I've always thought that the line between natural and "normal" was pretty thin since lots of "normal" winemakers already let the terroir and grapes do most of the work. My personal attitude towards natural wines was always somewhat negative caused by the hipness and pretentiousness surrounding the natural wine scene. I felt like it was mostly about having the flyest labels or the quirkiest names for their wine. This attitude changed a bit after visiting the Jura, where I met Winemakers who were really passionate about their natural wines which you could definitely taste! Videos like yours make me realize that there are a lot of good natural winemakers out there. Thanks for another good video!!
Natural wines don't have to be funky or have weird labels, look at wines that Kermit Lynch imports, quite a few of the wines are actually natural yet show terroir and are varietaly correct. The line though between natural and so called normal wine is much much wider than you can ever imagine. Once you see how a commercially made, grocery store type wine is made, you are in shock at the difference.
99% of 'normal' wine is messed with theyre allowed to put up to 300 additional products in it and still call it wine. From wood staves to flavouring to colouring to chemicals on the grapes during growth to certain chemicals allowed in the wine then they use wooden staves to create a fake sense that it was ever in a barrel. even the big houses sometimes do this. just manipulated trash usually
Your channel is the first one I have found on UA-cam that I can say is great all around. Too many of the wine channels out there are either too basic, too commercialized and clearly some sort of marketing machine or have very low production value so are not great for viewing. Your channel is the first one I have found that has not had one or more of those 3 issues.
For every oxidized train wreck low intervention wine, there are 500 mega-purple, woodchip filled, Coca Cola-flavored $20 new world reds-and yet most wine drinkers don’t cast judgement on the entire conventional wine industry for such lame efforts. Don’t get me wrong-concentrated Bordeaux blends, etc. are a yummy go-to, but good is good! Well done!
Don’t worry, you know how commercialism works ;-)… get ready for Gallo or Woodbridge ‘natural wines’ to make a big Splash very soon with multi million dollar marketing campaigns! I expect that will really stretch the commonly held definitions of natural winemaking (such as they are ), and highlight the issues the video host has brought up. (And in a roundabout way …that might actually be a good thing long term for more descriptive classification of the style)
I agree, but I also think a lot of frustration comes from high quality producers who feel like the natural wine as a movement throws dirt on their brands. Especially producers that for example might: protect their wines with a conscious and deliberate 70 mg/L total SO2, might like to do a pied de cuve for some wines and using conventional yeast for others, or even spray synthetic fungicide one time instead of spraying with sulfur and copper 17 times. For every winemaker making stylistic, well planned low intervention wines, there are 50 winemakers throwing grapes in a barrel, letting them rot and and calling it wine. Picasso only started experimenting with cubism when he had mastered conventional painting. A large swath of minimalism in winemaking doesn't come from a place of artistry, it comes from a place of trendiness and false genuineness. Megapurple, artificial wood flavoring, etc.probably aren't the best for you, but they are recognized as safe. Methanol, acetaldehyde, ochratoxin, H2S, and more…. we all can agree they are not so great for human consumption, but are real risks when natural wine production is mismanaged. These all look like really well made wines though! I'm really happy they exist and they all look artfully crafted.
"Coca Cola-flavored" THANK YOU. Every second new world pinot noir (and, depressingly, some newer Bourgogne too) I try, I come across this cloying, bubblegum cola flavor. It ruins the magic of the wine and just leaves me wondering what they were thinking. Should I drink this with food? Impossible. As an aperitif on its own? Why not get a fruit juice (with a shot of vodka if I want to make it alcoholic) instead?
Love this. Totally agree. I'm always frustrated when people cast such a wide net on natural wines but do not do the same for more conventionally made wines.
After drinking natural wines for a period of time, I immediately noticed less inflammation after drinking and the days after. If you have IBS or a sensitive tummy, just try it and see if you notice anything different. Not claiming this is true, but it is certainly true for me.
Great video, and a good selection. After discovering natural wines and falling a bit in love with the philosophy, I drank almost exclusively natural wines for a couple of years. When good, they are juicy, easy to drink and very food friendly, without being boring. On the downside, I find that especially red natural wines tend to be a bit similar, nomatter what the grape is. And that probably says something about how big a role yeast plays for how a wine ends up tasting. As for all wines, good producers make good wine, and bad producers make bad wine, natural or not. However, natural wines ARE more prone to wine flaws, especially being “mousey”, and that can become tiresome. At the moment I have gone back to drinking mostly conventional wines, but that can off course change again. I’m happy to drink any style of wine, as long as its well made and tastes great. And if the wine is made in a way that is more sustainable and enviromentally friendly, that is a big plus.
As a sommelier specialized in natural wine im happy that this was in the spotlight. You tasted a good selection. Just something to add: you didn't taste the best of. Just a decent middle segment. Maybe try some higher cuvees from makers like tscheppe, robinot, older vintage riffault, radikon, bini. To pick a few
@@bhatinne you would be surprised how many people are put off by a few first bad experiences of natural wine. And have no idea how broad and amazing this segment can be. At higher 'levels' the differences between natural and traditional wine can get very small. And by saying the best of I was quoting Constatine Baum. And saying that what he tasted was quite far from the best. I think you misunderstood my message
So excited to see you doing a video on natural wines, Konstantin! Taganan Blanco and Susucaru are my favorite from the line up. Hope you do more natural wine tastings soon!
The thing with some of these wines is people might be selling them short if their immediate impressions are unfulfilled. Some natural wines can take several hours to truly reveal themselves, while some can take even longer (in my case, one particular bottle took until the next day). Of course the opposite can be true where certain wines need to be drank immediately, for fear of them turning to something rather unpleasant. Overall though, from my experience, natural wines have captivated me in what they offer. I've been obsessed for the past 5+ years and I'm still excited as I was in the beginning, if not more so.
Loved this video. I am glad to see someone clear up the fact that natural wines have no clear definition. I would love to see a video on port or on English sparkling wine!
I have had a few really bad ones and some ones that were off the charts delicious and unusual. The bad ones seemed to all want to represent the flaws, the ability to make wine that tasted wrong. Over the top brett, too much geranium, spoiled yeasts 🤢 VA for miles….. The ability of the winemaker to walk that knife edge of producing a enjoyable product vs anything that can be put in a bottle has to be a massive undertaking. I will be looking for several of the ones you’ve shown. Thank you for doing this. As always, great video.
I tried several wines from Delinat 20 years ago and was always disappointed. But I‘m sure that they have improved in the meantime. The best organic wines I have had were those from Bize Leroy in a winetasting (not my budget). I‘m actually in Tenerife right now and will rearch out for the Táganan. Thanks for this informative video!
Congratulations on your new arrival! I would love to see you investigate some of the natural/low intervention winemakers who use distinct techniques in their winemaking processes - e.g. Sébastien David who makes Hurluberlu using clay amphorae vs. others who might use less neutral vessels in the production of wine.
great topic! personally my main issue is the term itself , ‘Natural wine’ I wish it wasn’t used. it just sets off all kinds of misleading assumptions for the consumer . And so poorly defined that the breadth of winemaking variables of ‘natural wines’ is now arguably wider than that of ‘traditional’ wine! Let’s be clear: as you said ,making wine is not a natural process. ‘Minimal intervention’ , for your example, is more accurate . (But certainly less marketing-sexy, I get that…)
An excellent subject to cover - thank you! I am more concerned about organic process over the whole natural process - thought I am one of the few who are allergic to sulfur - it does not affect me as much with wine as it does with dried fruit. Many of the chemicals used in conventional farming often contain compounds that are endocrine disruptors even at low exposure - and these are much more of a concern to me than sulfur. For me, the more organic producers of wine their are the better. Thank you for introducing some new wines to try!
Konstantin, could you please do an episode on Georgian natural kvevri wines? I'm really curious on your opinion, as I fell in love with those wines after a visit to Georgia last year and drink them ever since.
Konstantin, you lucked out with this selection - most of my French natural wine tastings have been a major yuk experience ( that touch of vinegar you detected in the burgundy in most wines) - plus, call me old fashioned, but I hate the' hipster vibe' that surrounds these wines, puts me right off before we even start- my part of trendy East London very hardt o avoid, somms push orange wine everywhere yo go. Anyway, thanks for the post, will try to be open-minded!
Welcome back to YT :) About Natural Wines (or low intervention wines) there was a nice chapter in Aldo Sohm's book and I think few relevant people in the industry, including Rajat Parr are moving to that direction
Great tasting! As long as natural wines aren't terribly flawed I'm fine with them. It's not overly important to me though when I'm buying something to try.
Great selection. I'm such a big fan of Heinrich, Matassa, and Gut Oggau. I have always had problems with Tschida and Frank's wines. I am interested in the first wine now!
Very nice deference to sulfite use. You do understand and winemakers appreciate. The definitions of Natural wines are somewhat ambiguous and politically motivated for sales. Organically grown.. sure.. minimal use of free sulfite, lot total.. sure.. it can be done.. easily.. the consumer doesn't know and will not know.
For those wax cork, or any bottle for that matter, I use those metal round sheet, that roll up as a pour sprout. Really helps to avoid any wine touching the bottle opening, which might have some capsule residue.
Gravner, Rencel and Dario Princic are definitely my go-to orange wines. Older vintages are extremely complex and they tend to go very well with bold meal pairings, which helps to keep us on our toes when cooking. We have a great local restaurant that specializes in natural wine importation and he often pairs Louisiana style fried chicken with the deep Italian orange wines. He’s been a bigger fan of Jura and Champagne (natural traditional method or flat red pinot: Bouzy) lately but has been heavily into the Italian wines in the past.
I think a synthetic cork with a natural wine is a perfect match. They are using low sulfites so the wine is not as stable and probably more prone to oxidization. A synthetic cork will prevent the micro oxidization that happens with a natural cork that might kick start fermentation again or over oxidize it earlier.
I had a great time with your fellow MW Andreas Wickhoff driving around the Margaret River region after spending a few days in Perth Western Australia promoting Heinrich - lovely Austrian wines
I think good natural wines have much more value vs price. than conventional wines. but they are just underated by conventional view. They usually have much more intensity and compexity and fresh, easy to drink at a same price level. and in many cases, they are good even after several days or week! If you feel they are good enough, give them a good rate enough!
Thanks for the new video- and for covering this topic. I love "natural" wines. The Susucaru was my first. I was instantly hooked on how the nose of these wines is often as exciting as the juice. I follow a couple of producers closely and find each quite passionate and not pretentious nor preachy about the natural wine movement. Though I have not researched enough to "know", it seems that perhaps some difficult/less than ideal wine producing areas are finding success with natural wines (Texas immediately comes to mind). As others have stated, the cost is a question mark for me, certainly when considering that many of these wines do not see oak and do not go through all the processes that conventional wines go through before hitting the shelves.
Big fan of low intervention wines, natural seems a rather loose term and some producers have been getting away with murder for years producing any old shit and saying "they're supposed to taste like that". I like the idea that wines should come from organic farming, indigenous yeasts and no added sulphur, although I don't think a small amount at bottling does anything negative and of course no added rubbish, that's just my opinion. My own personal favourites are wines from Alfredo Maestro in Spain, Babass and Sabastien Riffualt both from France, there are loads though, Tillingham in England too.
What I really enjoy about natural wine is the philosophy behind it. With the Beaujolais Gang of Four going against adding chemicals or synthetics, there is a lot of history and thought gone behind making natural wine. The reasoning behind this was quite simple: Post-WWII wines started to be more and more chemically vinified and the Gang of Four just wanted to go back to the old days of wine making. Nowadays there are a bunch of natural wine makers using the label of natural wine to be deemed cool and are simply following a 'low-intervention' methodology, which to me is not the same. Georgia has a long history in natural wine making and have been doing low-intervention wines for a veeery long time too.. :) Next video... Biodynamic wine? The philosophy and system behind biodynamics is so crazy yet interesting!
In my experience with natural wines, they can be quite good but they often have some things that can be considered faults. I found quite often those vinegar notes and a couple of times they are really reduced. I have tried some envinate ones (Red Tanagan, Lousas Aldea) and they were very good but the last one I opened (Lousas Seoane) had considerable vinegar notes. It was quite sad because actually the wine was very complex but the vinegar notes stopped it from being excellent. It made me think that this wouldn't have happened with sulphits. I also tried one wine from Claus Preisinger, the wine was ok, enjoyable with some complexity but also got these vinegar notes.
Honestly i avoided red wine for years because everything i was given tasted like garbage i just couldn't understand how everybody but me enjoyed them so much ! then i discovered Jean Pierre Robinot concerto di venezia 2019 and La sorga into the wine 2016 and my mind was completely and utterly changed for good. I never knew red wine could taste like this, like JUICE ! blackcurrant, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla, leather and polish with the la sorga showing bit of brioche on the second day because of the disturbed sediment ! all of these flavours finally revealed themselves to me and they were my first taste of natural wines
Interesting video. Would you recommend those wines to people who are trying natural wine for the first time? Or do you think that they, while being good, might be too weird for beginners in that category?
On the 26th and 27th march, the natural wine fair called “Weinsalon natürel” finally takes place again in cologne, Germany. Would love to see you there.
i love the creativity of natural wines. more risky in than you tend to get less consistency but i think this risk also has the potential for exciting reward. There's a place for modern wines also, to each their own!
That "Graue Freyheit" caught my interest but I am pretty sure that I won't buy a bottle anyway. Few weeks ago I wrote in one of the wine reviews on my facebook page, that I would not buy any bottle of these type of wine again because they all taste like apple wine (a kind of cider) or apple wine while still in its fermentation. Okay thats a bit exaggerated but I have drunken round about 20 natural wines so far and among these were two which were okay (altough in my opinion they also tasted like apple wine) and only one I really liked so the quota is really bad. I have to add that I only had white ones so far and no reds and maybe I just had bad luck but I am not really in the mood to buy twenty bottles again to find one good one among them. Anyway thanks for entertaining us with this video!
Been served natural wines at fancy restaurants that were terrible, and when I say its flawed the hip waiter says thats how its supposed to be.At best they can be great though, love that yeasty barnyardy richness when its not over the top.
I tried orange wine once, my thoughts were the wine had many tertiary and oxidised characters but not showing many fruits to support it. Not sure if that was the ‘typical style’ of orange wine or the wine was out of condition. However I can surely agree the wine was weird and fun!
As a home wine maker I was a bit scornful of the idea of natural wine, however your review has made me revise my opinion, I must try some, I wonder if the cheaper ones will be up to the mark
The only thing that's bad in the wine world is spoiled wine and wine extremism. A good wine has no boundaries and can come from immensely different origins and savoir faires.
Leon my man what a bomb list of wines!!!!! Absolutely support it but i do think that france has some great biodynamic wines that I totally think are worth exploring
I never was this biased of natural wines over all. Sometimes I find some really irritating horse-stable notes which kind of ruin any red natural for me, as I think it's more tolerable with the overall flavour profile of white wines (Malinga for example). However, as mentioned by others, the uptight behaviour of some parts of the community really ruin it, as you almost get shamed for drinking wine with added sulfites. In general, it is kind of tough for a low-income person to buy a 20€ bottle which has a higher flaw-probability. I understand why in general these wines cost more but they are also more of a gamble which makes them kind of unideal for beginners in wine who are often not able to differ between a flaw and how the wine really should be. I bought Brutal bei Tschida last year and then contacted the seller as I thought it was severely flawed. Turns out: no. But I still find them an interesting topic and I quite enjoy going into restaurants with a natural-wine-focus as you can really start to explore.
My favorite natural or organic wines are the same as my vegetarian foods - they’re good without flaunting that they want to be judged by a different/lower standard
I visited domaine du coulet last week in Cornas. They are biodynamic and they also use those corks. They went to great lengths basically to say those corks are "no waste corks" and they are better for the environment than real corks. As for natural wines, I love them. If I ever have a wine I love blind, it very often turns out to be natural/biodynamic. There are some examples, like a few you tried perhaps, that are a bit simple and maybe go too far in the natural direction instead of in the good wine direction. But generally, I like them very much. I'm glad to see more and more wineries becoming bio, biodynamic and natural.
When you can't protect your wines from oxidation with SO2, minimizing oxidation with careful botteling and low oxidative closures (like a syntheic cork) can be helpful. Those cosures are also very cheap. Becuse of the composite nature of the corks,your municiplaity more than likely is not recyling them ;)
Natural wines, in my opinion, don't have to be bad or funky. Even if you make wines in "natural" ways you still need to be careful in not having unexpected fermentation, or "smells".
Great video! I agree with you 100 percent. There is nothing natural about wine. As I often say about Natural Wine: I do like the idea of minimal use of chemicals in the farm (our waterways and oceans are becoming chemical wastelands). In the winery do what works for the grapes you have and the area you are in. If you have feral yeasts that make good wine then use them! If not add some commercial yeast (which, btw ARE natural). People get confused thinking "all natural" means "good for you" which is not always the case. Hemlock is all natural but it certainly is NOT good for you. Make and drink the wine you like and don't judge people who make and drink the wine they like. You think wine tastes best when the grapes are picked under a full moon after Jupiter rises in the east? OK. I think it is crazy hippy talk but good on you for finding something you like (I'm not judging).
Hello there, really good selection, especially I like that Austria is greatly represented! Although it is Atanasius, not Anastasius, but as he is fictional I don’t think he minds😁
Thanks for doing this. Great to see that the wines showed well. Obviously I love natural wine, but I don’t like wines that are funky for the sake of funk. I don’t care if the winemaker is an old crust punk, with a one legged dog and all the labels are designed by blind penguins if the wine is not a drinkable wine in its own right. It has to be balanced and not flawed. That said, I like some of the interesting flavours these wines can have. I also don’t mind the natural movement’s push toward branding and marketing, even if it seems a bit…. hipster. If it gets people drinking wine that otherwise would have drunk craft beer, and a skin contact wine with a cool label is the catalyst for that, that’s a great thing. The more young people we have drinking wine the better.
The only true natural wine I had was a Barbara that I bought by mistake. It smelled great but tasted horrible. Had a weird finish. For ‘natural’ wines, I drink Matthiasson wines. They are great. Love the Pinot Blanc.
my only problem is a lot of natural wine by the time they get across the ocean into my hands, can develop flows. and this leads to my inability to know if the flows were intended or because of transport and storage.
When looking for a wine i look for small producers and some story behind what they do. There are many excellent low intervention wines and even more terrible ones - where "natural" seems to be an excuse for selling something terrible. Fancy label or bottle is not guarantee of excellent juice inside - seems people forget about it more and more. Marketing and trend are in natural wines favour today... Who knows what future will bring :) I am waiting now for my Ganevat and Tissot order to be delivered - will see what is Jura Natural Legendary wine about! Thanks for educating people on what are natural wines and especially what they Are not! Many wineries just can't afford to get certified (or climate makes it super hard like Bordeaux, Rias Baixias) and produce truly awesome wines expressing the terroir in the best possible way. I am thirsty!
I actually open many wines the way that you open wines with a wax capsule. The cork also easily breaks through a normal capsule, so I don't see the point in cutting and removing it.
Natural and orange wines are trending in germany. I have had some good wines, but the way they are made often disguises their origin and they are often significantly more expensiv. Without a doubt, they are nevertheless an exciting extension of the wine world.
Hello Konstantin, a great video! I would like to ask you something about the Taganan wine. Why exactly do you think the (dark, golden) colour comes from the careful usage of SO2 rather than the grape varieties used?
Great vid. I have recently tried natural wine. Tbh not impressed. I have however bought one you recommend. Could you do a vid on expensive wines but give a much cheaper alternative. Thanks
The wine I drink does come from organic grapes, I choose this because grapes that are not farmed organically often have some of the highest pesticide residues tested. Along with many berries. Pesticide residue is something we should all be concerned with. Most of them are very nasty and can lead to health problems down the road from repeated exposure.
I think it's wrong to talk about "natural" wines and "conventional" ones as if the first ones are necessarily bad and the second ones good. I'm a natural wine fan but when I taste a wine I don't care if it's natural or not, what it cares is how it tastes (and if it's natural it's even better in my opinion). It's incredible to see such a skeptical approach by many people (mainly "old" people) who refuse to drink those by saying that they're too funky and stinky without even trying the "good side" of natural wines. However, it's very good to see that a master of wine like you has the capability to appreciate these kind of wines, thanks for the video. P.s. Susucaru is a good entry-level wine, but the real deal are the "crus".
I have seen recently some wines are labelled as vegan vines. Doesnt make much sense to me. But several top producers are using biodynamic farming to make their wines. Leroy. Pontet Canet. Chapoutier to mention a few.
It is often some traditional fining agents that can make a wine unsuitable for vegans. Egg whites or casein (a protein found in milk) can be used to remove tiny particles of sediment in a wine that cannot be removed by filtration. If you would know what everything winemaker can add to wine and not to put it on label you would be suprised.
Leon must really know his stuff to pick that strong a line-up. I've had loads of natural wines, not least because some restaurants only serve natural wines. I hate them all. Whites that are sharp and with no length at all. Reds that taste of swamp. At best, I find they can be not actively unpleasant. And I don't give a monkey's how wine is made. So now I don't go to a restaurant if it only serves natural wine. Fortunately the trend seems to be heading towards serving both and clearly labelling the natural ones.
some natural wine producers are using also screw caps ... if the bottle should be drink in next 2 or 3 years, then non-cork closure is a better choise. one of the biggest flaws of natural wine is pricing. a lot of small natural wine producers have nice design 😃, but also questionable pricing and bottles are primary exported outside the home country (usa is a common market for natural wine from eu). use of natural yeasts (my assumption) is causing lesser difference in taste between grape varieties and less intense smell. white natural wines with longer maceration/ orange wines can be very intense and complex. so a white cuvee, 8+ months in barrels, longer skin contact, is a wise choise. sulfur content under 40 mg/l is perfect. pieces of grapes are not a big deal, they will stay at the bottom of a glass/ bottle. these white wines can be really better then technological wines (at least white cuvee with longer skin contact). technological orange wines does not to have such brutal/ full of tannins/ herbal taste profile. natural red wines are more hit/ miss. i had a few opportunities to taste technological and natural red wines made with same grape variety, from same village, same year. the technological red wines tasted more mature, more concentrated. it seems like the technology can "fix" a bad year. i have a very small experience with older red natural wines, but three or four years in the bottle seems to remove the difference how the wine was made. but i am not an expert in tasting 😃.
screw caps are bad for the enviroment, cause pollution to produce them, are wasteful and dont benefit wines. Cork is renewable and takes CO2 out of the air therefore is carbon neutral.
Heyyy daddy in the strictest definition of this term!
🤣
I've always thought that the line between natural and "normal" was pretty thin since lots of "normal" winemakers already let the terroir and grapes do most of the work. My personal attitude towards natural wines was always somewhat negative caused by the hipness and pretentiousness surrounding the natural wine scene. I felt like it was mostly about having the flyest labels or the quirkiest names for their wine. This attitude changed a bit after visiting the Jura, where I met Winemakers who were really passionate about their natural wines which you could definitely taste! Videos like yours make me realize that there are a lot of good natural winemakers out there. Thanks for another good video!!
Morgon area is one of the best areas for value good natrual wine that keeps up to 10 years.
Natural wines don't have to be funky or have weird labels, look at wines that Kermit Lynch imports, quite a few of the wines are actually natural yet show terroir and are varietaly correct. The line though between natural and so called normal wine is much much wider than you can ever imagine. Once you see how a commercially made, grocery store type wine is made, you are in shock at the difference.
99% of 'normal' wine is messed with theyre allowed to put up to 300 additional products in it and still call it wine. From wood staves to flavouring to colouring to chemicals on the grapes during growth to certain chemicals allowed in the wine then they use wooden staves to create a fake sense that it was ever in a barrel. even the big houses sometimes do this. just manipulated trash usually
100% Agree
@@UPHOTO75 Not really
Your channel is the first one I have found on UA-cam that I can say is great all around. Too many of the wine channels out there are either too basic, too commercialized and clearly some sort of marketing machine or have very low production value so are not great for viewing. Your channel is the first one I have found that has not had one or more of those 3 issues.
I appreciate it
For every oxidized train wreck low intervention wine, there are 500 mega-purple, woodchip filled, Coca Cola-flavored $20 new world reds-and yet most wine drinkers don’t cast judgement on the entire conventional wine industry for such lame efforts. Don’t get me wrong-concentrated Bordeaux blends, etc. are a yummy go-to, but good is good! Well done!
Don’t worry, you know how commercialism works ;-)… get ready for Gallo or Woodbridge ‘natural wines’ to make a big Splash very soon with multi million dollar marketing campaigns!
I expect that will really stretch the commonly held definitions of natural winemaking (such as they are ), and highlight the issues the video host has brought up.
(And in a roundabout way …that might actually be a good thing long term for more descriptive classification of the style)
I agree, but I also think a lot of frustration comes from high quality producers who feel like the natural wine as a movement throws dirt on their brands. Especially producers that for example might: protect their wines with a conscious and deliberate 70 mg/L total SO2, might like to do a pied de cuve for some wines and using conventional yeast for others, or even spray synthetic fungicide one time instead of spraying with sulfur and copper 17 times. For every winemaker making stylistic, well planned low intervention wines, there are 50 winemakers throwing grapes in a barrel, letting them rot and and calling it wine. Picasso only started experimenting with cubism when he had mastered conventional painting. A large swath of minimalism in winemaking doesn't come from a place of artistry, it comes from a place of trendiness and false genuineness. Megapurple, artificial wood flavoring, etc.probably aren't the best for you, but they are recognized as safe. Methanol, acetaldehyde, ochratoxin, H2S, and more…. we all can agree they are not so great for human consumption, but are real risks when natural wine production is mismanaged. These all look like really well made wines though! I'm really happy they exist and they all look artfully crafted.
"Coca Cola-flavored"
THANK YOU. Every second new world pinot noir (and, depressingly, some newer Bourgogne too) I try, I come across this cloying, bubblegum cola flavor. It ruins the magic of the wine and just leaves me wondering what they were thinking. Should I drink this with food? Impossible. As an aperitif on its own? Why not get a fruit juice (with a shot of vodka if I want to make it alcoholic) instead?
Love this. Totally agree.
I'm always frustrated when people cast such a wide net on natural wines but do not do the same for more conventionally made wines.
@@MrGenaralHummus Dude this is such a good take
After drinking natural wines for a period of time, I immediately noticed less inflammation after drinking and the days after. If you have IBS or a sensitive tummy, just try it and see if you notice anything different. Not claiming this is true, but it is certainly true for me.
Love that you’re handling this topic! I love the “low intervention” wine name.
Oh i just realised you haven't talked about fortified wines, which have been quite forgotten as a category, definitely would love your take on it.
Great video, and a good selection. After discovering natural wines and falling a bit in love with the philosophy, I drank almost exclusively natural wines for a couple of years. When good, they are juicy, easy to drink and very food friendly, without being boring. On the downside, I find that especially red natural wines tend to be a bit similar, nomatter what the grape is. And that probably says something about how big a role yeast plays for how a wine ends up tasting. As for all wines, good producers make good wine, and bad producers make bad wine, natural or not. However, natural wines ARE more prone to wine flaws, especially being “mousey”, and that can become tiresome. At the moment I have gone back to drinking mostly conventional wines, but that can off course change again. I’m happy to drink any style of wine, as long as its well made and tastes great. And if the wine is made in a way that is more sustainable and enviromentally friendly, that is a big plus.
As a sommelier specialized in natural wine im happy that this was in the spotlight. You tasted a good selection. Just something to add: you didn't taste the best of. Just a decent middle segment. Maybe try some higher cuvees from makers like tscheppe, robinot, older vintage riffault, radikon, bini. To pick a few
Or maybe not…
-1
@@ilyamikhaylov3456 The best of? I am sorry but I cannot agree with this attitude about wine especially about "natural " wine.
@@bhatinne you would be surprised how many people are put off by a few first bad experiences of natural wine. And have no idea how broad and amazing this segment can be.
At higher 'levels' the differences between natural and traditional wine can get very small.
And by saying the best of I was quoting Constatine Baum. And saying that what he tasted was quite far from the best.
I think you misunderstood my message
Can not agree with this attitude? What the heck are you talking about!?
So excited to see you doing a video on natural wines, Konstantin! Taganan Blanco and Susucaru are my favorite from the line up. Hope you do more natural wine tastings soon!
Love what you are doing brother Konstantin, keep on keeping on.
The thing with some of these wines is people might be selling them short if their immediate impressions are unfulfilled. Some natural wines can take several hours to truly reveal themselves, while some can take even longer (in my case, one particular bottle took until the next day). Of course the opposite can be true where certain wines need to be drank immediately, for fear of them turning to something rather unpleasant. Overall though, from my experience, natural wines have captivated me in what they offer. I've been obsessed for the past 5+ years and I'm still excited as I was in the beginning, if not more so.
Loved this video. I am glad to see someone clear up the fact that natural wines have no clear definition. I would love to see a video on port or on English sparkling wine!
I have had a few really bad ones and some ones that were off the charts delicious and unusual. The bad ones seemed to all want to represent the flaws, the ability to make wine that tasted wrong. Over the top brett, too much geranium, spoiled yeasts 🤢 VA for miles….. The ability of the winemaker to walk that knife edge of producing a enjoyable product vs anything that can be put in a bottle has to be a massive undertaking. I will be looking for several of the ones you’ve shown. Thank you for doing this. As always, great video.
I tried several wines from Delinat 20 years ago and was always disappointed. But I‘m sure that they have improved in the meantime. The best organic wines I have had were those from Bize Leroy in a winetasting (not my budget). I‘m actually in Tenerife right now and will rearch out for the Táganan. Thanks for this informative video!
Congratulations on your new arrival! I would love to see you investigate some of the natural/low intervention winemakers who use distinct techniques in their winemaking processes - e.g. Sébastien David who makes Hurluberlu using clay amphorae vs. others who might use less neutral vessels in the production of wine.
great topic!
personally my main issue is the term itself , ‘Natural wine’
I wish it wasn’t used. it just sets off all kinds of misleading assumptions for the consumer . And so poorly defined that the breadth of winemaking variables of ‘natural wines’ is now arguably wider than that of ‘traditional’ wine!
Let’s be clear: as you said ,making wine is not a natural process.
‘Minimal intervention’ , for your example, is more accurate . (But certainly less marketing-sexy, I get that…)
An excellent subject to cover - thank you! I am more concerned about organic process over the whole natural process - thought I am one of the few who are allergic to sulfur - it does not affect me as much with wine as it does with dried fruit. Many of the chemicals used in conventional farming often contain compounds that are endocrine disruptors even at low exposure - and these are much more of a concern to me than sulfur. For me, the more organic producers of wine their are the better. Thank you for introducing some new wines to try!
Konstantin, could you please do an episode on Georgian natural kvevri wines? I'm really curious on your opinion, as I fell in love with those wines after a visit to Georgia last year and drink them ever since.
The California natural wines I have tried are all good, it seems they take a lot of care and mindfulness in crafting their wines.
Konstantin, you lucked out with this selection - most of my French natural wine tastings have been a major yuk experience ( that touch of vinegar you detected in the burgundy in most wines) - plus, call me old fashioned, but I hate the' hipster vibe' that surrounds these wines, puts me right off before we even start- my part of trendy East London very hardt o avoid, somms push orange wine everywhere yo go. Anyway, thanks for the post, will try to be open-minded!
Welcome back to YT :) About Natural Wines (or low intervention wines) there was a nice chapter in Aldo Sohm's book and I think few relevant people in the industry, including Rajat Parr are moving to that direction
Great tasting! As long as natural wines aren't terribly flawed I'm fine with them. It's not overly important to me though when I'm buying something to try.
Great selection. I'm such a big fan of Heinrich, Matassa, and Gut Oggau. I have always had problems with Tschida and Frank's wines. I am interested in the first wine now!
You should try the Sous Roche ... great even after a few days.
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine Just got a massive score in WA...
Very nice deference to sulfite use. You do understand and winemakers appreciate. The definitions of Natural wines are somewhat ambiguous and politically motivated for sales. Organically grown.. sure.. minimal use of free sulfite, lot total.. sure.. it can be done.. easily.. the consumer doesn't know and will not know.
Ahhh Heinrich. Such an excellent wine maker.
For those wax cork, or any bottle for that matter, I use those metal round sheet, that roll up as a pour sprout. Really helps to avoid any wine touching the bottle opening, which might have some capsule residue.
You're amazing man, wish you'd upload more often! :)
You're hard on my wine budget.
Gravner, Rencel and Dario Princic are definitely my go-to orange wines. Older vintages are extremely complex and they tend to go very well with bold meal pairings, which helps to keep us on our toes when cooking. We have a great local restaurant that specializes in natural wine importation and he often pairs Louisiana style fried chicken with the deep Italian orange wines. He’s been a bigger fan of Jura and Champagne (natural traditional method or flat red pinot: Bouzy) lately but has been heavily into the Italian wines in the past.
Great video. Love to see more natural wine reviews. Partial to Cowhorn, a small biodynamic winery in Oregon, that makes a great Syrah.
I think a synthetic cork with a natural wine is a perfect match. They are using low sulfites so the wine is not as stable and probably more prone to oxidization. A synthetic cork will prevent the micro oxidization that happens with a natural cork that might kick start fermentation again or over oxidize it earlier.
I had a great time with your fellow MW Andreas Wickhoff driving around the Margaret River region after spending a few days in Perth Western Australia promoting Heinrich - lovely Austrian wines
Andreas is a great guy!
You are back!! What a nice surprise!
Awesome vid, great video-flow! Thanks for this
Great as always., Mr Baum what kind of glass of ridel veritas series?
Champagne!
I think good natural wines have much more value vs price. than conventional wines. but they are just underated by conventional view. They usually have much more intensity and compexity and fresh, easy to drink at a same price level. and in many cases, they are good even after several days or week! If you feel they are good enough, give them a good rate enough!
I love your vídeos! Greetings from Brazil!
Awesome! You got me convinced. Need to try some of those as well.
Thanks for the new video- and for covering this topic. I love "natural" wines. The Susucaru was my first. I was instantly hooked on how the nose of these wines is often as exciting as the juice. I follow a couple of producers closely and find each quite passionate and not pretentious nor preachy about the natural wine movement. Though I have not researched enough to "know", it seems that perhaps some difficult/less than ideal wine producing areas are finding success with natural wines (Texas immediately comes to mind). As others have stated, the cost is a question mark for me, certainly when considering that many of these wines do not see oak and do not go through all the processes that conventional wines go through before hitting the shelves.
Haven't tried them, thank you for introducing them.
Big fan of low intervention wines, natural seems a rather loose term and some producers have been getting away with murder for years producing any old shit and saying "they're supposed to taste like that".
I like the idea that wines should come from organic farming, indigenous yeasts and no added sulphur, although I don't think a small amount at bottling does anything negative and of course no added rubbish, that's just my opinion.
My own personal favourites are wines from Alfredo Maestro in Spain, Babass and Sabastien Riffualt both from France, there are loads though, Tillingham in England too.
What I really enjoy about natural wine is the philosophy behind it. With the Beaujolais Gang of Four going against adding chemicals or synthetics, there is a lot of history and thought gone behind making natural wine. The reasoning behind this was quite simple: Post-WWII wines started to be more and more chemically vinified and the Gang of Four just wanted to go back to the old days of wine making.
Nowadays there are a bunch of natural wine makers using the label of natural wine to be deemed cool and are simply following a 'low-intervention' methodology, which to me is not the same.
Georgia has a long history in natural wine making and have been doing low-intervention wines for a veeery long time too.. :)
Next video... Biodynamic wine? The philosophy and system behind biodynamics is so crazy yet interesting!
Thank you Konstantiin I enjoyed that your inntern did well 😊🇬🇧
In my experience with natural wines, they can be quite good but they often have some things that can be considered faults. I found quite often those vinegar notes and a couple of times they are really reduced. I have tried some envinate ones (Red Tanagan, Lousas Aldea) and they were very good but the last one I opened (Lousas Seoane) had considerable vinegar notes. It was quite sad because actually the wine was very complex but the vinegar notes stopped it from being excellent. It made me think that this wouldn't have happened with sulphits. I also tried one wine from Claus Preisinger, the wine was ok, enjoyable with some complexity but also got these vinegar notes.
Die Graue Freyheit hab ich regelmäßig zuhause, find den top!
Great to have you back! This is a very informative video.
Thanks Tom!
Honestly i avoided red wine for years because everything i was given tasted like garbage i just couldn't understand how everybody but me enjoyed them so much ! then i discovered Jean Pierre Robinot concerto di venezia 2019 and La sorga into the wine 2016 and my mind was completely and utterly changed for good. I never knew red wine could taste like this, like JUICE ! blackcurrant, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla, leather and polish with the la sorga showing bit of brioche on the second day because of the disturbed sediment ! all of these flavours finally revealed themselves to me and they were my first taste of natural wines
Interesting video. Would you recommend those wines to people who are trying natural wine for the first time? Or do you think that they, while being good, might be too weird for beginners in that category?
On the 26th and 27th march, the natural wine fair called “Weinsalon natürel” finally takes place again in cologne, Germany. Would love to see you there.
i love the creativity of natural wines. more risky in than you tend to get less consistency but i think this risk also has the potential for exciting reward. There's a place for modern wines also, to each their own!
love the matassa wines with food! they have almost sherry note in the background. the Domaine de Chassorney is great too!
That "Graue Freyheit" caught my interest but I am pretty sure that I won't buy a bottle anyway. Few weeks ago I wrote in one of the wine reviews on my facebook page, that I would not buy any bottle of these type of wine again because they all taste like apple wine (a kind of cider) or apple wine while still in its fermentation. Okay thats a bit exaggerated but I have drunken round about 20 natural wines so far and among these were two which were okay (altough in my opinion they also tasted like apple wine) and only one I really liked so the quota is really bad. I have to add that I only had white ones so far and no reds and maybe I just had bad luck but I am not really in the mood to buy twenty bottles again to find one good one among them.
Anyway thanks for entertaining us with this video!
Sure thing. I am pretty sure you would like the Graue Freyheit!
Been served natural wines at fancy restaurants that were terrible, and when I say its flawed the hip waiter says thats how its supposed to be.At best they can be great though, love that yeasty barnyardy richness when its not over the top.
Your friend has chosen a very good line up!
I tried orange wine once, my thoughts were the wine had many tertiary and oxidised characters but not showing many fruits to support it. Not sure if that was the ‘typical style’ of orange wine or the wine was out of condition. However I can surely agree the wine was weird and fun!
Try white Georgian Kvevri style wines, amazing stuff.
I tried an Orange Traminette and it was terrible. Sour and disgusting. Weird, yes. Fun? no. I will have to try a different one someday.
As a home wine maker I was a bit scornful of the idea of natural wine, however your review has made me revise my opinion, I must try some, I wonder if the cheaper ones will be up to the mark
The only thing that's bad in the wine world is spoiled wine and wine extremism. A good wine has no boundaries and can come from immensely different origins and savoir faires.
Can you do videos on Bordeaux and Chianti? Love your videos!
Leon my man what a bomb list of wines!!!!! Absolutely support it but i do think that france has some great biodynamic wines that I totally think are worth exploring
Thx for the review!! Have these wines been pasteurized?
No
I never was this biased of natural wines over all. Sometimes I find some really irritating horse-stable notes which kind of ruin any red natural for me, as I think it's more tolerable with the overall flavour profile of white wines (Malinga for example). However, as mentioned by others, the uptight behaviour of some parts of the community really ruin it, as you almost get shamed for drinking wine with added sulfites. In general, it is kind of tough for a low-income person to buy a 20€ bottle which has a higher flaw-probability. I understand why in general these wines cost more but they are also more of a gamble which makes them kind of unideal for beginners in wine who are often not able to differ between a flaw and how the wine really should be. I bought Brutal bei Tschida last year and then contacted the seller as I thought it was severely flawed. Turns out: no. But I still find them an interesting topic and I quite enjoy going into restaurants with a natural-wine-focus as you can really start to explore.
My favorite natural or organic wines are the same as my vegetarian foods - they’re good without flaunting that they want to be judged by a different/lower standard
Finaly someone tasting Envinate wines!! You should try Palo Blanco from that winery. Masterpiece.
I visited domaine du coulet last week in Cornas. They are biodynamic and they also use those corks. They went to great lengths basically to say those corks are "no waste corks" and they are better for the environment than real corks. As for natural wines, I love them. If I ever have a wine I love blind, it very often turns out to be natural/biodynamic. There are some examples, like a few you tried perhaps, that are a bit simple and maybe go too far in the natural direction instead of in the good wine direction. But generally, I like them very much. I'm glad to see more and more wineries becoming bio, biodynamic and natural.
When you can't protect your wines from oxidation with SO2, minimizing oxidation with careful botteling and low oxidative closures (like a syntheic cork) can be helpful. Those cosures are also very cheap. Becuse of the composite nature of the corks,your municiplaity more than likely is not recyling them ;)
Is it important to fix airlock on the jar if making homemade wine??
Yes
Yeah, I was waiting for this! 👏🍷🥂
Natural wines, in my opinion, don't have to be bad or funky. Even if you make wines in "natural" ways you still need to be careful in not having unexpected fermentation, or "smells".
I totally agree!
Great video! I agree with you 100 percent. There is nothing natural about wine. As I often say about Natural Wine: I do like the idea of minimal use of chemicals in the farm (our waterways and oceans are becoming chemical wastelands). In the winery do what works for the grapes you have and the area you are in. If you have feral yeasts that make good wine then use them! If not add some commercial yeast (which, btw ARE natural).
People get confused thinking "all natural" means "good for you" which is not always the case. Hemlock is all natural but it certainly is NOT good for you.
Make and drink the wine you like and don't judge people who make and drink the wine they like. You think wine tastes best when the grapes are picked under a full moon after Jupiter rises in the east? OK. I think it is crazy hippy talk but good on you for finding something you like (I'm not judging).
Hello there, really good selection, especially I like that Austria is greatly represented! Although it is Atanasius, not Anastasius, but as he is fictional I don’t think he minds😁
You are right ... Atanasius is correct!
Thanks for doing this.
Great to see that the wines showed well.
Obviously I love natural wine, but I don’t like wines that are funky for the sake of funk.
I don’t care if the winemaker is an old crust punk, with a one legged dog and all the labels are designed by blind penguins if the wine is not a drinkable wine in its own right. It has to be balanced and not flawed.
That said, I like some of the interesting flavours these wines can have.
I also don’t mind the natural movement’s push toward branding and marketing, even if it seems a bit…. hipster.
If it gets people drinking wine that otherwise would have drunk craft beer, and a skin contact wine with a cool label is the catalyst for that, that’s a great thing.
The more young people we have drinking wine the better.
The only true natural wine I had was a Barbara that I bought by mistake. It smelled great but tasted horrible. Had a weird finish. For ‘natural’ wines, I drink Matthiasson wines. They are great. Love the Pinot Blanc.
so happy to see an Aus wine in your mix!
Hey! what is the glass you used in this video? thank you great wines!
No Gravner you disapoint me Konstantine :P When you talk natrual wine thats one of the holy grails. :P
Do you sell low intervention wine yourself Konstantin?
Yes, a few.
my only problem is a lot of natural wine by the time they get across the ocean into my hands, can develop flows. and this leads to my inability to know if the flows were intended or because of transport and storage.
Where can we buy those? Is there a shop that ships Europe wide?
Not sure... You will be able to find most of those wines online.
When looking for a wine i look for small producers and some story behind what they do. There are many excellent low intervention wines and even more terrible ones - where "natural" seems to be an excuse for selling something terrible. Fancy label or bottle is not guarantee of excellent juice inside - seems people forget about it more and more. Marketing and trend are in natural wines favour today... Who knows what future will bring :) I am waiting now for my Ganevat and Tissot order to be delivered - will see what is Jura Natural Legendary wine about!
Thanks for educating people on what are natural wines and especially what they Are not! Many wineries just can't afford to get certified (or climate makes it super hard like Bordeaux, Rias Baixias) and produce truly awesome wines expressing the terroir in the best possible way.
I am thirsty!
I actually open many wines the way that you open wines with a wax capsule. The cork also easily breaks through a normal capsule, so I don't see the point in cutting and removing it.
Natural and orange wines are trending in germany. I have had some good wines, but the way they are made often disguises their origin and they are often significantly more expensiv. Without a doubt, they are nevertheless an exciting extension of the wine world.
Hey just wondering how do you compare vetiras glass you are using and the Gabriel Glas standart? Thanks!
What's the glass that you use in this video?
The dido la universal from the "vivino award" video was a natural also, and it was your favorite of the wines from the videos.
Hello Konstantin, a great video!
I would like to ask you something about the Taganan wine. Why exactly do you think the (dark, golden) colour comes from the careful usage of SO2 rather than the grape varieties used?
What was the fault on the finish of the Tschida?
Mousiness
Love the content Konstantin! What is the corkscrew you are using in these videos?
Taganan blanco is so good. It's almost doubled in price sadly these last years over here.
This kind of reminds me of those labels that carry the wine "reserve" or "old vine" as neither mean anything in America.
Interessanter Content und wieder was dazugelernt :)
Great vid. I have recently tried natural wine. Tbh not impressed. I have however bought one you recommend. Could you do a vid on expensive wines but give a much cheaper alternative. Thanks
Great suggestion!
Nice vid, cheers!
Good show, K.
Glad you enjoyed it
You should check out the orange wine from Regele(Steiermark in Österreich)
The wine I drink does come from organic grapes, I choose this because grapes that are not farmed organically often have some of the highest pesticide residues tested. Along with many berries. Pesticide residue is something we should all be concerned with. Most of them are very nasty and can lead to health problems down the road from repeated exposure.
"Fresh and vibrant" - Konstantin Baum
I think it's wrong to talk about "natural" wines and "conventional" ones as if the first ones are necessarily bad and the second ones good. I'm a natural wine fan but when I taste a wine I don't care if it's natural or not, what it cares is how it tastes (and if it's natural it's even better in my opinion).
It's incredible to see such a skeptical approach by many people (mainly "old" people) who refuse to drink those by saying that they're too funky and stinky without even trying the "good side" of natural wines.
However, it's very good to see that a master of wine like you has the capability to appreciate these kind of wines, thanks for the video.
P.s. Susucaru is a good entry-level wine, but the real deal are the "crus".
I have seen recently some wines are labelled as vegan vines. Doesnt make much sense to me. But several top producers are using biodynamic farming to make their wines. Leroy. Pontet Canet. Chapoutier to mention a few.
It is often some traditional fining agents that can make a wine unsuitable for vegans.
Egg whites or casein (a protein found in milk) can be used to remove tiny particles of sediment in a wine that cannot be removed by filtration.
If you would know what everything winemaker can add to wine and not to put it on label you would be suprised.
Leon must really know his stuff to pick that strong a line-up. I've had loads of natural wines, not least because some restaurants only serve natural wines. I hate them all. Whites that are sharp and with no length at all. Reds that taste of swamp. At best, I find they can be not actively unpleasant. And I don't give a monkey's how wine is made. So now I don't go to a restaurant if it only serves natural wine. Fortunately the trend seems to be heading towards serving both and clearly labelling the natural ones.
some natural wine producers are using also screw caps ... if the bottle should be drink in next 2 or 3 years, then non-cork closure is a better choise.
one of the biggest flaws of natural wine is pricing. a lot of small natural wine producers have nice design 😃, but also questionable pricing and bottles are primary exported outside the home country (usa is a common market for natural wine from eu).
use of natural yeasts (my assumption) is causing lesser difference in taste between grape varieties and less intense smell.
white natural wines with longer maceration/ orange wines can be very intense and complex. so a white cuvee, 8+ months in barrels, longer skin contact, is a wise choise. sulfur content under 40 mg/l is perfect. pieces of grapes are not a big deal, they will stay at the bottom of a glass/ bottle. these white wines can be really better then technological wines (at least white cuvee with longer skin contact). technological orange wines does not to have such brutal/ full of tannins/ herbal taste profile.
natural red wines are more hit/ miss. i had a few opportunities to taste technological and natural red wines made with same grape variety, from same village, same year. the technological red wines tasted more mature, more concentrated. it seems like the technology can "fix" a bad year.
i have a very small experience with older red natural wines, but three or four years in the bottle seems to remove the difference how the wine was made. but i am not an expert in tasting 😃.
screw caps are bad for the enviroment, cause pollution to produce them, are wasteful and dont benefit wines. Cork is renewable and takes CO2 out of the air therefore is carbon neutral.
Never had a natural wine but I'm curious.
Hi! What model of a corkscrew are you using? Thank you :)