Got a question? Email

Is all natural wine organic?

The short answer to your question is no, but let me explain. Natural wine as a term is not regulated, and several definitions exist. According to Raw Wine, the premier festival devoted to wine we might call natural, “no legal definitions of natural wine currently exist, but various official-ish ones do, set by groups of growers in various countries, including France, Italy and Spain.” These official-ish definitions state that growers should practice organic or biodynamic farming, but, due to geographic diversity and other factors, a winery is not required to be certified organic in order to produce what it calls natural wine. Because of this, one cannot guarantee that every bottle of natural wine is indeed organic.

The moral of the story is that if your goal is to drink organic wine, either make sure the wine is certified as such, or do your research. Many producers say the reason they can’t officially label their wines “organic” is because certification is so expensive. That means it’s on you to make sure you’re buying wine and supporting farmers you believe in.

Don't miss a drop!