What is Natural Wine?
Natural wine isn’t just about returning to traditional production methods—it’s a counterculture that challenges the modern wine industry, from its values and institutions to its markets and flavors.
Unlike conventional wines, natural wines stay true to the essence of the grape. They are raw, vibrant, and emotionally expressive, offering a sensory experience that feels both ancient and refreshingly new. Some may call it a trend, but natural winemaking has existed for thousands of years. When wine was first made 10,000 years ago, it contained no commercial yeasts, enzymes, or additives. These interventions only appeared after World War II, when industrial agriculture took hold. Today, a new wave of producers is reviving the purity of wine, following in the footsteps of pioneers like Joseph and Anne François de Anjou—icons who resisted the chemical industry in the 1950s.
How Is Natural Wine Made?
There is no official or legal definition of natural wine, but most producers follow shared principles:
- Made from organically or biodynamically grown grapes
- Dry-farmed, low-yield vineyards
- Hand-harvested
- No added sugars, foreign yeasts, or bacteria
- No acidity adjustments or artificial enhancements for color, texture, or minerality
- Minimal or no fining or filtration
- No heavy industrial processes like reverse osmosis or cryoextraction
- Little to no added sulfites
Why Does It Matter?
Wine is one of the few food products not subject to strict labeling laws. At Caverna do Vinho, we believe people should know what’s in their glass—just as they do with their food. Right now, natural winemakers are in the minority. But as awareness grows, the future of wine may look a lot more like its past.