemaking process that sets off multiple conversations when it comes to codifying wine has to do with sulfur dioxide (SO2). Wine people have been arguing over its use for decades, but the history of SO2 use in wine dates to the Greek Homeric period, a subject that can’t be handled in this space. The reason for SO2 has been as a preservative, to help keep wine from becoming vinegar, or something equally offensive. SO2 is one of the by-products of fermentation and more can be added in gas or powdered form.

Not all of the SO2 in wine is available as a preservative. A fraction dissipates as gas and from 50% to 90% can bind to other compounds in wine. The rest of the SO2 acts as preservative—it’s referred to as “Free SO2.” As SO2 is added to wine, the bound molecules mount up, by adding the free with the bound from a sample in the lab you get the Total SO2. Under the rules for natural wine, SO2 addition is prohibited before and during fermentation, and analysis must reveal less than 30 milligrams per liter of Total SO2 (30 parts per million).

A wine can go over the allowed limit of Total SO2 during fermentation. It’s also conceivable a wine can be over the allowed Total but not contain enough Free SO2; that makes two reasons setting a rule for it is certain not to make everyone happy. Others object to its use completely. 

Isabelle Legeron, founder of the Raw Wine movement, said during the Zoom meeting that in her view, natural wine contains no SO2 additions—period. Some believe SO2 should not be added for health reasons, but that’s another long story that can’t be told here.

The final discussion at the Zoom meeting was about natural wine as it relates to big vs. small wine production. Carroget told the group that fear of large producers co-opting the designation had been considered, but the guidelines ended up not taking that into consideration. He added, probabaly as consolation, that hand harvesting alone could keep big wineries away. 

Simon Woolf asked, “How do we determine big or small winery?” He believes the new designation could, and probably should apply at any production size.

For now, the vin méthode nature designation is French only, but the rest of EU countries will certainly give it a look. If the natural wine designation creates substantial profits, some large wine companies in the EU and the US will either start their own natural wine programs, or buy small wineries with an already proven success record in the segment. It may be natural wine, but in the end, it’s strictly business.