Natural Wines

Natural wines are wines that rely completely on the good practices of cultivation and production. Natural wine producers follow the practices of organic and biodynamic farming strongly, but still in a more rigorous way. Natural wines are produced entirely with organically grown grapes. This means that the vineyards are grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. Organic farms work in symbiosis with nature, by using natural methods they help reduce pest control. One of these methods consists of diverse blooming crop rotations between the vines which can help attract the natural predators of vineyard pests. Another method is building up the soil with natural inputs including green manure and compost. These measures help create a self-regulating ecosystem for vineyards, meaning organic wines can be made without reliance on potentially harmful pesticides.
Wines that can be defined as natural do not involve any chemical intervention in the vineyard. In some cases and only if strictly necessary, copper and sulfur are used to protect the vineyards from pests while selected yeasts are banned in the cellar, but the only microorganisms responsible for alcoholic firming and malolactic firmness are yeasts and bacteria that are naturally present on the grapes during harvesting. These yeasts are referred to as wild yeasts and in a way define the territory of origin and the vineyard from which the grape comes. In the cellar, however, all chemical interventions are prohibited specifically the addition of sulfites, except in some exceptional cases in which particularly unfavorable years require a use, although limited, for a good keeping of wine.
Fermentation does not take place at controlled temperatures and what usually guarantees the success of the production is often the container in which the grape must is fermented, which can take place in steel tanks, wooden barrels, cement tanks, or terracotta amphorae.
Additives that are usually employed during the process are excluded and in some cases, the only sugar source that can be used is the one produced by the grape itself. In this case for the production of excellent natural wine, the competence and skill of the winemaker are fundamental. Usually, natural wine is not filtered nor clarified and for this reason, some sediments can be found but these are only traits of the wonderful natural process of this outstanding sulfite-free wine.
Even though there are strong regulations that define a natural wine, there are currently no laws that define Natural Wines as a variety. There are associations of producers that regulate the practices in the vineyard and winemaking bringing together winegrowers from all over the world who dedicate their production to the preservation of the territory in which they operate respecting its history, culture, and art, becoming part of it.
At Fattoria San Michele not only do we have a strong knowledge of the territory in which we produce our wines but also an excellent knowledge of wine-making practices. We have chosen to cherish and respect nature. It is our mission to protect our environment by opting for natural and organic procedures when we produce our wine.