Natural Wine Explained

28 October 2016

Natural Wine Explained

Natural wine is not new to the beverage industry by any means, but with an increase in people concerned about their health and the environment, it is beginning to become a popular choice of drink.

The global wine industry has an estimated worth of £248bn. You’ve probably noticed this by the vast amount of choices available to you whilst browsing for a bottle in your local supermarket.

Whilst many of us will select a wine based on the enticing descriptions such as ‘zesty’, ‘fruity’ and ‘crisp’, the origin of the wine should be an important factor when selecting a brand.

What is it?

Natural wine brings wine-making back to its roots. Often, less harmful pesticides and chemicals are used within the vineyards of natural winemakers. Exposure to certain pesticides used on crops has recently been linked with an increased risk of developing cognitive disorders later on in life, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Environmental Benefits

Natural wine is also typically guilt free! In highly-processed wines, animal products are used within the refinement process, including eggs, milk and gelatine. With the removal of such products in natural wines, this makes natural wine suitable for vegetarians and vegans, a lifestyle choice which has increased by over 360% within the past ten years.

Technological processes within the production of wine are also reduced, which in turn reduces power consumption.

Sulphites

Another fantastic benefit of natural wines is that they may help to reduce the effects of a dreaded hangover!

Congeners, which are substances within alcoholic beverages that are not the alcohol itself, can cause effects related to a hangover. Amongst these substances are sulphites. You’ve probably seen on many wine bottles that they ‘contain sulphites’. Sulphites are used as a preservative in wines, but some people can be quite badly allergic to them.

The process of natural wine eliminates sulphites, which means they are safe to drink if you are allergic, and may even reduce your chances of waking up with a headache the next morning. Grapes from natural wine are often grown sustainably and organically, which makes the wine a good choice for the environmentally conscious.

Organic wine does not always equate to low sulphates however, so it’s best to make sure that ‘low-sulphates’ is listed on the bottle.

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28 October 2016

Natural Wine Explained