Natural Wine Asheville, NC

wine grapesIf you’re interested in wine, you’ve probably heard of natural wine. Natural wine is the unfiltered, untamed, and virtually unprocessed version of wine. 

In most cases, natural wine does not look or taste like regular wine. While natural wine is recently trendy, people have been making fermented grape juice without manipulation or additives for thousands of years. 

Here’s what natural wine is, how it tastes, if it’s a healthier choice, the best practices, and where to find it. 

All About Natural Wine

Natural Wine Tasting Notes

Natural wines are distinguished by their funkier, gamier, yeastier flavors and cloudy appearance. They frequently have a much less fruity and a more yeasty aroma profile than a typical wine, smelling almost like yogurt. 

Naturally, some natural wines are quite clean and fruity. However, if you sample a few, you'll notice that the majority of them lean toward the sour, yeasty end of the spectrum.

There are producers all over the world who make natural wines in a variety of styles. Some winemakers ferment their wines in clay amphora pots or leave the wine in contact with the skins for an extended period of time. Natural wines are unlikely to see much new oak aging because most producers believe it taints the true expression of the grape. 

Is Natural Wine Healthier?

Many people believe that natural wines are healthier because they are free of additives, sulfites, and other additives. Wine sulfites aren't always a bad thing. Although it is a controversial issue, there is no evidence that sulfites cause wine headaches.

Natural wines are both unfiltered and unfined, which means that any impurities in the wine such as microbes and proteins remain in the bottle. Furthermore, using native yeasts on occasion may increase the number of biogenic amines found in wine. Tyramine is one of these biogenic amines that has been linked to headaches and migraines.

Sulfite-free wines are far more unstable over time, and they are extremely sensitive. As a result, natural wines are far more likely to spoil if handled incorrectly by the shipper or retailer. Natural wines are much more stable with higher acidity because they create an unwelcome environment for microbes.

Best Practice for Natural Wine

Because natural wines are more delicate than traditional wines, here is a shortlist of best practices for handling:

  • To reduce the risk of transport spoilage, buy your natural wines from local retailers.
  • Consume within a year of purchase.
  • Keep in your wine fridge, cellar, or refrigerator.
  • Never allow your bottles to exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 26.7 degrees Celsius.
  • Keep natural wines away from all sources of light.
  • Refrigerate open wines sealed with a cork.

Natural Wine at Metro Wine in Asheville, NC

Metro Wine's selection of natural wines showcases some of the best wines in the world. We make certain that these wines have everything they require to stay fresh until you're ready to pour a glass. 

Shop for natural wines online or visit our local wine shop to begin your exploration of our natural wine selection.