You probably see a lot of wine producers and distributors adding ‘natural wines’ in their selection. But what is this all about? Is it better than what we usually get from liquor stores? Should you give it a try? Or is this just a marketing term that people use to start a fad?
To begin with, natural wine means the grapes are farmed naturally and transformed using extremely minimal intervention. Think about it as winemaking in the old days. There were no artificial additives, and you only get authentic wine taste. Wild yeasts are used to ferment the juice instead of the laboratory-produced ones.
The history of natural wine is said to have started in the 1960s in a region in France. A few winemakers wanted to bring back the techniques that their grandparents used. There were no chemicals and preservatives added as these were only introduced after World War II.
While the practice is apparently reaching all corners of the world, the term natural wine remains vague. For some, natural means that ‘nothing is added nor is taken away.’ In contrast, others believe that a wine can still be considered natural when sulphites are added at bottling and that the amount of sulphites must be significantly lower than what is found from non-natural varieties.
To date, more wine producers create unadulterated wines seeing an increasing demand for it. And if you haven’t tried one right now, here’s our list of the best natural wine bottles.
William Heritage (Natty Wines)
First to make it in our best natural wine bottles list is William Heritage. Their vineyard is located in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. Recently they bagged the award as New Jersey’s ‘Winery of the Year.’ That speaks a lot about the quality of their beverages, and we can’t wait for you to try it out as well.
Their wines have been fermented with native yeast and these are bottled unfiltered. You can get their Natty Wines box that includes 2019 Stayman Piquette, 2019 Pét-Nat Chenin Blanc, and 2019 Pét-Nat Semillon.
They sometimes offer virtual wine tasting sessions. So if you are up for it, you can give them a call. At least you get to enjoy their best natural wine bottles even at the comforts of your own home.
Yetti and the Kokonut
Yetti and the Kokonut is the brainchild of Dave Geyer and Koen Janssens. Their take on winemaking is crazy – yet fascinating at the same time. Just take a look at their bottles and you would soon realize how flamboyant they are. We have to say, they have taken winemaking to a different level.
Their beverages are made in sustainable vineyards from South Australia, and we encourage you to pick the 2019 Salsa Verde and 2019 Red Semillon.
Bink
It would be a sin not to include Bink’s Wines and Beverages in this list of best natural wine bottles. Bink is a label created by Koen Janssens, one of the creators of Yetti and Kokonut wines (see above).
According to this talented young winemaker, there are already enough people who make complex wines. He wanted to create something where he could watch Top Gun, put a straw on the wine, and finish it off in 20 minutes. We have to say, we finished ours faster than that.
We urge you to taste the Bink Wines Little Red 2018. This is the perfect drink if you want to relax on a Saturday afternoon, with an excellent book to read, and a perfect shade to protect you. Movie-like indeed, but that’s how perfect Bink is.
You can check out Bink Wines Flowers Semillon 2017 as well.
Calcarius
This natural orange wine is light and fruity, which makes it a bit addicting. But of course, you have to be cautious on the amount you drink. Pair it with tapas and you are good to go. It’s the perfect natural wine that you will keep at home and serve to your friends over the weekend.
Calcarius wines are made using biodynamic grapes. Its founder, Valentina Passalacqua is now living a dream life. After leaving her work in the finance industry in London, she went back to Italy and started making quality natural wines. She traded her city life for a cleaner and sustainable lifestyle in the rural area. It proved to be an amazing decision, most especially for wine drinkers looking for another brand that will satisfy their taste.
For transparency, take note that the wine producer is facing controversy due to the practice of caporalato. While it is her father that is accused of the crime, a lot of distributors stopped their partnership with Valentina.
Poderi Cellario
Poderi Cellario definitely deserves a spot on our list. According to Fausto Cellario, he desires to make a good natural wine that will be able to give its drinkers the emotion of his land. He is a third-generation winemaker in the village of Carru`. Quite an ambitious mission, least to say. But its what makes their natural wine over the top. You will undoubtedly taste authenticity with every sip.
Their family uses local Piemontese grape varieties and produces wine using local traditions. It’s as if they are taking you back in time through their best natural wine bottles. Their selection can be paired with most food. We tried it once with pizza and we couldn’t stop!
It will be a total miss if you do not try the Atlantide, Il Baffone, La Grinozza, E’Rosso, and the E’Grino. Their wines are affordable as well. You can either bring a bottle for your personal consumption or have this as a gift.
Konpira Maru
The idea of building Konpira Maru started in a pub- where else? It was brought by this dream of two friends having a creative outlet. From there, they started their journey and produced the first vintage in 2014. At that time, they were able to complete 600 bottles.
Their mission is to make above-average wines using the least possible intervention. According to the founders, they want to inject fun into an industry that most people take too seriously. And by the looks of it, they seem to do it right!
There are many natural wines to choose from and allow us to share our top choices with you. Why don’t you try their El Pacto Malbec, Whitlands Pinot Gris Gewurz 2019, Donk World, and Mt Midoriyama – Classic Edition 2020.
Here’s a little trick too. When you order their wine, you might want to get some of the empanadas as well. The delivery is limited and scheduled, and you need to order in advance. Imagine pairing it with your excellent glass of wine—what a way to end the week!
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Mother Rock
Mother Rock is a collaboration between Johan Meyer and Ben Henshaw (founder of Indigo). Johan is a rising star in South Africa’s wine scene and was able to form a relationship with the region’s grape growers. He started the line upon noticing that there is a gap in the UK wine market for quality South African wine bearing a friendly tag price.
You might want to get your hands on Mother Rock Holocene, Mother Rock Grenache Hour, and Mother Rock Syrah. These are all reasonable, but the taste is impeccable. So if you are on a budget but do not want to compromise quality, then getting a few bottles from this producer is the best option.
Their wines are incredibly natural; you would see some of their bottles a bit cloudy – a sign of being unfiltered.
Donkey & Goat
Donkey & Goat was built around passion. Its owners, Jared and Tracey Brandt, left their careers in tech to focus on making beautiful-tasting wine.
They are obsessed with traditional practice. In fact, while the natural wine movement has only gained traction in recent years, Jared and Tracey have been doing it ever since. Take note that their wines have lesser alcohol content.
You can find white, pink, red, and even orange wine in their lineup. If it is quality that you are after, Donkey & Goat can certainly deliver. Every grape that they use is carefully examined. If they find any issue, the grapes will go directly to the bin.
Our top favorites are 2018 Eliza, 2018 Old Vine Carignane, 2017 Chardonnay, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Gigi Syrah, and 2018 Stone Crusher Roussanne.
They also ship to most states, so if you want some of their most amazing bottles, just give them a call or send an email.
Final Thoughts
With more people wanting to taste natural wine, it is expected that prominent wine producers will take advantage of the demand. But that also raises a lot of questions if natural wines are possible to produce on a massive scale. So if you really want to get authentic and best natural wine bottles, look for small and medium-sized vineyards. Read reviews, and don’t forget to check their process.
