Although it’s wine season, year-round, the holidays are the perfect time to try something different, and that’s where natural wines come in. The natural wines category is growing pretty rapidly, and if you haven’t gotten into the craze, now is the perfect time to join team natural wine.
As a huge wino, I was curious to explore the world of natural wines. I spoke with natural wines expert and beverage director at Faro, Siobhan Spencer, all about the natural wine movement.
When asked what makes natural wine different, she was happy to explain that it’s processed differently from your every-day conventional wine. I wondered what the main difference is between natural wine versus conventional, and Spencer told me that, “Natural wine is low intervention where nothing is added, and nothing is taken away. So, what you’re getting is the grape itself.”
Natural wine is not exclusive to any country; you can find wine from all over the world and even locally (think The Finger Lakes).
When it comes to the creation process, she explained that conventional wine can have up to 72 different additives – which blew my mind! – whereas natural wines do not. Spencer explained that natural wines are designed to let the grapes speak for themselves.
Although natural wine is great, there is no certification or regulation process in this market, which makes the category a little challenging to dive into. When it comes to picking up natural wines in-store, Spencer told me:
“When shopping for natural wine it is important to find a place you can feel comfortable asking questions. Talk with the staff and be honest that you are not familiar with natural wines but would like to try something new. Having a place you trust to guide you into the natural wine world is extremely helpful.”
She also explained that natural wines are grown differently, and the grapes are handpicked, which shows how much work goes into these smaller batch wines. The wines are also bottled without filtration, which makes a huge difference in the product. Spencer wants you to know that a lot of extra care and love goes into producing this kind of wine.
When it comes to tasting natural wines, Spencer suggests going for what you like typically. If you’re not sure, you can always ask for recommendations at Faro. If you check out Faro on Wednesdays, they offer additional glasses of wine, which are normally only available via bottle. You can really dive into the world of natural wines. When I tasted a few varieties, as someone who usually gravitates towards white wine, I found myself captivated by a red pét-nat – a variety of sparkling wine.
The flavor of natural wine varies quite a bit, you can go for something clean and familiar, or you can explore something a little bit funkier, it’s all to your taste. To check out Faro’s incredible selection of natural wines, you can visit Faro at 436 Jefferson Street, Brooklyn. You can book a reservation via resy.com.
