Frey “Natural White” is a sulphite free, organic certified wine from Frey Winery – California’s oldest organic winery. It’s an award winning blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay.

What’s it like?

It’s a natural wine made with only natural yeasts. In manufactured wines, different yeast strains are selected to enhance the aromas or flavours of a wine according to the style required. A natural wine doesn’t have this option so the nose is actually quite subdued, with only natural aromas at normal levels. It’s pale gold in colour with green highlights. Let it open up for a few minutes then the palate develops with flavours of pear, gooseberry and lime. It has fairly full body with a rich, creamy texture and a very clean finish.

You really notice the lack of sulphur on the end palate – in most wines it’s a slightly bitter after taste, which makes you take another sip to wash it away with more fruit. But natural wines are the reverse of this. Initially the flavour is nothing remarkable (as it hasn’t been artificially enhanced by added yeasts), it’s just pure. But then it doesn’t get damaged by the sulphur at the end either, so the second sip is even nicer. As you drink more, the wine just tastes better and better, and of course you don’t get the subtle chemical changes in your body that you would get from drinking chemically enhanced wines.  This makes the wine subconsciously appealing too as your body has no nasty chemicals to process so you don’t feel lethargic while drinking it.

How much? Where from?

Frey Natural White Wine is only available in the UK from boutique wine specialist (including some of the best natural wines too) www.goodwineonline.co.uk at £10.99