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A wine without sulphites is a wine with no sulphites added during winemaking: it always contains a small natural amount produced by fermentation. Going further still, natural wine starts from organic or biodynamic grapes, with minimal inputs in the cellar. Keep it cool (15 °C maximum) and decant it to reveal its fruit.
How do you tell a natural or sulphite-free wine apart from a conventional wine? Here are some answers. Our selection of sulphite-free wines
Our Natural & Sulphite-Free Wines selection : clean cuvées chosen by our sommeliers and shipped direct from the winemaker's cellar, at estate (cellar-door) price. See the selection →
You have to go back to the great winegrowing workers' strikes of 1903 and 1904 to hear the term "natural wine" for the first time. At the time, the aim was to produce wine "without artificial processing". It was in the 1950s that the natural wine movement truly took off, with its spiritual father Jules Chauvet, a wine merchant-grower and occasional chemist in the Beaujolais. But what does it actually mean?
In fact, a natural wine is a wine "with no added sulphites", because sulphites occur naturally in wine. When grapes ferment, they produce sulphur dioxide, our famous sulphite. Widely used in the food industry, particularly in ready-made meals, this powerful antiseptic can give you quite a headache.
To recap, a natural wine would therefore be a wine to which little or no inputs such as sulphite are added during winemaking. Even though no legislation has been filed to date, the Association des Vins Naturels explains that a natural wine is an organic or biodynamic wine, vinified as naturally as possible. In other words, "nothing is removed and nothing is added, or only in homeopathic doses, and ideally people do not intervene, they accompany".
When it comes to tasting, that is a whole different matter. Many agree that you have to try the experience several times. If you notice an aftertaste of stale egg or even of stable, don't worry: these are reduction smells caused by a lack of aeration. You may also feel a "slight spritz" when you take the wine in your mouth, but don't panic, this is normal. Some winemakers add CO2 to protect their wines. To avoid these inconveniences, decant your wine and shake it gently.
Another important tip: a natural wine should be stored at a maximum temperature of 15°C. Since it is not stabilised by inputs, too high a temperature could risk reactivating fermentation.
When we talk about sulphite-free wine, natural wine, organic wine or biodynamic wine, it is easy to get lost. All these terms point to the same philosophy, but they do not cover the same reality. A sulphite-free wine refers, in everyday language, to a wine with no sulphites added during winemaking or bottling. As you have seen, wine always contains a small amount of natural sulphites produced by fermentation. Conversely, an organic wine respects a precise set of specifications under European regulations on how the vine is managed and how inputs are used, but it still allows the addition of sulphites, simply in limited doses.
Natural wine goes even further. Even though the regulations are still vague to date, these are generally organic wines made from grapes grown under organic or biodynamic farming, with minimal inputs in the cellar. The doses of added sulphites are very low, or even non-existent, and the aim is to let the grape and the terroir express themselves with maximum authenticity. Some estates choose to have their approach certified with a Demeter label (for biodynamics) or another official certification (such as Biodyvin), while others rely on a natural-wine defence association to assert their practices.
Want to compare organic and biodynamic? Discover our cuvées from independent winemakers, vinified as close to the grape as possible and delivered direct from the estate cellar. See the biodynamic wines →
One question comes up often: does a sulphite-free wine prevent headaches after tasting? Indeed, sulphites can effectively be poorly tolerated by certain sensitive or allergic people, but they are not the only ones responsible. Alcohol itself, dehydration or even the presence of biogenic amines (nitrogen compounds that appear during certain fermentations) can also play a role. In practice, many enthusiasts find that they digest a well-made natural wine better, but the key remains moderation, hydration, hygiene in the cellar, and the quality of the wine!
To choose a bottle of natural wine well, you have to look beyond the marketing label. Certain elements can guide you:
A well-made sulphite-free wine is not meant to stand out through unusual winemaking, nor to taste different from a conventional wine. However, in practice, natural wines often offer great drinkability, very pure fruit and a particular energy on the palate. To find out for sure, do a little blind tasting among friends, comparing a "classic" wine and a sulphite-free wine, so you can form your own opinion!
Some may show, on opening, more marked reduction notes, or a slight spritz, as you have already read: this is where aeration plays a key role. To best appreciate a natural wine, do not hesitate to decant it generously and serve it at the right temperature, avoiding excess heat.
On Avenue des Vins, you will find organic wine, biodynamic wine, natural wine and sulphite-free wine from across the French vineyard. Our mission is to offer you clean, sincere wines, worked with minimal inputs, while remaining stable and pleasant to drink. Now it's your turn! To enjoy a unique experience without breaking the bank, we advise you to start the adventure right away with our selection.
Why buy direct from the winemaker? On Avenue des Vins, every cuvée comes direct from the estate: you pay the estate (cellar-door) price, with no middleman adding their margin, with a traceable vintage and a bottle shipped from the estate cellar. It is also the best way to support independent winemakers who make the demanding choice of clean wine.
Ready to taste a sincere wine? Our sommeliers hand-pick clean cuvées, delivered direct from the winemaker's cellar, at estate (cellar-door) price. Discover our selection →
A sulphite-free wine refers, in everyday language, to a wine with no sulphites added during winemaking: it always contains a natural share of sulphites produced by fermentation. Natural wine goes further: it starts from organic or biodynamic grapes and limits all inputs in the cellar as much as possible, not just sulphur.
Not necessarily. Sulphites can bother sensitive people, but alcohol, dehydration and biogenic amines also play a role. Many enthusiasts digest a well-made natural wine better, provided they stick to moderation and hydration.
Keep it cool, at 15 °C maximum: with no inputs to stabilise it, heat risks reactivating fermentation. When serving, decant it generously and shake it gently to soften any reduction notes or a slight spritz.
Look for the wording "no added sulphites" or "less than 10 mg/l of SOâ‚‚", the organic or biodynamic logos (AB, Euroleaf, Demeter) and a back label that details the estate's approach (hand harvesting, indigenous yeasts, long ageing).
Because you buy at the estate (cellar-door) price, with no middleman adding their margin. The bottle is shipped directly from the estate cellar, with a traceable vintage and optimal freshness, all while supporting independent winemakers selected by our sommeliers.
