I’m writing this brief piece because once again I’ve stumbled upon a piece of text on the internet from a reputable source that gives out completely false information – it says “sulphites in wine are unlikely to affect you unless you are asthmatic”. That couldn’t be further from the truth!

There are tens of thousands of people who have developed a sulphite allergy over the last few years, and this has absolutely nothing to do with being asthmatic. You do not need to be diagnosed with asthma to become allergic to sulphites! This association has been made because one of the many possible symptoms of a sulphite allergy is anaphalactic shock. Another common sympton is sneezing so it’s like saying it only affects a minority of hayfever sufferers!

But the biggest fault with this statement – far worse than just being entirely wrong regarding who may have an allergic reaction to sulphites – is the implication that they do no harm to anybody else! Sulphites poison people and cause cancer (and asthma by chance). It was just announced this week that half of cancers could be prevented by better diet and lifestyle. And they highlighted that medical and press favourite “alcohol”. It is not the alcohol that does this, but it is directly related to many (but not all!) alcoholic drinks – the ones which contain masses of added sulphites.

If you knew what went into the cheap factory produced wines that you see on the supermarket shelves, you would run a mile. Up to 80 different chemicals are permitted to be added.

Many of the supermarket own branded food products now state on the label “no artificial additives or preservatives”. Yet they opt for the cheapest nastiest wines they can source. It’s all very well cutting out processed foods (which were again named as a cause of cancer in this research, which again all contain high levels of sulphites), but it won’t make any significant difference to you if you continue to drink highly chemicalled wines.

Drinking good, natural wine is actually highly beneficial to your health, and  actively combats cancer as the natural anti oxidants neutralise the potentially harmful free radicals in your body. So to say that “alcohol causes cancer” is firstly completely untrue and secondly completely irresponsible. If they said “factory manufactured alcoholic drinks with added sulphites cause cancer” they would be bang on, but of course there would be uproar in the global production companies and supermarkets who make so much money out of them, not to mention the Treasury who does rather nicely too. So they’ll just say nothing, and let us all go on consuming toxins on a daily basis.

If you want to look after your long term health cut out processed foods AND processed wines, and eat and drink natural healthy produce. The “Mediteranean diet” is just that – local wines made without masses of added chemicals, and fresh natural fruit, veg and meat, again non-processed without all these additional chemicals. Is it coincidence these are some of the longest lived people on the planet? – No, they just don’t poison themselves on a daily basis as many of us in the UK do!

It’s that time of year again when the supermarkets like to discount alcohol as a loss leader to attract the public into their stores hoping they’ll leave with armfuls of pressies and everything they need for the festive period. After all Argos and Currys don’t sell below cost booze do they? So what better weapon to get ahead of their competitors in the festive bun fight?

The supermarkets have effectively killed off the pub trade by selling below cost booze for so long that the consumer believes that a bottle of vodka should be £11 (as in most supermarkets at present). Bearing in mind that £8.53 of this is duty and tax, that only leaves £2.47 for the supermarket margin, the glass, the packaging, the transport and the producer’s margin! We can clearly see here why the government is so reluctant to tackle this issue!

Sadly the on-trade is quickly being killed off by these tactics. I’ve just opened a brochure from Asda advertising three wines for £10. Would you believe that £7.02 of that is excise duty and vat again? Leaving £2.98 for the supermarket margin, producer’s margin, glass, packaging and transport from the other side of the world. How good do we expect that wine to be then? Is it any wonder that these wines tend to be more chemical solution than grape product, or that we feel horrendously ill the day after drinking this rubbish?

We may think that some cheap wine would give us a merry Christmas, but it will  definitely give us a Boxing Day to forget!

For a country with a small population like New Zealand, an extra quarter of a million visitors coming over for the rugby world cup should be a major boost for the flagging economy. New Zealand like the rest of us is struggling to pull itself out of this global recession. I was shocked to see they have all the same problems over there that we have over here – immigration issues, unemployment, take home alcohol sales killing the pub trade (and hence the heart of the rural communities), the supermarkets gaining a dominant foothold, (although thankfully not the demon Tescos), high taxes, high cost of living etc etc.

Central Otago - the hottest vineyard in NZ

So in theory a great deal of rugby fans spending their foreign money is a fantastic boost, as it will inject a great deal into the economy across both islands, although Christchurch itself is an exception of course, as rebuilding hasn’t even begun yet. Unfortunately there are parts of the city still without electricity and running water, a full year after the big earthquake, although a lot of the damage was actually done in a 2nd one in February which really hampered any rebuilding plans.

Unfortunately the rugby world cup organisers went to town on a load of gimmicks for the tourists like an exhibition inside a giant rugby ball on Auckland Quay which is just plain tacky, and tries desperately to part the tourists from their cash for all kinds of tatt. The overspend on these gimmicks was massive and there is speculation the cost will far outway any benefit.

But what about the longer term? Surely all these visitors touring, visiting the major wine regions, will experience the quality and diversity of New Zealand wines, and realise they also make world class reds these days – and their dry Reislings, some like Olssens in Cromwell, are just spectacular. Everybody knows the Kiwis make some of the best Chardonnays in the world, and of course they’re famous for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir, but there are new wines emerging too. Some excellent Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer for example, but the biggest white sensation over there at the moment is Viognier which is absolutely booming.

For reds, Hawke’s Bay is producing top class Syrah, but also superb Bordeaux blends as Cabernet Franc and Malbec are also thriving alongside the already recognised Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Look out for Mills Reef wines over here – they’ve been accredited with a host of awards for their reds including New Zealand’s number one Cabernet Sauvignon and number two Syrah, with some really high marks from Bob Campbell. There are also other good unusual reds emerging from unexpected places - I had a Central Otago blend which was Pinotage based which was fantastic!

But sadly, as in any developed country, the good work of a quality boutique winery can be quickly undone by the global brands. For example Brancott Estate (owned by Montana) has sponsored the rugby world cup. Billboards and posters of their wines are everywhere, and unfortunately the wine itself is widely available too. They’re marketing it as THE premium New Zealand wine. Truth is it’s not bad, but it’s not good either, it’s just a run of the mill everyday wine. If visitors leave believing this is the best NZ wine on offer they certainly won’t be buying any when they return to their native countries. Also Mount Difficulty has a good reputation but they’ve also flooded their entry level Pinot Noir into a host of restaurants and bars. Again it’s not terrible, but again it’s not good, but as they already have a reputation visitors may think it’s amongst the better NZ wines, which it certainly isn’t! Nip to the wineries next door like Dessert Heart and Olssens and the wines are a world apart on quality.

Perhaps the worst culprit though is Villa Maria, who I believe are NZ’s most awarded winery, although produce many of the country’s most mediocre wines. How can this be? Well, with a hefty budget and state of the art technology they employ top winemakers to produce tiny quantities of the very best wines then enter them for competitions to win the medals. But can you actually buy any of these wines? – NO. You have to buy their bog standard, run of the mill, mass produced stuff. No doubt Villa Maria believe they are being very clever. I’ve no doubt it certainly helps them market their wines globally in great volumes, but it won’t do the New Zealand wine industry any favours.

Julicher's boutique winery - ageing Pinot Noir

But there is still hope for something good to come out of this for New Zealand. Most visitors will be spending several weeks over there, and will no doubt tour the different areas and visit many different wineries. If they stay away from the prepaid pre-arranged tours to the corporate wineries, there are plenty of small privately owned ones producing some excellent distinctive wines with character. If you travel Highway 50 on the outskirts of Napier you will pass a dozen wineries producing reasonable wines, but venture off the beaten track a little way and you will discover some fantastic ones like Moana Park at Puketapu. Perhaps the biggest surprise though is Martinborough, which is now producing some of New Zealand’s very best wines. If you want the best Pinot Noir in New Zealand keep an eye on this region. There are new wineries here which have sprung up in the last 10 years and are producing wines to rival any in the country, like Julicher – watch out for this one!

Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block has become a wine with a massive following, both in it’s native South Africa and over here in the UK. “Why?” – you may ask. Well, it’s a lovely wine in it’s own right, but then there are a host of great red wines coming out of South Africa these days. Presentation? – it is excellent with the elegant broad shouldered bottle and a large white label maximising visual impact. But then there are plenty of other wines with equally good presentation too.

The name perhaps? Yes, I think this is a major factor. But the Chocolate Block’s success isn’t down to just a name, it’s a combination of all the above factors, all rolled into one wine.

Well the good news is the 2010 is about to be released in the UK at the end of September. Unfortunately the Chocolate Block has become so successful that Mark Kent simply can’t produce enough of it, which has pushed prices up as demand massively outstrips supply. Fortunately Mark produces it in a style which can be consumed young, although it will age well for a few years if you can resist drinking it. Expect to pay from around £19 to £25 (although those charging £25 are being greedy!).

If you can’t get hold of any though, South Africa produces plenty of other stunning reds, many equally good, many significantly better. The Ernie Els wines are all fantastic. I’d also recommend a little known tiny production wine in a very similar style to the Chocolate Block – Tamboerskloof Syrah, only 5000 bottles produced annually. Or one of the best value premium red wines to come out of South Africa – Robertson Number 1 Constitution Road Shiraz  – it is a stunner! Again extremely limited supply so get some before everybody finds out about it!

The rugby world cup kicks off in New Zealand in less than three weeks, and is expected to draw hoardes of tourists. Unlike football the majority of these rugby supporters are likely to be late thirty plus, fairly solvent people. Again unlike football, rugby attracts nearly as many women as men, with the majority of visitors likely to be couples. Coincidentally this demographic is an exact match for quality new world wine drinkers so this competition is a golden opportunity for the wineries to show off their quality and attract new customers from all over the world.

New Zealand has suffered over the last three years from bumper crops. While we may logically think this was a good thing, it has led to an over production of New Zealand wine. This means the wineries have to compete harder for market share, and discount their products. Also the New Zealand dollar has been extremely strong which severely affects exports as it makes their wine very expensive for other countries to buy. As a result many of the small independent wineries are having a particularly tough time.

These wineries also have to contend with additional costs for prospective importers in their target markets, caused by the relative isolation of New Zealand. Shipping from NZ is expensive – shipping in small quantities is simply cost prohibitive. So if you’re a small boutique winery producing 50 pallets a year selling outside of NZ is very difficult. This is then compounded by the big wineries who are selling off excess bulk wines at cost to anybody who will buy it. These wines are normally transported in bladder to the purchasing country where they are bottled, then labelled with some made up name – usually with “Bay” in the title! There are loads of these wines appearing, with plenty being own label for the supermarkets. This has led to “Marlborough” Sauvignon Blanc being available in the UK for under £5 – bear in mind that £2.64 of this is UK tax!

So the rugby world cup is a prime opportunity for the quality boutique wineries to show why their wines are worth paying the extra for. The NZ roads will be swarming with middle aged wine lovers poncing around in campervans – I know because I will be one of them! Stopping at wineries stocking up with a case or two and letting the wife do the driving. This is a rare opportunity for NZ to snatch back some of the market share that has been lost to cheaper regions like South Africa, Chile and Argentina. I am particularly looking forward to sampling some Hawke’s Bay Syrah as word is NZ is beginning to make some excellent examples.

I lived in NZ for 12 months about 15 years ago. The in-joke at the time was that on landing at Auckland the pilots used to say “welcome to New Zealand, please put your watch back 20 years”! That now sounds ideal to me – I may be very tempted to stay!

The recent riots in the UK have finally made politicians sit up and take notice of the sub culture which has existed in this country for years. At last we, the British public, feel the politicians may be beginning to take notice of some of the things which have been wrong with this country for so long. Speak to any hard working British citizen and there are about a dozen major concerns which most people seem to have in common – immigration policy, benefits, taxes, fuel duty, unemployment, corrupt politicians, dodgy bankers, education system, criminal justice system and a few others, but by far the biggest complaint we all make is the one we simply can’t understand………….EU beaurocracy!

Why is it we have to have our bins emptied fortnightly? And all these different recycling boxes, so we’re all leaving rubbish in our back gardens for 14 days between collections – ask any binman and it appears that most of this rubbish which we have spent time separating simply gets tipped back into landfill anyway as “they don’t have the staff to process it”.

What about this ridiculous set of new bus stops built out into the road which brings traffic to a standstill. Our former system of a separate layby for the bus to pull in to made sense – but isn’t compliant with EU rules so we have to spend millions concreting over them.

What about these ludicrous windfarms – giant turbines all around the coast which are basically ineffective. They can’t operate when it’s too windy, or when it’s not very windy. They can operate in moderate winds but then produce next to no electricity anyway. It’s costing billions and many firms are making a killing. The “carbon footprint” of producing these things completely negates any benefit they produce. Mark my words, by 2100 they will all be pulled down, again at massive expense earning yet another bumper purse for the firms with the right connections in Whitehall.

What about the simple things? I’ve just imported some “organic” wine from outside the EU and had to jump through so many hoops to do so, and pay significant fees to two quangos to be allowed to import them. In california organic production is very tightly regulated and certified. Californian certified organic wines aren’t allowed to have chemicals added (including sulphites), but this isn’t good enough for the EU. They need their own certificates, the Californian ones won’t do! But EU certified organic wines are only certified for grape growing and can have huge dollops of sulphites and plenty of other chemical additives. So the wine I’m importing is pure, the real mccoy, but the stuff we don’t need certificates for (produced in the EU) is not pure, in fact it’s full of chemicals!!!

I’m delighted to see the politicians at least claiming they’re going to start addressing things. Why can’t we simply disband the biggest quango of all time – the EU, and just trade with Europe as independent countries again? There is a coal powered steam train at Llanberis which ferries tourists along the lake,  literally half a mile from an active coal mine yet the coal it runs on is imported from Germany!!! I’m no expert on so called “carbon footprints” but it doesn’t take a quango of 20 people on huge salaries and expenses to work out that it’s just plain bonkers! Let’s get rid of this EU bull***t once and for all.

“Natural wine” is THE buzz word in the wine trade at the moment. It is everywhere and everybody is talking about it, but does it deserve so much coverage and publicity? After all, it’s just wine as it used to be, before wine production became a global business, isn’t it?

If you’re looking for delicious natural wines at sensible prices and want to skip this article click here.

For centuries (and still now in remote areas like Sicily and Puglia) farmers in Mediterranean countries were making wines this way for home and local consumption. They didn’t add chemicals and preservatives or use artificial yeasts to enhance aromas and flavours, basically because they didn’t have any. They had a field of vines, a shed and some basic wooden barrels and that was about it. But then again, when we look more closely at these people they have a very long life span, still fit and active into their 90s. For many wine was a staple drink, drunk at breakfast from a mug and throughout the day. A soft drink was basically wine with some added water. Is their logevity down to exercise and good diet alone (as they ate fresh food and had to work the fields to produce it)? I have both Italian and French friends who’s grandparents and great uncles and aunts used to drink four litres of wine a day, every day, and lived till they were touching 100. Yet the BMA announced a few months ago that 1 glass of wine a day can cause cancer! I don’t think so (their research was completely flawed). In fact Dr Phil Norrie who is both an eminent well published physician with over 30 years experience researching the link between wine and health, and also a winemaker himself, will happily explain to you the numerous health benefits of drinking good wine every day in his research papers here. It is a fascinating read that will make you feel good about enjoying a glass of good wine! Natural wines won’t cause cancer, but I do believe this mass produced stuff with a myriad of added chemicals can do. Sulphites, used as preservatives in a host of food and most wines, have been linked with the rapid rise in throat and abdominal cancers, and of course the soaring asthma rate in the developed world. 

So we can clearly see why so many people are now searching for natural wines – they’re clearly a healthier option than many of the mass produced alternatives. Obviously we thought we were already onto healthy wines with “organic” and then biodynamic, but the rise of natural wines has exposed the rather unpleasant truth here. “Organic” in the EU only certifies the grape growing and producers are still free to play fast and loose with plenty of chemical additives (up to 80 different chemicals including a large helping of sulphites). And even biodynamic certified producers are free to add sulphites to their wines. The sad truth is both EU organic, and biodynamic wines are not necessarily any healthier than many other non certified wines. At present USA certified organic wines are not allowed to add sulphites but there is legislation pending to change this. So if you want natural healthy wines you’re safer opting for “natural wine” but be careful it is genuinely so.

The recent Natural Wine Fare at Borough Market has received very mixed reviews. Some hale it as a great success for the artisan producer. Others claim it is a publicity stunt for a handful of companies who are trying to dominate this market in the UK (at very unrealistic prices!). One certain company represents the majority of exhibitors, with the rest represented by another 3 or 4 companies. All in all I thought the wines on show were very poor. Of the 100 or so exhibitors I only found 4 who didn’t add sulphur to their wines – so to me that means the other 96 are not natural – and of these I only found 3 wines which were even drinkable (two were actually very good). But they were all horrendously expensive. It seems from this show that we are supposed to believe that all natural wines have to cost this much, and that having one that actually tastes nice is a bonus!

Yet before the term “natural wine” became the in thing this year, I was drinking stunning natural wines made without the addition of any sulphur, or any other chemicals, and at sensible prices starting below £10 per bottle. My own personal judgement aside, were they any good? 3 made it into the Rhone top 100 wines, and one white was even voted “best white wine in the Rhone Valley” by food critic Michel Brittan, so yes they are damned good wines in their own right. If you want to buy delicious natural wines, chemical and sulphite free, at realistic prices click here.

It is important that natural wine is discussed openly and made available to those who choose to buy it. But it is up against a lot of behind the scenes resistance from global wine companies who fear it will dent sales of their “organic” wines. Also just as much damage can be done to it’s reputation by these other natural wine importing companies charging exhorbitant prices and putting it on a metaphorical pedestal as something wonderful and heroic - although it may taste like vegetable soup! Let’s forget the marketing blurb designed to line the pockets of these companies and just be honest. Delicious natural wine is a great thing - let’s have plenty more of it. Poor tasting natural wine may be a labour of love from the producer but is still poor wine. It should be dropped like a hot potato, not doubled in price and sold as an antiquity.

Natural wines are quickly gaining in popularity, but is this just a new fad? The latest in  “green” credentials for wines and winemakers? Or are natural wines genuinely being appreciated for their natural taste, aroma and balance, over normal wines which have been artificially manipulated to achieve an end result?

There are plenty of people no doubt who are happy to enjoy a glass of wine because they like the taste (and the effect), who do not care if it is made with natural yeast, or whether chemicals are added. After all most foods contain artificial additives so why should they be bothered about how their wine is made?

But there is also a quickly growing movement of people who want to consume natural, healthy produce as nature intended, without harmful additives. Farmers’ markets and independent delicatessens are thriving, selling quality handmade produce. And this is also true in the wine world.

I have been a fan of natural wines for a long time, and I’m always keen to learn and try new experiences. I’ve just returned from a very short trip to France (Rhone/Languedoc) where I was fortunate to taste some stunning natural wines, and also unfortunate to have to drink some mass produced over chemicalled plonk in a couple of cafes. I used to be able to drink this stuff without a problem but I found this time I simply couldn’t drink it – despite a hefty 7 Euros a glass price tag! I could really taste and feel the sulphur – it was like drinking a chemical cocktail! I believe the more natural your diet becomes, the more your body rejects artificial foods (and drinks!). The thought of going to the pub to watch the six nations “with the lads” and drinking six pints of UK brewed lager fills me with dread. “Why not come to my house and have some decent wine instead…..?” It ends up costing me a fortune of course but at least I’m not ill all day on the Sunday.

“Normal” wine (I’ll use white wines as an example here) is generally produced using manufactured strains of yeast which artificially enhance aromas, and flavours on the initial palate. You pour the first glass of Sauvignon and get that big hit of gooseberry on the nose, then on first sip you get intense flavour. However the sulphur then kicks in and dulls the end palate, so you take another sip and it refreshes the taste buds for a moment, but then fades again. But overall it’s a pleasant enough experience, and it’s what we’re all used to.

Natural wne is different. It’s made with natural yeast which works in almost exactly the opposite way. On the nose the wine is nothing remarkable – in fact it can smell slightly oxidised. Sip the wine and you’ll get the true flavours but they won’t be big and aggressive, more subtle. But then you notice the lack of sulphur – it doesn’t kill the end palate and you can still taste the wine. You begin to savour it, then you notice the overall balance of the wine, the lack of added tartric acid on the finish so there is no “afterburn”. It’s simply a lasting concentrated true flavour of the grape. Then you take another sip and this magnifies the initial experience. I found myself virtually unable to stop drinking it. It felt like a delicious healthy tonic! But then I was drinking Philippe Viret’s Amphora white, 100% Viognier fermented in traditional clay amphoras, as used in Roman times. Domaine Viret is a dedicted producer of natural artisan wines. Philippe is pioneering his amphora method in France with some incredible results. He then casually mentioned I couldn’t buy any of the wine as he only makes it for a few “special” customers as he only has very small plantings of Viognier. The wine is all pre sold at least a year in advance.

However we then moved onto his Amphora red, 100% Mouverdre – it was just spectacular. I didn’t dare ask if I could buy any as I doubt I could afford it! I was then whisked off for a BBQ with Christophe, who produced only natural wines throughout the evening. We started with a delicious pale rose, then moved onto another 100% Viognier. It was lovely. Christophe then casually mentioned I couldn’t buy any of that either as the producer only makes 900 bottles which sell for 40 Euros a bottle each – to trade. It was a great evening, we drank a fair bit and had a lovely meal in great company. However we woke the next morning completely fresh, raring to go, not even the faintest hint of a hangover or lethargy (well I’m not exactly lightning in the morning, but I was even more lively than usual).

I then travelled round a few other villages and took a glass of rose in two cafes, both of which tasted OK flavourwise, but the heavy, viscous style and the chemical aftertaste put me right off. I longed to be back to natural wines.

Philippe Viret has plans to expand his production of amphora fermented wines, which is great news. With luck we will be able to buy them in the UK in a year or so. In the meantime check out his other excellent natural, chemical and sulphur free wines from www.goodwineonline.co.uk

Natural wine is experiencing a surge in popularity at present, for all the right reasons. But beware! – if you are sensitive to sulphites and other additives in your wines you need to be very very careful if you plan to rely on “natural wines” as a healthier alternative to standard wines.

Natural wine has no official definition, or any definitive requirements. It relies on ethical producers who claim their wines to be natural, made with minmal intervention. This is a grey area of course which could be easily exploited, but that isn’t the biggest danger!

The biggest danger with natural wine is the lack of understanding from the people involved in the trade importing and retailing it. Natural wine is a new phenomena, and even the small independent farmers who make it have such massively varying criteria, how can any UK retailer even begin to understand the similarities between the various wines, let alone the significant differences.

Is organic wine natural wine? How about biodynamic then? I get so many importers telling me “it must be low in sulphur because it is biodynamically certified”  – which is a load of rubbish, but just shows how little these people involved in the trade actually know. Biodynamic wines are permitted to have 90 mg’l of sulphur added – that is not “natural” by anybody’s definition!

But most retailers rely on the importer’s information when purchasing wines. And there’s nothing like a biodynamic certificate to add weight to the salesman’s argument that it must be a natural wine! Hence the retailer lists the wine and advertises it as “natural”.

For example Artisan and Vine are a “natural” wine shop in London and I browsed their website recently. But they sell mass produced wines (possibly certified biodynamic) which contain enough sulphites to give a sensitive person a severe allergic reaction – I know because I have seen somebody have such a reaction to this particular range of wines. This isn’t A&V’s fault – they’ve bought the wines in good faith unaware they contain significant levels of sulphur (still lower than factory produced wines of course, but not as low as you’d want from a natural wine). As they clearly aren’t allergic to sulphur themselves they have no way of knowing these wines are not as natural as they’re made out to be.

Personally I’m all for natural wines, and have been for a long time before the term was even invented. But it’s clear there’s a need to clarify the term and give stringent criteria to what qualifies and what doesn’t.

Until that day comes, the safest option is to go for sulphite free wines which have no sulphites or other chemicals added. Most are expensive, many are an acquired taste, but there are a  a few which are delicious in their own right and naturally good for you such as Domaine Viret from France and Frey Vineyards from California. Check out www.goodwineonline.co.uk for the some of the nicest (and best priced) sulphite free wines available.

Natural wines are attracting a lot of attention at present from both the press and wine drinkers looking for a genuinely healthy option. Until recently organic was in fashion, which subsequently gave way to biodynamic.

So if we were already drinking genuinely healthy organic biodynamic wines, why has this latest style of natural wines appeared?

The truth is perhaps not what we would like to hear! Put simply we weren’t drinking healthy wines in the first place. Organic status was originally developed with all the right motives, to provide us with healthy well made wines with minimal additives. Unfortunately organic status became a victim of it’s own success, and was subsequently hijacked by the global wine companies who saw it as a powerful marketing tool.  In the EU wines are labelled as “wine produced from organically grown grapes” and it is ONLY THE GRAPE GROWING which is certified as organic. During the actual winemaking process chemicals are permitted to be added including large quantities of harmful preservatives including sulphites. So these big companies simply buy in some cheap organically grown grapes then vinify them, add a large dash of chemicals, then market them as “organic”!

Even biodynamic wines are permitted to add up to 90 mg/l of sulphur, so these wines are no healthier than any other. So the “natural wine” movement was born. Ethical producers who wanted to make wines with minmal intervention and virtually no added chemicals, sugars or synthetic yeasts. However there is no official legal status for natural wines, and there is no set of rules for what qualifies and what doesn’t.

Now would you believe the very same global wine companies who peddled their inferior wines  using the terms organic and biodynamic, are now objecting to the natural wine movement saying as there is no regulation, anything could be put into these wines! Now that is the pot calling the kettle black!

Clearly they are concerned that the natural wine movement may take trade away from them, as they know that these wines cannot be mass produced in their own factories on a commercial scale.

Are natural wines any good?

I have just attended the UK’s first natural wine fare in Borough Market this weekend where I tasted over 100 wines, cherry picking what I was told were the best. And my conclusion sadly is “no” - many that were at the fare are not good! But on the other hand I have tasted a few natural wines recently which are very good indeed.  It seems this natural wine fare was organised by a small group of specialist UK importers featuring producers who they already represent. As with all types of wine, it is not always the best examples that are marketed in the UK. I personally thought these wines were very poor taste wise, and as a wine lover I simply wouldn’t want to drink them. I wish I could truthfully say different as I’m a big fan of wines made properly without chemicals.

Most natural wines (but by no means all) are pretty poor in taste (but are healthy). Most are very sensitive and prone to storage problems. And they’re nearly all VERY expensive. At present most producers tend to be idealists (some are way out hippies!) looking to produce as natural a product as possible rather than a wine designed to suit the UK palate. I did find one sulphur free red which was decent, but cost an astronimcal £19 plus VAT per bottle to buy trade! Including VAT on the sales price it would have to retail for upward of £30.

However there is one natural wine producer who is fantastic, making top class affordable wines.

Domaine Viret in the Rhone Valley – you may remember them from the Oz and James episode where Oz called their wines cosmic nectar? Philippe Viret has had 3 red wines listed in the Rhone top 100 and his white, La Coudee D’Or, was voted the best white wine in the Rhone Valley by food and wine critic Michael Bretton. This is up against all wines, not just other natural ones!

Philippe has his own system called cosmoculture which surpasses biodynamic. Everything on the vineyard is completely natural without any form of chemical whatsoever. His wines are frankly delicious and extremely good for you – drinking good red wine EVERY DAY in moderation is actually extremely beneficial healthwise. Read about the many benefits including prevention of cancer and vascular disease here.

Philippe’s wines are available in the UK through www.goodwineonline.co.uk and are very competitively priced – certainly when compared to other natural wines! They start below £10 per bottle, with some of Philippe’s extremely rare 1999s and 2000 vintages costing around £35. That’s basically the same price as any decent Chateauneuf.

If you want to try natural wines I strongly recommend trying Domaine Viret wines. Quite simply they are some of the very best available, and the best value. I have also tried a few excellent natural wines from tiny producers in the Rhone and Languedoc regions, but these are made in such miniscule amounts (some only 500 bottles!) that they are not commercially available, only sold to friends and family.

Just on another note, I also tried the highly publicised Stellar organics “no added sulphur” range from South Africa including their brand new Pinotage, at the London International Wine Fare. They were hideous! We tried the Merlot and Cab Sauv too, and all 3 were undrinkable! I was highly amused as trade photographers like to slink through the crowd taking clandestine snaps of people tasting, and one guy got me just as I tasted the Merlot and virtually spat it straight back out. I wonder if that picture will make it into any of the glossies? 

Just because a wine doesn’t have sulphur added doesn’t make it “natural”. It is just as much about the use of natural rather than artificail strains of yeast, and the addition of other substances including sugars. Don’t believe these Stellar wines are remotely natural – they are not!

Trying to produce wines with no sulphur on an industrial scale (so they can be retailed at comparable prices to wines containing sulphur) just does not work. Stellar Organics is all the proof we need of that! I wouldn’t bath my cat in it (although it tastes like somebody else already has!).