There’s no doubt that while social distancing, we’ve been cracking open wine to help us relax. The latest wine that’s taking the world by storm is natural wine. Natural or “low-intervention” wine is made from pure, fermented grape juice and it doesn’t have any preservatives, additives, or chemicals, and nothing is removed during the winemaking process.
Natural wine is different from organic wine because organic wine is made from grapes that are grown without any chemicals, but additives and chemicals can be added during other steps of the winemaking process. So all natural wines are organic, but not all wines labeled organic are considered natural.
In addition to the process being different for making natural wines, they also taste and look different compared to other wines. Even from bottle to bottle, natural wines may taste and look different. The color of natural wine is usually cloudier than red or white wines because the wine is unfiltered. Also, the flavor profile is a bit different compared to traditional wines, and natural wines sometimes have a sharper flavor.
In big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, some shops are only selling natural wines and around the country, natural wines can be found in local shops. Restaurants may even start offering two different wine lists—one for regular wines and one for natural wines.
