So-called natural wines are getting more attention lately as consumers pursue products deemed to be healthier and more authentic. Natural wines are wines made by people who approach their craft with a minimalist philosophy, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The grapes are grown organically, meaning that they are not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. They may also be grown bio-dynamically which, in addition to no pesticides, involves enhancing the soil with certain organic preparations. It also includes processes and timelines for enriching the soil, planting, pruning, and harvesting based on the phases of the moon and astrological signs. In the winery, natural wines are made with minimal intervention. Grapes are hand-picked and hand de-stemmed. Only naturally occurring yeasts are used for fermentation, and mechanical processes in the wine making are avoided. Since filtration is rare, there may be a cloudiness to the wine that is harmless. Sulfites are not added and nothing extraneous is added to the juice. Therefore, natural wines are said to be the purest expression of the fruit, the most authentic product of the vineyard. See our natural wine selection
'Orange' wines, also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months. This lends anywhere from an orange tint to a pronounced orange color to the wine. [Click here to read The Polarizing Power of Orange Wine by Eric Asimov in The New York Times] See our orange wine selection