Natural wine
As a natural wine (Natural wine, wine Artisant, Naked wine, vin vivant, Naturreiner wine) are often referred to wines that have been produced possible without additives and without extensive cellaring. The term is not regulated by law. Therefore, there are no rules, which lead oenological practices on natural wine, and which are not. The most commonly understood today including those wines that under controlled bio-organic or bio-dynamic point of view can be generated. Wines produced in this way can under organic or organic wine when the operation is certified, are marketed.
The wine laws of the countries are in principle assume that wine is a natural product by alcoholic fermentation of grapes and must not be referred to as such. Although various viticultural production methods and oenological practices are applied, wine is a natural product. Of course, there are different views as you can control both in the vineyard and in the winemaking on wine quality.
Towards the end of the last century winery groups formed mainly from the field of biodynamic viticulture, who want even more "organic" to the movement of natural wines (Natural wines ). The production of these wines is influenced, among others, the following thoughts: looking for an original taste natural wines, respect of nature and opposition to industrial methods in viticulture and wine making, back to the old wine-making practices, in protest against the increasing anonymity through the mechanization of conventional, integrated as originating also from the organic- biological farming wines.
History
The term has historically been closely associated in Germany with the Reform Movement. In the Wine Act of 1909, among other Chaptalisation and wet improvement ( → Ludwig Gall ) was regulated generous. It was allowed to dry sugar are added to increase the alcohol content. In bad vintages, which were characterized by high acidity in not fully ripened grapes, sugar water could be added to increase alcohol and acidity regulation even up to a quarter. This was considered necessary to ensure the economic survival of the wine industry in bad years. From such dependent wines, the natural wine delineated, the self-employed, without keller technical interventions, a stable of product. These were the top wines of very good vintages.
1910 joined the Association of German Nature wine auction of several regional associations, the Association of German today predicate Wine Estates (VDP ). In the following years further oenological innovations influenced the natural wine thoughts. Thus, the term in the wine law of 1930 was defined as " wine to which any other substances, as they are required for cellar treatment, have not been added ." At the time, the sulfurization of the wine has been considered as absolutely necessary.
With the amendment of the Wine Law 1969/1971 term natural wine was replaced by the predicate wine. Unsweetened wines were not allowed to be designated as a natural wine. Instead, the concepts of quality wines produced in specified regions ( psr) and quality wines marked with predicate. The quality of information is no longer related to the manufacturing process, as this proved by numerous oenological innovations difficult. There are also terms such as " fermented " abolished. Instead, the must weight of the grapes was used as an indication of quality and flavor details defined based on the residual sugar values. Only from the Kabinett is alcohol increase (enrichment ) is no longer allowed.
The term natural wine disappeared, the ' Association of Natural Wine Auctioneer its name to Association of Prädikatsweingüter. Today, the term refers not so much to the renunciation of granulated sugar, but also on numerous other oenological practices that are used consciously or deliberately not used. What is new is that very often the sulfurization is rejected. In addition, historical methods of vinification revived (example: Quevri ): oenological practices introduced or outside the winemaking tradition ( maceration at Orange Wine example).