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Vin Naturel, vin vivants und vin nature

Natural wine may have many terms by now - whether vin naturel, vin vivants or vin nature, what is meant is an unprocessed, handcrafted natural wine.

To be precise, there are two dimensions that a wine must fulfil in order to be called Vin Naturel or Natural Wine: The grapes are grown organically or biodynamically. And when working in the cellar, all additives (e.g. artificial yeasts or proteins, etc.) are dispensed with and no or only minimal sulphur is used. Instead of using many technical aids to achieve certain aromas, the wine is given time to develop itself individually. In Italy, about 170 winegrowers have organised themselves under the name "Vinnatur", whereas in France there are about 450 winegrowers who have founded the "Association des vins naturels".

With natural wine, the work begins in the vineyard

The winegrowers are committed to a sustainable way of working that is in harmony with nature and is a matter of course. Systemic plant protection, which partially penetrates the plant, is of course avoided as far as possible - instead, very small amounts of sulphur and copper are used, which only have a purely external effect and do not represent a further burden on the environment.

Demeter-certified farms that follow a biodynamic approach even go one step further and produce plant protection from purely organic material (such as tea extracts), and also work towards greening the vineyard, which also brings with it an increase in the biodiversity of other plants and creatures.

The greenery is a natural competitor to the vines, a kind of intentional competition for nutrients, if you will, which has an extremely positive effect on the development of aromas and phenols in the grapes and lends them a strong expression of content. Only a living soil ensures vital and robust vines, which in turn produce a wine that is completely authentic and full of character - because a healthy, living vineyard regulates and protects itself, at least to a certain extent.

Low intervention is the only philosophy

It is self-explanatory that natural wine does without any additives of any kind, because wine is made the way it used to be, the process is rather accompanied carefully and sustainably without manipulating it technologically.

With natural wine, the work in the cellar is no more in the foreground than it is with conventional wine - suddenly even red wine becomes palatable, because less intense and full-bodied does not mean less quality. Whether the designation "natural wine" will be recognised as obsolete when small amounts of sulphur are added remains an open question and will continue to be a subject of discussion. Winegrowers who produce natural wines and whose vineyards are vital and robust can skilfully do without all fining or filtration agents and large amounts of sulphur, because a good, healthy must finds its way by itself.

Whether vin naturel, vin vivants or natural wine: you will find what you are looking for in our shop and can buy natural wines to suit your taste.

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