Natural wine, viticulture as close as possible to the terroir by François Morel

Natural wine, organic wine, pure wine: the idea is first and foremost to break away from intensive viticulture, which shows little respect for the soil, the plant, the terroir, and the consumer. This idea thrives in the context of viticulture generally subject to the productivity requirements of the agri-food industry, which is increasingly deemed unacceptable by a growing number of winegrowers in France and elsewhere. "Natural" wine is aligned with the concept of "organic" farming, but with a broader approach that encompasses the entire wine production process, from the vineyard to the bottling. In contrast to an industrial wine sector that can alter ecosystems, "natural" wine stems from a choice to practice agriculture that adapts to ecosystems.

Far from the industrial concept that heavily relies on fertilizers, pesticides, selected yeasts and bacteria, chaptalization sugar, sulfur, acidifiers, etc., the focus is on acknowledging the living nature of this subtle and rich material that is wine.

While many misconceptions cloud the idea of "natural" wine, this work provides a precise, concise, and well-documented insight in order to:

• Discover the often overlooked techniques involved in making natural wine.
• Understand the complex life of wine and the risks that "naturally" more delicate wines may face.
• Assess the current situation – practices and stakeholders – of a movement that has emerged through a variety of choices.

François Morel, after working as an art history editor at Larousse, opened and ran a wine bar for thirteen years, focusing on "natural" wines. For about thirty years, he was a member and then editor-in-chief of the magazine Le Rouge & le Blanc, an advertisement-free publication that has always highlighted authentic wines. He is the author of numerous works on wine.