Trend to Watch: Natural Wine

There's a new trend on the rise in a category called "natural" wine. At first blush, this seems like the least important to a consumer: "natural" as a designation is completely unregulated (unlike organic, which is certified by the USDA, or biodynamic as defined by the Demeter Association). In other contexts, like on a carton of eggs, the word natural is functionally meaningless. What would it even take for eggs to not be natural?

Natural wine, however, is loosely defined as wine that is hand-pressed and unfiltered. Additionally, there are usually no sulfites (or any other chemicals) added to the wine during the production process, which can add some variability to the final product. This means, among other things, that there is often more sediment in the wine. Sometimes the wine ends up a little bit effervescent (lightly sparkling).

While most people would probably struggle to taste the difference between an organic or non-organic wine, natural wines have a distinctive "wild" characteristic that has helped create a category among discerning consumers. You can find natural wine bars popping up in places like New York and Paris, and Bon Appétit named natural wine its 2017 drink of the year. There was even an entire book published about natural wine last year for those who are particularly eager to learn more. Or, you can just grab a bottle for yourself at Terroir to see if the hype is all it's cracked up to be.