“Great wine. Minimally messed with.”

That’s our motto, and The Natural Wine Company is our name, but what does it really mean for a wine to be natural? In the world today, the word “natural” is more used, and abused, than ever. Technically, almost everything on Earth could be considered natural. In the wine industry, this is no different, but it’s still the official term to describe the category of wine that we source and provide for our customers. With the title of “natural” being so broad, we work hard to consistently find wines from all over the world that are from the best vineyards, using the most sustainable practices, and the least amount of processing and additives. Below we provide a short explanation of the most common terms:

Sustainable - The grapes are grown and the wine is produced in an ecologically responsible manor. This includes the least amount of negative impact on the land, the least amount of pollution created and use of chemicals.

Organic - USDA Organic certified wines are made without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. The grapes are grown organically, and when made into wine, any additives are also organically grown, free of any genetically modified organisms, added sulfites, preservatives with antioxidants and antibacterial properties. Organic certifications vary around the world but wine imported into and sold in the United States and labeled as Organic, follow USDA Organic certification standards.

Biodynamic - A holistic practice of agriculture that takes the entire ecosystem into consideration as grapes are grown. In addition to organic standards, to be certified under either of the two biodynamic wine certifications , Demeter or Biodyvin, vineyards must maintain exceptional soil health and vintners must time their planting schedules with lunar cycles to ensure the best agricultural health.

Uncertified but verified - Some of the wines we carry at The Natural Wine Company, are from small, independent winemakers that choose not to pay to be certified Organic or Biodynamic but follow the same practices. We always look for wines that are labeled and can prove through certification that they maintain certain standards, but some producers are unofficially verified, in the process of becoming verified, or are well known to have extremely sustainable practices but cannot put it on the label. We have a passion for finding these unique producers all over the world.

Native Yeast - Many large scale commercial, and non-natural wines are fermented using synthetic yeasts that are made in a lab. Natural wines are made with native yeasts that are naturally occurring, right with the grapes, where the grapes grow.

Additives - Over 200 additives are legal to add to wine, from artificial flavors, to coloring agents, to chemicals that are nearly impossible to pronounce. One of the greatest values of natural wines, are the are made like they have been for thousands of years, true wine without modern manipulation.

Sulfites - All wine has sulfites, but many companies add the maximum legal amount to work as a preservative. This enable these large producers to have wine that is less likely to spoil through transport and storage. The maximum amount of sulfites legal in a bottle of wine is the equivalent to what you would find in a can of soda or soup, and many times less than what you find in most dried/preserved fruits.

Natural wines capture the essence of a specific place, in a specific year, and create an experience for those who drink them. We are happy to bring wines from across the planet into our shop in Brooklyn, and share them with our customers all over the United States.