In recent years, it has become the talk of the town with everyone wanting to try natural wine. If you keep your ears alert at some of the city’s hottest wine bars, you will overhear people discussing natural wines from across the room at some point. Interested in learning more? Join us as we get cozy to learn about the fun and fresh beverage that even the popular kids are drinking.
What Are Natural Wines, exactly?
With all the recent buzz surrounding natural wines, it is hard to think they were initially made thousands of years ago, millennia before winemakers began adding chemicals and other problems. Understanding this phenomenon necessitates a deeper dive into the very intricate winemaking process which begins with the growing and harvesting of grape varietals before they ferment and become wines.
Natural wines are prepared from grapes that have not been treated with any chemicals and are harvested by hand rather than machinery. When they are turned into juice, they are frequently made in small batches using organic or even biodynamic winemaking processes without the use of conventional winemaking additives like sugar, acid, or artificial flavorings. Due to their unfiltered bottling technique, they have a foggy appearance.
You may have also noticed that some labels proudly proclaim “no sulfites” which is a hot topic among natural winemakers. Sulfites, on the other hand, are a preservative that functions as a stabilizer, helping to maintain the integrity of the wine’s qualities since it was initially bottled; a procedure that dates back to the seventh century BC. While some natural winemakers eschew the use of sulfites totally to produce “zero-zero”. The epitome of pure natural wine, some utilize them in minute quantities as opposed to conventional winemakers who easily use ten times as much. Natural wines are essentially pure fermented grape juice that is mainly free of chemicals without sounding unduly technical.
What Led to the Creation of Natural Wines?
Somewhere between the 1960s and the late 1970s; a new natural wine movement began, which saw a return to creating wines naturally. European winemakers particularly in France began experimenting and discovered a succession with less intervention and no sulfites. California and Australia followed suit with the latter being more open to experimenting due to a lack of stringent rules compared to the EU. As a result, winemakers will have greater creative license with grape varietals and combinations which will often surprise wine enthusiasts.
What Does It Taste Like?
Expect lively and easy drinkability with funky scents on the nose. An enticing fizziness that makes it ideal for warm-weather drinking, and a wide range of fruity characteristics that most typically reflect pears, apples, and lemons.
How Do You Spot One?
When it comes to wine classifications, there are so many to choose from that it is no easy task for the curious or even aspiring fans. On labels, phrases like “no sulfites”, “sans soufre”, “bio” or “organic” are good indicators that you are looking at a bottle of natural wine, while “ancestral method” or “methode ancestral” usually means you are looking at a bottle of pét-nat, a natural sparkling wine. Some playful winemakers will try to lead you to search high and low for these terms beneath the quirky labels, so pay attention.
Is it true that drinking natural wine does not cause a hangover? The myth is debunked.
There is a common misconception that natural wines do not cause hangovers, but this is just not true. Natural wines nevertheless contain alcohol which causes dehydration and is the leading cause of a bad hangover. Myth disproved.
However, contrary to commercial wines that are cheaply and mass-produced; it takes a few more drinks to trigger a hangover because they contain the usual nasties that will only increase the level of discomfort you will soon suffer. Yes, you can drink a few extra glasses and be fine but it does not mean we are encouraging anyone to binge.
5 Natural Wines to Try
Borachio Pash Rash 2021
Borachio by wife-and-husband combo Alicia and Mark in Adelaide Hill, Australia, has created a fantastically amusing pet nat with a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. It has been said that this one is a tad too easy to drink. Try searching for Pash Rash while you are at it.
Domaine Geschickt Obi Wine Keno Bulle 2019
With a mix of Pinot Auxerrois and Muscat grapes, this wine has a powerful aromatic drive. This strong expression from Domaine Geschickt. A multi-generational wine family located in the heart of Alsace is a crisp, creamy, and vibrant pet nat that goes well with most foods and is ideal for parties.
FIN Wines Fizzy Boi
These 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sparkling wines from Victoria, Australia come in 250ml cans that are both physically and metaphorically crushable. Drink whenever and wherever you want. If you are hesitant to dive into the funk, this reasonably priced can is ideal for those who do not want to commit to a whole bottle.
Meinklang Morgen Edition 2020
Hailing from one of the leading biodynamic wine producers in Burgenland, Austria, is a 100% St Laurent pét-nat that is part of their daytime series. It drinks like a refreshing watermelon juice and not that it is meant to fit in nicely on your breakfast table.
Sextant FouFou’nette
Julien Altaber, a Burgundy winemaker pays tribute to his favorite lambic beer (Fou’Foune) from Belgian brewers Cantillon which features an apricot infusion. It should taste tangy, fresh, and wild.
3 Places Where to Drink Fine Wine in Singapore
Drunken Farmer
With the pull of stylish roller shades and flashing vintage movie projections at 6 o’clock, café Common Man Stan transforms into a natural wine bar and bistro Drunken Farmer, like a magic act. Going to a natural wine bar is not complete without sampling one of Drunken Farmer’s over 80 natural, organic, biodynamic, and sustainably produced labels. Hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented, with no added sulfites, and most importantly, delicious. These wines are sourced directly from winemakers in France, Italy, Chile, and Spain.
Le Bon Funk
Chef-owner and Burnt Ends graduate Keirin Buck teams up with head sommelier Josée Yeomans to bring fine-casual to the local bar scene at The Lo & Behold Group’s new natural wine bar. Elegant yet approachable appetizers like vegetable crudités with whipped roe, heritage chicken, and a great beef tongue sandwich are complemented with bottles from boutique natural producers.
Wine RVLT
Clearing out a menu full of fan favorites takes guts, but that is exactly what the RVLT mavericks have done. Head chef Sunny Leong has launched some of the gastro-most bar’s forward-thinking meals ever, all while remaining true to RVLT’s DNA as fun and unpretentious hangout for rebels with a drinking cause.
Pick a bottle from the wall near the entry to start the party, or let the helpful sommeliers lead you. Simply tell the wine merchants your budget and how daring you want to be, and they will bring you everything from juicy, smashable bottles from Commune of Buttons to nuanced, character-packed wines from Cosmic Cellar.
