A bottle of natural wine can be thrilling: bright, alive and unlike the familiar labels you have been drinking for years. It can also be a little puzzling. This natural wine guide is here to take the mystery out of the category, so you can choose a bottle for dinner, a gift or a quiet Tuesday evening with genuine confidence.
What is natural wine?
There is no single legal definition of natural wine. Broadly, it describes wine made with as little intervention as possible, both in the vineyard and the cellar. Producers usually work with organically or biodynamically grown grapes, pick by hand, ferment with naturally occurring yeasts and keep additions and processing to a minimum.
That last point matters. Conventional winemaking can involve a range of permitted techniques to adjust flavour, texture, acidity, colour or stability. Natural winemakers tend to take a lighter-touch approach, allowing the vintage, vineyard and grape variety to show more plainly. The result can feel wonderfully expressive - but it also means bottles may vary more from year to year.
Natural wine is not automatically better than every other wine, nor is it one fixed flavour. It is a philosophy of farming and winemaking rather than a guarantee that a bottle will be cloudy, funky or orange.
Natural, organic and biodynamic: the useful distinction
These terms are often grouped together, but they mean different things.
Organic wine refers principally to grape growing. The vineyard is farmed without synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers, according to the relevant certification rules. An organic wine may still be made in a fairly conventional cellar.
Biodynamic wine begins with organic farming but follows a wider, holistic approach. The vineyard is treated as a living ecosystem, with attention paid to soil health, biodiversity and natural cycles. Some producers follow recognised biodynamic certification; others work to similar principles without seeking formal accreditation.
Natural wine is usually organic or biodynamic in spirit, then takes the low-intervention approach into the winery. That may mean spontaneous fermentation, little or no filtration, no fining and minimal sulphur additions. However, because there is no universal rulebook, it is worth looking beyond the word ‘natural’ and asking how a particular producer works.
For many drinkers, the attraction is simple: fewer shortcuts, thoughtful farming and a clearer sense of place in the glass.
What does natural wine taste like?
Sometimes it tastes remarkably classic. A carefully made natural Muscadet can be salty, lemony and brisk; a low-intervention Beaujolais can be juicy, floral and dangerously easy to pour. If you enjoy fresh, characterful wine, you may already like the flavours natural producers pursue.
Other bottles are more deliberately wild. You might find hazy appearance, cider-like notes, a lightly savoury edge, spritz, bruised apple, kombucha or farmhouse aromas. These can be exciting when balanced by clean fruit and energy. They can also be a surprise if you were expecting a polished, fruit-forward supermarket Sauvignon Blanc.
The key distinction is between individuality and fault. A little sediment is harmless. A gentle fizz in a young, unfiltered wine can be intentional or easily released with a careful decant. But strong vinegar aromas, mustiness, nail-varnish remover notes or a wine that tastes aggressively mousy are not requirements of the natural category. Low intervention should never be used as an excuse for poor winemaking.
Why sulphites come up so often
Sulphur dioxide, often called sulphites, is used in winemaking to protect wine from oxidation and unwanted microbial activity. It has been used for centuries and is found naturally in small amounts during fermentation, even when none is added.
Many natural producers use very little added sulphur, particularly at bottling. Some use none at all. That can make wines feel vivid and open, but it may also make them more sensitive to heat, transport and storage. A small, careful addition is not a betrayal of low-intervention values; for some wines, it is what helps the bottle arrive in good condition.
It is also worth resisting the idea that sulphites alone explain every wine headache. Alcohol, dehydration, drinking without food and individual sensitivities can all play a part. If you have a diagnosed sulphite allergy or asthma concern, seek medical advice rather than relying on broad claims about natural wine.
A natural wine guide to the main styles
Natural wine is best explored by the styles you already enjoy. If you normally reach for crisp whites, start with a dry Loire Chenin Blanc, Italian skin-contact white with modest maceration, or a fresh Spanish field blend. Look for words such as ‘clean’, ‘mineral’, ‘citrus’ and ‘textured’ rather than jumping straight into the most experimental bottle on the shelf.
For red wine drinkers, lighter styles are an especially welcoming route. Beaujolais, Loire Cabernet Franc, Austrian Zweigelt and chilled reds from southern France can offer bright berries, savoury lift and soft tannins. They are brilliant with charcuterie, roast chicken, mushroom dishes and a relaxed table of sharing plates.
Orange wine - white grapes fermented with their skins - is perhaps the most recognisable natural-wine style, although it is not synonymous with natural wine. Expect colour from golden straw to deep amber, alongside grip, dried citrus, tea-like tannin and spice. Try it with food rather than as a pre-dinner aperitif: grilled aubergine, firm cheeses, pork, rich fish and Middle Eastern dishes all make excellent partners.
Then there is pét-nat, short for pétillant naturel. This gently sparkling style is bottled before fermentation has fully finished, trapping carbon dioxide in the bottle. It is often joyful, cloudy and lightly fizzy, with flavours that range from sharp apple to red berries. Chill it well, open it slowly over the sink and treat it as a bottle with a mind of its own.
How to choose a bottle you will enjoy
Begin with your usual preferences, not with a desire to be adventurous for its own sake. Tell your wine merchant that you like dry Riesling, rich Rioja or elegant Pinot Noir, and ask for a natural or low-intervention bottle that sits nearby in style. This is far more useful than asking for ‘something natural’ and hoping for the best.
Think about the occasion, too. A lively pét-nat suits a garden lunch or birthday gathering. A structured orange wine deserves a meal and a few curious friends. For a dependable weeknight red, look for a producer known for clean, drinkable fruit rather than a bottle selected solely because it has an eye-catching label.
Price can be revealing, though not in a simplistic way. Small-scale farming, hand harvesting and low yields cost money, so genuinely careful natural wines are rarely the cheapest option. Yet you do not need to spend a fortune. A good independent merchant can point you towards producers making honest, delicious bottles at sensible prices, while explaining what makes each one tick. At Givino, that conversation is very much part of the pleasure.
Serving and storing natural wine
A little care goes a long way. Store bottles somewhere cool, dark and stable, as you would any quality wine. Heat is particularly unkind to wines made with very low sulphur, so avoid leaving them in a warm car or beside a radiator.
Serve whites, rosés, orange wines and pét-nats properly chilled, but not ice-cold. Around 8-12°C lets their aromas emerge without making them seem flat. Light reds often shine with 20 minutes in the fridge, especially in warmer weather. If a wine is cloudy, stand it upright before opening so any sediment can settle, then pour gently.
Most natural wines are made for drinking rather than extended cellaring. That does not make them lesser wines; it simply reflects their fresh, immediate character. Once opened, re-cork and refrigerate the bottle. Many will still be enjoyable the following day, and some skin-contact and red wines become even more settled after a little air.
Let curiosity, not labels, lead the way
Natural wine is at its best when it broadens your drinking rather than turns it into a test of credentials. There are beautifully precise bottles and gloriously untidy ones, quiet examples and conversation starters, familiar grapes seen from a different angle and regions you may never have encountered. Start with a style you enjoy, choose a producer whose approach sounds thoughtful, and give the bottle a proper place at the table. The most rewarding discovery is not the cloudiest or rarest wine - it is the one you are pleased to pour again.
