What Are Natural And Vegan Wines?

7 min readOct 6, 2023

And a guide to natural wine importers

Some of you may be wondering how I select the wines I use for the vegan food and wine pairing dinner/experiments I started doing recently, so I want to let y’ll in on my process.

As may have noticed, I only drink natural wines. This might sound elitist, and I can understand why people would think this, but hear me out. To me, natural wine is not a scene or a statement. Since the beginning of my career — 33 years ago — I’ve been drawn to low-intervention wines, and talked to winemakers about growing practices when organic viticulture was stigmatized (that started changing about 20 years ago). As the natural wine movement grew, I’ve found more wines that suit my taste, so at this point, there’s no reason for me to drink anything else. I don’t feel the need to convert everyone to natural wine, though I do want consumers to be open-minded. Most importantly, people should be aware of growing practices and, at the least, buy wines made from organic grapes.

For those of you who are not familiar with natural wine, there is no codified definition, but most agree it means wines made from grapes that are, at a minimum, farmed without synthetic inputs and are preferably from regenerative vineyards, are hand-harvested and fermented with spontaneous/native yeast. Bentonite filtration and mesh filtering are generally accepted, but nothing should be taken out otherwise. Sterile filtration and reverse osmosis are no-nos.

The only additive that some sanction is sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is an organic compound, but an additive nonetheless. Some say that wines with added sulfur aren’t natural. This is an ongoing debate, and I’m not interested in getting into a pissing match over it, as I think we should expend more energy discussing farming practices. However, winemakers should be transparent about how much SO2 they add (I think on the label though no one does this). Personally, I prefer low or no SO2, but there are exceptions. Wines made without sulfur are often referred to as 0/0, but this can be misleading. Zero-zero means nothing added, nothing removed, but some unsulfured wines that still have additions and/or come from synthetically sprayed grapes, so the two are not interchangeable. Wines without added SO2 can be delicious and age worthy. La Garagista in Vermont makes wines that are truly transcendent. Tony Coturri’s wines (considered the godfather of natural wine in California) often take years to come into their own.

However, many 0/0 wines can also be mousey. What is that? No one knows what causes “mouse,” but it’s been described as the smell of mouse pee or a mouse cage. I’ve had cats all my life, so I have no idea what scents a mouse emits, but think about popcorn or stale corn chips. Unfortunately, mousey wines tend to get mousier once opened. Some natural wine venues unapologetically sell mousey wines, which I think is fine (others don’t) so long as consumers are warned. Some people prefer mouse to sulfur. Different strokes.

Unsulfured wines might have volatile acidity (VA), which is primarily acetic acid that can create a vinegar or cider-like aroma. I don’t mind a little VA; it can add complexity. World-renowned Chateau Musar from Lebanon often has a lot of VA, even though it has added SO2. So long as VA doesn’t mask the wine, I can deal. I feel the same way about brettanomyces, aka “bret,’ a yeast that can cause a “barnyard” smell in wines. You’re as likely to find bret in conventionally made wines as in natural wines. Again, a little bret can add nuance and make for an interesting flavor component or accentuator with certain dishes, but when the wine smells like straight-up cow shit, no thanks.

In addition to naturally made wines, I also drink vegan wines. You might be wondering what is not vegan about grapes? Well, fish bladders, egg albumin, and gelatin are some animal products used to fine wine. Animal hides are also used to ferment and age wine in some places, most commonly in South America. I don’t have to worry about the fining issue with natural wines, but I research wines from Chile and Argentina, as some natural wine producers ferment in cowhides.

Where I depart from some other vegans is using animal products in the vineyard, such as manure for fertilizer. I don’t see anything wrong with it — shit has to go somewhere, and using it as fertilizer is better than having it go into water systems, landfill, or sewage plants. It makes perfect sense. Biodynamic Preparation 500, which packs manure into a cow horn, is tricky. How do the cows die? That’s a rhetorical question because most meet an unnatural death. If you are a strict vegan, you should probably avoid biodynamic wines as this is one of the standard practices. It’s one of my inconsistencies; I drink biodynamic wines. Maybe I’ll feel differently one day.

Animals are also employed in vineyard labor. Most regenerative growers no longer till their soil but horses are often used in tilling. Sheep are increasingly introduced into vineyards, in a symbiotic way. They benefit from eating vegetation, and growers reap the rewards of weed control and fresh manure to fertilize the soil.

I often get wholesale pricing or industry discounts, but when I buy retail, I expect to pay at least $25 a bottle, usually a little more. Natural wine is made in smaller quantities, and if the winery pays its people a living wage, their costs will be higher. I realize that most people spend less on wine, and I wish there was more inexpensive natural wine available, but there are numerous costs involved, and winemakers are entitled to make a reasonable profit (and here, I call bullshit on all the $100 + California Cabs, Pinots and wines of a similar ilk). This said, a few importers and winemakers have less pricy options. While harder to come by, it’s not impossible to find natural wines in the $15 — $20 range, and most natural wine shops have some. Distributors Amy Atwood, Jenny & François, and Roni Selects have their own affordable labels (From the Tank, Oeno Wines, and Selects Wine, respectively). In California, Hobo Wine Company and Loella make wines retailing for $20 or less.

I’m inclined to support importers and winemakers who participate in WINeFare, the annual event The Vinguard holds with women in the natural wine movement. I appreciate these companies’ efforts and try to reciprocate by buying their wines. At the same time, I’m always up for trying wines I don’t know. As a rule, I buy from winemakers and importers who I know to be fair and supportive of women, people of color, and other historically marginalized groups. I try to find out as much as I can about how wineries treat those who work for them. That’s a daunting task given the plethora of producers, but I do my best, and especially when it comes to wines from abroad, I support importers who share many values.

When I’m choosing wines to pair with a meal or course, I take the menu into account and think about wines that will complement as well as contrast. You can read more about that here. If I’m dining with a winemaker, I ask them to bring a bottle or two they made. I sometimes draw from my cellar, but I try to rely on more recent vintages since older wines are not as readily available. The big question is who gets invited, the most important criteria being getting along with Seamus, my cat :)

I’ll leave you with a list of natural wine importers, at least those that are available in California. If I don’t know a wine, I can usually tell if it’s what I’m looking for based on the importer, as most have a specific direction or geographical specialty. There are always new importers popping up so, for sure, I’m leaving some out.

+ Woman-owned (at least partially)

* only available in California.

They are grouped as follows: