A trend that’s clearly here to stay has taken hold in the wine world: natural wines. But how are they made, where do they come from, and what does the term really mean? Here’s everything you need to know - so you won’t be caught off guard the next time you see them on a wine list.
Translation | Amaryllis Tsegou
The oldest known winery dates back 6,100 years and was discovered in present-day Armenia. Of those six millennia, only the last hundred years have seen technology dramatically reshape winemaking. More specifically, this transformation accelerated after World War II. For nearly 6,000 years before that, humans were producing wines that - by today’s standards - could largely be described as “natural.”
How did the term originate - and what does it mean?
The term natural wine first appeared in France in the 1960s, particularly in the Beaujolais region just north of Lyon. A group of winemakers there sought to push back against increasingly industrialized methods and return to a more traditional, low-intervention approach - one where nature and the raw material took center stage.
More than half a century later, the term remains deliberately vague. There are no official criteria that define what a “natural wine” must be, nor is there a certifying body, as there is for organic or biodynamic wines. This ambiguity has fueled debate, with critics arguing that no wine is truly “unnatural.” As a result, alternative terms such as low-interventionor raw wine have emerged.
Despite the lack of formal definition, many producers follow a shared, unwritten code. In the vineyard, they avoid insecticides, pesticides, and synthetic treatments, rely heavily on manual labor, favor indigenous grape varieties, and often practice dry farming. In the cellar, they encourage spontaneous (or “wild”) fermentations, avoid commercial yeasts and most oenological additives, refrain from using new oak barrels that impart strong flavors, filter little or not at all, and add minimal - or no - sulfites, the primary preservative in wine.
The goal is to preserve the pure, unaltered character of the fruit and its place of origin. This approach, however, often sacrifices stability. Spontaneous fermentation and low sulfite levels can result in wines that develop aromas and flavors unfamiliar - or even challenging - to the average consumer. Unfiltered wines may also appear cloudy.
Still, the natural wine movement continues to grow rapidly, attracting devoted followers around the world. Specialised wine bars and restaurants are popping up everywhere and are gradually making their way into more traditional retail spaces. The sense of returning to something authentic, free from additives, combined with the mystery surrounding what “natural wine” truly is, makes these wines irresistible to curious drinkers - often leading to more than just one glass.
