What is a Vin Naturel?

Wine lovers the world over are increasingly attracted to natural wines. But what makes these wines so special? Why is there so much interest in them?

Natural winemaking is based on a few key principles: 

• Organic or biodynamic farming: Winegrowers use sustainable agricultural practices, often following the principles oforganic or biodynamic farming. This means avoiding synthetic chemicals and encouraging biodiversity in the vineyard. 
• Hand-harvested : Grapes are often hand-harvested to avoid damaging the bunches and ensure careful selection of fruit at optimum ripeness. 
• Spontaneous fermentation : Instead of adding commercial yeasts, natural wine ferments thanks to indigenous yeasts present on the grapes and in the cellar. This spontaneous fermentation can produce wines with unique aromatic profiles. 
• Minimal intervention: During vinification, intervention is limited. This means little or no filtering, no fining, and little or no use of sulfites. 

Fortified Wine (VDN) is a type of sweet fortified wine, mainly produced in France in regions such as Roussillon and the Rhône Valley. VDNs are made by adding wine alcohol to the fermenting must, which stops fermentation and preserves the grape's natural sugar, hence their sweetness.

Despite their growing popularity, natural wines are not without their challenges. Their production requires specific know-how and can be riskier due to the absence of stabilizers. Natural wines are also more sensitive to vintage variations and may present perceived flaws, such as reduced or volatile aromas, which may not appeal to all consumers.

Find out more about sweet wine and natural wine:  

• From grape to bottle: The process of creating sweet wine 
• Do you know sweet wines? 
• Natural Sweet Wines vs Fortified Wines: The Differences Explained 
• Gérard Bertrand sweet wines: A symphony of flavours 

• Discover the best Gérard Bertrand wines: 
• Best red wine 
• Best white wine 
• Best rosé wine 
• Best orange wine