Vegan, Organic, Natural Wines & More
Natural Wine is very trendy and I’m often asked about the differences between Natural, Organic, Vegan, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Orange wines, and more! There are a plethora of terms that are thrown around in the “natural wine” world and it can be confusing to know what they all mean. So today I’m giving you a full run down of each of these terms so that you can feel confident when you see these terms on a wine label! And if you’re interested in taking a deep dive into each individual term, The Wine CEO Podcast Episodes 58, 59, and 60 all focus on these topics! Click the links below to start listening to any of these episodes on Spotify (also available on Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music).
Vegan Wine
Let’s start off with the questions you’re probably all asking….”Isn’t wine just grapes? How is it not vegan?”. Well this may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but there’s a little more that goes into the winemaking process than just grape juice and yeast. In one of my first podcast episodes, Wine 101, I did a quick overview of the winemaking process. And when you dig down into the technical aspects of making wine, it gets a little complicated. Wine is a natural product, but the grape juice is manipulated with various products and techniques to give it the beautiful, clean look that makes consumers happy.
You start the winemaking process by crushing grapes to extract juice that you want to turn into wine. But when you crush the grapes, there will be some seeds, skin, and pulp mixed in with the juice. These materials make the juice look cloudy and leave particles of sediment floating around in the wine.
Some of the larger pieces of material, like seeds and pieces of fruit, can be easily removed in a process called racking. During racking, the wine is left alone until all of the solid particles fall to the bottom of the barrel or storage tank. Then the wine is poured off the top, so that the solids are left behind. A winemaker may rack a wine multiple times, but still find that there are tiny particles present in grape juice. And while these particles are completely harmless and fine to drink, they make the wine look cloudy and less appealing to most consumers.
This is where the process called fining comes in to play. In this process, winemakers use various tactics to get the particles to adhere to another item. In this larger size, they are heavy enough to fall to the bottom of the container and be removed in racking. Some of these products include egg whites, casein (a milk protein), isinglass (a gelatin made from fish), and regular gelatin (which is often made from cattle). So these animal byproducts are not left in the wine - they will be removed during racking. Because they are only used in production and are removed from the final wine, some folks who are less strict vegan and vegetarian may be okay consuming wines. But many vegans and vegetarians will avoid wine altogether unless they are labelled ‘vegan’ (made without animal byproducts).
And how are vegan wines made? Well, scientists have discovered alternatives to animal byproducts like Bentonite (clay) that can be used to fine wine. Winemakers can also use carbon or even a synthetic (or chemically created) molecule called Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone or PVPP for short. So the winemaker can use these non-animal alternatives or they can omit the fining process altogether and produce a cloudy/ unfiltered wine.
So then why don’t all winemakers use these vegan friendly processes? Well in addition to helping clarify the wine and make it less cloudy, these different products can actually help improve the flavor of the wine. For example, egg whites are often the choice fining agent in red wines because they also help to soften tannins and remove bitterness and astringency from the wine. The chemical and natural products don’t have these added benefits. Additionally, it may simply be the tradition of the winemaker, the process they are most comfortable with, the most cost effective option, or just the preferred style to use animal byproducts.
It’s good to note that some winemakers may not use the term ‘vegan’ on their label, but will instead use the terms ‘unfiltered’ or ‘unfined’ to represent that they have not filtered the wine or used any animal byproducts in the production process. If you want to learn more about Vegan wines, listen to The Wine CEO Podcast Episode 58.
Organic, Biodynamic, and Sustainable Wines
The terms ‘organic’, ‘sustainable’, and ‘biodynamic’ are sometimes used interchangeably but they are actually very different. Now there aren’t globally standardized requirements for what each term means though, so they can mean slightly different things around the world. So if drinking organic/ sustainable/ or biodynamic wine is really important to you, then I recommend doing your research into particular winemakers to make sure you understand what they mean when they use one of these terms. That said, there are some basic agreed upon rules in the industry around these terms, so I’ll share what they are below.
Organic
The Webster dictionary defines organic as “grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals”.
In relation to growing grapes, or viticulture, ‘organic’ is widely accepted as meaning that the grapes were grown without the use of synthetic (or chemical) fertilizers, other chemicals like pesticides and herbicides, as well as any engineered plant materials. It was really in the 1960s to 1980s that winemakers began using chemicals to help their crops. These were new on the market and they had definitely been used with other food crops to increase yield and cut back on challenges in the farm. It wasn’t really until the late 1990s that folks started to realize that using chemicals in our farms could have a negative impact on the environment and on consumers. Many studies were finding chemicals from these farms were getting into local drinking water, which was making workers really sick and over time, destroying the land where these crops were grown.
Thankfully, over the last few decades, farmers have started using better practices of monitoring pests and disease to ensure that chemicals are only used when necessary. Farmers have also been working to ensure that when they do have to use chemicals, that they are chemicals that are better for the ecosystem, the farm workers, and the consumers. But many farmers and viticulturists have taken it one step further to grow completely organic crops - or those without chemicals. This practice is better for the environment and safer for those working with the crops and consuming the final products. Every year we have seen more and more winemakers adopting more chemical free processes. It’s taken time because this has required scientific studies to understand how we can grow healthier and better tasting grapes, produce wine, filter wine, store wine, preserve wine, and more without using chemicals. Some of this is more costly and has been an investment in change for the winemakers. Additionally, many of these positive effects aren’t realized for years or even generations, so it’s tough to convince some winemakers of the need. But I think it’s great that more winemakers are trying to make wines without all of these added chemicals, that still compete on the world stage for being outstanding wines. Consumers can encourage the investment in fewer chemicals by speaking with our dollars, buying organically grown and produced wines.
Now what’s interesting is that ‘organic wine’ means different things in different places. In the US, organic wines cannot contain any added sulfur dioxide or sulfites. Sulfur Dioxide actually helps the biological makeup of the wine so that it doesn’t spoil or have bacteria grow that will ruin the wine. But, if you have organic grapes and then add sulfites, you cannot call it an organic wine in the U.S. You can say that the wine was made with organically grown grapes, which is an interesting way to get around the labelling regulations, but you cannot say your wine is organic. In contrast, winemakers in Europe can add sulfites to wine and still call it organic.
It’s always good to do research into specific winemakers and check out fact sheets on winery websites to see if their wines are organic. If they aren’t organic, they don’t often list why or what chemicals they’re using, so it’s good to do your research and even contact the winery if you’re curious. Buying organic wine is similar to buying organic produce or foods in that sometimes it can be more expensive or harder to find, but if you are willing to go the extra mile to buy them, it can help the whole system. So it will encourage grocery stores and wine markets to carry more of these options and show winemakers a shift in consumers demands.
Biodynamic
Biodynamic farming in general is the belief that agriculture should be a balance of the earth with celestial bodies and man with the earth. The goal of biodynamic farming is actually to heal the earth through farming and agriculture. Biodynamic farming seeks to find balance between all of these areas by planting crops according to the pattern and location of the moon and stars for optimal growth cycles (basically using the farmer’s almanac which is a booklet that’s been used by American farmers for years to determine the best times to plant various crops). It strives to find balance in farming practices and does not allow the use of any chemicals at all, so it’s a very holistic and earth friendly method. The concept of biodynamic farming actually originated in the 1920s before organic farming was really popular and biodynamic viticulture actually follows a calendar that shows which days grapes can be planted, pruned, watered, and picked.
Most biodynamic farms and vineyards will use compost from the field as well as manure from the farm animals to fertilize the soil. Many biodynamic viticulturists “dynamize” their soil, which is process of taking raw animal horns and cooking them to take nourishment out of the bone to work into the soil as fertilizer or nutrient. Instead of using any chemicals to fight insects and pests, the farmer will find another pest that feeds on the pest that is eating at the grapevine. So again, allowing nature to balance itself out instead of using chemicals and artificial practices. The end goal is to allow nature to find harmony in the vineyard with as little outside human intervention as possible.
There are 2 main governing bodies that regulate the requirements of the grape growing and winemaking processes for biodynamic wines. The first is Demeter Association and the second is Biodyvin. They set standards in the US, Europe, and other wine growing regions for what biodynamic means and the requirements that a vineyard must meet to be able to be certified biodynamic.
Sustainable Wines
Now another term that you’ll often see on a wine label is ‘sustainable’ or ‘sustainably farmed’. This is a viticultural method to simply use farming practices that allow the farm or vineyard to sustain itself forever. ?This is not clearly defined, but it’s a term that became popular in response to climate change. It really deals with farmers and grape growers who want to limit their impact on the farm to ensure we can use the land for many years to come.
This relates to how the grape growers (or vintners) are using electricity, water, greenhouse gas, waste, and more. So it’s all about managing the various resources in your farm or vineyard to make ensure responsible practices are implemented. This means monitoring watering levels to not overuse water, especially if there are options for natural irrigation. It means encouraging wind and solar energy, reducing waste by encouraging composting, and reducing pollution. These are just a few practices, but there are many ways that grape growers are looking to farm crops in a more environmentally responsible way so that the earth will be sustainable for many generations to come. The unique thing about sustainable farming though is that there isn’t one specific set of criteria that have to be met in order for a wine to be sustainable around the world. So there are a ton of small, governing bodies in countries all around the globe that set standards for sustainable farming and, as long as you meet those local criteria, you can label your wine as being ‘sustainably farmed’. All are very good and are finding various ways to benefit our earth through more responsible farming practices, but it’s just important to note that it can look a little different from region to region.
As I mentioned earlier, if you’re curious about the specific practices of one winemaker, I would do your research. If they label themselves as ‘sustainable’, see which organization they are certified through and what the requirements are for that particular organization. You can usually go to the winemakers website as well because many of these wineries are very proud of the vineyard practices and what they are doing to impact our globe.
To learn more about Organic, Biodynamic, and Sustainable Wines, listen to The Wine CEO Podcast Episode 59.
Natural Wine
There’s no official designation for how a natural wine, or ‘natty’ is made. This means that each natural wine can be made differently without consistent standards. Technically any winemaker can call their wine ‘natural’ and then interpret what that means to them, but there are 5 main requirements that are generally accepted in the wine industry for natural wines:
The wine must be made with grapes that are grown from small vineyards that are either organic, sustainable, or biodynamic
The wines should be unfined and unfiltered
The wines should be made with little to no added sulfites
The wines should be fermented with natural or native yeast strains instead of commercially made yeast strains
The wine should be made without any additives (no chemicals, stabilizers, or nutrients….. basically you can’t use anything other than the grape juice and native yeast)
The 4th requirement is one that we haven’t discussed yet - Native Yeasts. Native yeasts are the yeast that are naturally found on grapes and in the winemaking environment. Yeast is a naturally occurring organism and grapes in the vineyard always have natural yeast on them. In fact we all have yeast on us at all times - it’s in the air.
Different strains of yeast can actually impart different flavors to the wine, so most winemakers will use commercially created yeasts to begin fermentation to ensure that the wine has the flavors they want. This will also ensure the yeast is strong enough to convert enough sugar into alcohol before it dies off. Native yeasts are a little more temperamental. They could give off really spicy flavors to the wine and they can sometimes die off shortly after fermentation begins. So they’re tricky to deal with and a lot of winemakers don’t like taking that gamble. But this is one of the standard accepted approaches in natural winemaking. So winemakers allow the native yeasts on the grapes to begin the fermentation process and they hope that the yeasts will interact in the way they want. This is why most of the time, natural wines tend to have a little bit less alcohol content and could taste very different from year to year from the same winemaker.
Now the interesting thing about natural wines is that they often don’t taste like a typical wine. They tend to be sour and almost taste like kombucha or even a sour beer. They’re really yeasty and people often describe them as being “funky”. Now this funk is a bit of an acquired taste and it can be a unique flavor for someone who is used to a more traditional wine flavor.
There are a few common styles of natural wines. The most common is probably Orange Wine. Orange wine, or amber wine, has become increasingly popular over the least 2-3 years. These wines are not made from oranges, but from white grapes produced in a red wine style. Red wine gets its deep dark color from the extended time that the grape juice is in contact with the grape seeds and skins during the crushing process. The winemaker will crush the grapes to squeeze the juice out and then leave the juice in contact with the skins. This extracts color pigments from the skin, darkens the color of the juice, and makes the finished wine more flavorful and complex. If the skins and seeds were removed immediately, or shortly after the juice is pressed, then the wine would be a light rosé color.
So with orange wines, the winemaker takes white grapes and leaves the juice in contact with the grape seeds and skins for an extended period of time. Sometimes the winemaker will even fermenting the wine with the skins still in contact with the juice to extract more color, flavor, and texture into the wine. The result is an orange, or amber, colored wine that is much more bold and complex than a typical white wine. The wines have more tannins and typically taste of toasted nuts, herbs, and overripe apples. Orange wines originated in The Republic of Georgia, between Europe and Asia. Here the winemakers would make their white wines in large qvevri, which are large clay pots or amphora. The pots would be buried underground to keep the wine cool during the fermentation process and the winemaker would leave the skins and seeds in the clay pots with the juice for months. When removed, the wine would always have this orange color. Fun fact, in 2013, UNESCO actually added the (kway-vree) winemaking process to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
While orange wines may have originated in Georgia, they have been made for many years in north eastern Italy in a region called Friuli as well as Slovenia. And today, orange wines are also becoming a more widely accepted style to produce in Spain, Australia, and the US.
The other popular style of natural wine is called ‘Petillant Natural’ or ‘Pet Nat’ for short. These are lightly sparkling natural wines. With this style, the wine begins its fermentation in a barrel or tank, then half way through the fermentation, the wine is lowered to a cold temperature that pauses fermentation. This can be paused for a few days or even a few months. Then the wine is transferred into bottles where the temperature rises and the wine completes the second half of it’s fermentation. The result is an effervescent, or lightly sparkling, and spritzy wine. So it’s not a vigorous bubble like you would expect from a sparkling wine or champagne, but it is still bubbly and refreshing. Petillant Naturals can be made from any grape variety. I feel like the majority that I’ve seen are white or rose, but there are definitely orange and red styles as well. There’s a specific kind of lightly sparkling natural wine made in Italy and it isn’t referred to as a Pet Nat because it has it’s own name, but it’s basically made in the exact same way as a pet nat. It’s call Col Fondo Prosecco - and it’s made in the regions where Prosecco is made in Northern Italy. So it’s basically a sour, cloudy, natural sister to standard Prosecco.
I like to recommend decanting natural wines because this can help open up the flavors and mellow some of the funky powerful notes. Natural wines should be served around white wine temperatures, so somewhere around 45-55F. While they can be really strong on their own, when paired with food, they can have a totally different flavor. Natty wines can pair nicely with other funky flavors like mushrooms and aged cheeses like cheddar, gouda, or even a blue cheese.
Natural wines should always be consumed young, never exceeding 6 months from purchase - especially if they don’t have any added sulfites. Because sulfur dioxide or sulfites act as a preservative, natural wines without sulfites will start to break down after a few months and get skunky (they go bad). And your local wine market should be really good about moving their natural wines often, but don’t hesitate to ask them when they got the wine in and if they know how old it is.
To learn more about Natural Wines, listen to The Wine CEO Podcast Episode #60.
I’d love to know what you think about these terms! Leave a comment below to join the discussion about these unique wine terms and what they mean for the industry! Or you can send me an email Sarah@thewineceo.com to ask questions about these styles.