Natural Wine Walks on the Wild Side

It’s a busy time for wine lovers in England.

While the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium rumbles on in Brighton, London has just finished six weeks of celebrating natural wine, with events based around the REAL and RAW wine fairs.

Natural wine is probably one of the most contested wine categories of recent years, with many people taking offence to the word natural. Isabelle Legeron MW, organizer of the RAW Natural wine fair defines natural wine as "wine where nothing has been added and nothing has been subtracted". For many people this implies organic or biodynamic wine, but wine guru Jancis Robinson MW stresses that there is a difference: "Not all natural wine is organically or biodynamically produced, in the same way that not all biodynamic wine is natural." However, she admits that organic, biodynamic and natural wines are "more authentic" forms and that the demand is on the rise, even if it still very much remains a niche.

Part of the reason for the increasing demand for more authentic wines is undoubtedly linked to the growing awareness by the consumer of the dangers associated to the industrial agriculture practices. As a result the search for alternative produce has steadily increased over the last two decades. This is reflected in the established position of farmers' markets and a growing demand for organic produce. According to Legeron, the wine industry was late in entering the movement for more authenticity because "people thought that wine was just fermented grape juice, and never realized it actually contained so many additives".

The desire to inform people that most wine is far from natural formed the basis for the first London Natural Wine Fair, organized in 2011 by Legeron, in partnership with five natural wine importers. The fair opened to the public as well as the trade and took London by surprise, causing a ripple in the traditional wine landscape. This effect was further increased when a different view on the organization of the fair saw the partners split in 2012. The result was that two natural wine fairs came into being, and both have gone from strength to strength.

Legeron's RAW wine fair drew 4750 visits this year, of which just under a quarter were consumers. As the name implies, RAW is all about transparency and connecting consumers with the producers. Legeron explains: "Our catalog provides all the information a natural wine lover may be looking for such as certification details, the total amount of sulfites added per wine and fining agent if the wine has been fined." She further adds that many of the producers exhibiting at the fair have a real following, with people travelling far and wide to catch up with them.

The REAL wine fair, on the other hand, is organised by five wine importers and thus more focused on UK trade exposure. It drew 2500 visitors of which 763 were consumers. All wines in the catalog were quoted with their trade prices exclusive of sales tax. To further engage the trade, the REAL wine importers launched the REAL wine month, a nationwide campaign promoting organic, biodynamic and natural wines in the on- and off-trade. According to Douglas Wregg, co-organizer of the event and partner at Les Caves De Pyrene, more than 300 restaurants, bars and retailers participated in the event during the month of April. Wregg believes that this reflects the seamless integration of natural wines in the UK wine culture today.

"You will obviously find natural wine in specialist bars and retailers, but also in your local pub or bistro and on Michelin-starred restaurant wine lists. The younger generation of the trade and consumers are open minded, happy to expose themselves to new experiences and off-piste wines. They are increasingly looking for provenance of their wines, they want a sense of the singular and are looking for a personal touch."

This integration is echoed by Sam Olive, of Wine Freedom, who recently partnered with Hampton Manor in Solihull, near Birmingham, to create a "back to the future wine list", based around natural, organic and biodynamic wines. Olive believes these wines and their winemakers "tell a story, which really appeals to consumers looking to learn about wine".

Frédéric Grappe, importer at Dynamic Vines, more or less agrees, although he points out that biodynamic wines have long featured on the wine list of Michelin-starred establishments in the UK. Grappe who used to be a sommelier for Marco Pierre White in the 90s elaborates: "I knew there was a demand for this type of wines but they were often hard to find; this is the reason why I began to import them 10 years ago." He sells almost exclusively to the on-trade, and mainly to high-end London restaurants. "If we look at the top restaurants in the world, they are all about wholesome, ethically grown produce. It thus makes sense that this same philosophy follows through on the wine list," he said.

However, it is not only the prestigious restaurants in London that are actively seeking out more authentic wines; wholesalers in other areas of the country are also seeing an increased demand for organic, biodynamic and natural wine.

Dan Briggs, partner in the Bristol-based Billings and Briggs Wine Company told Wine-Searcher: "Independent retailers and café owners specifically ask us for these types of wines – so much so that we recently started to import a few biodynamic producer ourselves."

According to independent retailer Gregory Andrews of Dvine Cellars, this is because "customers walk into the shop on a daily basis asking for natural, orange or low sulfur wines". He believes that while some may be following the trend for cooler labels or what fashionable restaurants are serving, many consumers have developed a taste for something new and authentic.

Adelaide Hills winemaker Anton Van Klopper, who presented his Lucy Margaux and Domaine de Lucci wines at RAW believes the increased consumer interest is linked to the fact that "natural wines are often more pronounced in flavor, which makes it easier for a traditional beer drinker to relate to them". This partly explains the growing interest in natural wine especially by recently converted wine drinkers. Alex Bautista, marketing manager at Cava Recaredo, who presented his wines at both the REAL and RAW wine fairs, adds weight to this by admitting that many consumers care very little about the traditional wine categories; instead they seem to be looking to discover alternative wines. "A lot of consumers were particularly interested in our still wines, rather than the Cavas. It shows the curiosity and open mindedness of today's consumer." 

This was echoed by Lis Ceresa from Sao Paolo's natural wine bar Enoteca Saint Vinsaint, who presented a selection of Brazilian natural wines at RAW. "We never expected so much interest in our wines, both from the trade and the consumers. We received at least four different offers from importers interested in bringing these wines to the market, both in the UK and in other countries. I therefore feel natural wine is a growing worldwide trend and RAW has become an international hub for natural wine lovers."

Henri Milan of Domaine Milan confirmed the international dimension of the natural wine movement, saying natural wine fairs such as RAW, La Divine Bouteille in Saumur and the Grenier Saint-Jean Renaissance des Appellations tasting in Angers draw many international importers looking for more "authentic" wines. Milan believes "importers travel to get a general overview of the natural wine supply as well as to meet the winemakers and exchange contacts". 

Séverine Perru, wine director at New York-based The Ten Bells agrees with this. She planned to travel to London for exactly this reason, but ended up running the RAW pop-up at the London Edition Hotel in Soho. Perru, who runs one of New York's top natural wine bars, is excited about the direction the natural wine movement has taken. "In New York, as well as in London, people are questioning what they drink. They are looking for authentic products with soul. They want wines made from grapes grown and processed in an artisanal way, rather than a cleverly marketed, mass-produced beverage."

Andrews summed it up well by saying "whether the traditional wine lover likes it or not, one thing is certain, well-produced, naturally made wines have gained such support that they are no longer the curiosity on the shelf but something that people ask for again and again."