The food and beverage industry has seen a stark rise in popularity of organic and natural options, and wine is no exception. People are becoming more conscious about what they are consuming, and many find themselves going for a bottle of organic or natural wine—though there is often confusion about the difference between the two.
While all natural wines are organic wines, the reverse is not necessarily true. Both organic and natural wines share some common values and traits, particularly around sustainability and protecting the environment, but there are several key differences.
Natural wine is a winemaking philosophy where as little as possible is added or taken away in the process. Grapes are organically grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides, then often hand-picked. In the winery, no additives, processing aids or commercial yeasts are used, and “intervention” in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. Natural wine is referred to as “low-intervention” because winemakers do not interfere with the process; rather, hey allow fermentation to take place using only the naturally occurring yeast on the grape skin. The resulting wine is bottled without added tannins, acid and stabilizers, and isn’t fined or filtered.
Natural wines are known for their funkier, gamier and yeastier characteristics, with some tasting more like a sour beer or kombucha. Because they are unfined and unfiltered, natural wines can often appear cloudy and have harmless sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
Organic wine is made from grapes grown in accordance with the principles of organic farming, which excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Organic wine is also processed without the involvement of any kind of artificial or synthetic chemical agents and no artificial or synthetic chemical preservatives, colors, taste-makers or reagents in its preservation or storage.
While natural wines are made without adding any chemicals, organic wines can include additives as long as they are organic certified. There is a list of additives, such as egg whites, animal byproducts and different yeasts that are allowed to be used during the organic winemaking process.
Organic wine is produced all over the world, and the legal definition varies from country to country. While it largely depends on the country of origin, there are many strict rules that must be followed in order for a wine to be labeled organic. Before wine can be sold as organic, both the growing of the grapes and their conversion to wine must be certified. Certifying organizations exist to ensure chemical products are not used, and you will always see logos or certification statements on wine labels. However, there is no set legal definition of what makes a wine natural. Unlike organic wines, natural wines are not regulated; therefore, there is no certification on the bottle.
The only similarity between organic and natural wines in the U.S. is that sulfites are not added in either. Organic wines in the U.S. must not add sulfites; however, organic wines in Canada and Europe may contain added sulfites. The only sulfites present in both organic and natural wines are naturally occuring. Extra sulfites are commonly added to wines to stop the fermentation process, preserve the flavor profile and help prevent spoilage and browning. The main drawback to organic and natural wine is the preservation and stabilization. If absolutely no chemical preservatives or sulfites are used, then the wine will have a very short shelf life and is not going to be stable.
While they might seem similar at first, organic and natural wines are not the same and in fact have major differences in their processing, regulation and additives. Organic wine can be clear and crisp, but natural wine can be unpredictable and less consistent. When deciding between organic or natural wine, it all bottles down to personal preference.