Natural Wine: An introduction to organic and biodynamic wines made naturally

by Isabelle Legeron

Find out more about natural wine—made naturally from organically or biodynamically grown grapes—from leading authority Isabelle Legeron MW.

Find out more about natural wine—made naturally from organically or biodynamically grown grapes—from leading authority Isabelle Legeron MW

Wine-making has become ever-more unnatural, from the use of blanket crop-spraying in vineyards, to the over-use of sulfites and additives in the cellar, but luckily there is another way, as Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron explains. Isabelle, who campaigns for natural wine around the world and runs the hugely successful RAW wine fairs in New York, London, and Berlin, reveals why the finest, most authentic wines are those made naturally. While currently not regulated by an official definition, natural wines are made from sustainably farmed, organic (or biodynamic) grapes, with nothing removed or added during winemaking, bar at most a dash of sulfites. It is good old-fashioned grape juice fermented into wine—just as nature intended. If you care about what’s in your glass, want to explore unique flavors, or are keen to support small-scale producers, then you need to know more about natural wine, and where to find it. The second edition of this consumer guide to natural wine has been fully updated, and explains the processes involved, introduces you to some of the growers, and suggests over 140 of the best wines for you to try.

“A joyous celebration of all that Legeron believes is good and pure in the world of wine and wine production.” TLS

Shortlisted for the André Simon Food & Drink Awards 2015. the Fortnum and Mason Food & Drink Awards 2014, and the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards 2015.

Genres: Wine, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2014

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent primer on organic and biodynamic wines, well-written and beautifully photographed. The second edition from 2017 has an extensive (for Paris, NYC, and San Francisco) list of cafes, restaurants, and shops selling these rare wines from tiny wineries.

[Nicolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belle introduction pour les curieux-ruses et beau répertoire: de quoi faire allonger votre lise d’envies et d’IP...

[Cat Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

One cannot help, when just beginning, to get easily swept up in Legeron’s writing about natural wine. She champions these wines so fervently that it becomes almost a political call to action.
However, when every single natural winemaker is beyond reproach, and the system becomes personified by a villain “out to get them all”, one has to put the book down a little, take a light pinch of salt, and start again.

I loved this book for its explanations - brief but effective (I can get more in depth elsewhere; this is, after all: an introduction), its portraits, its photographs and its wine list at the end. It is difficult to write objectively about something you love.

However, as an introduction which should by definition serve absolute novices, I think this book should have been more level-headed overall.

[Matik · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has RUINED my interest in natural wines. I did like few natural wines before and got this book to guide my further exploration, but now I feel like I'd better stay away.

First, the author leaves without explanation a lot of things she writes about. She doesn't even care to properly explain what "biodynamic" actually means (or is it because it's some spiritual-astrological nonsense?).

Second, right from the first pages you feel how biased the author is, how she considers everything "natural" to be much better then human-made just because it's natural. The book is filled with statements supported only by the author's emotions — some of those statements are just ignorant.

To be fair, I did get a few insights about the process of making wine and why some aspects of producing natural wines make sense, but overall I've got an impression that the whole community is a freak show that manages to produce something drinkable only by accident.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and another building block of a natural wine journey,but I didn’t like how it was put together- it dived about all over the place and didn’t sustain thought. I also would have appreciated seeing labels at the back with recommended wines to have a more visual idea of what she was recommending.

[Jesper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring 🍷

[Katie Mather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to natural wine, with plenty of useful knowledge and interesting interviews with growers and producers.

[Foos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice photos, but on the rudimentary side. I was hoping for more depth.

[Vasyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to natural wine.

[Hannah Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read on wine!

[Safaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came for grape farming, stayed for wine recommendations

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of pretty photos of natural vineyards in the sunset, but I didn't find the information all that enlightening. Maybe it would have been better years ago before natural wine bars had sprouted up everywhere, but I came in already knowing the basics, and this didn't elaborate on them much. I'm trying to think of what I learned from reading this, and all I can come up with is that commercial whites are so sterile because they to stop the malo on purpose to keep a crisp flavor. Now I know why I suddenly like whites now that I'm drinking natural wines.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok introduction to the natural wine movement.