L'Opéra des Vins Collection

Great question! There are a lot of definitions for natural wine with the main term you'll hear being that it has had minimal intervention. To be more specific, our definition is that the wine must first be sustainably farmed, which typically means it was organically or biodynamically farmed.

Then, in the cellar the natural winemaking process has some differences as well! The wine is typically unfined, unfiltered, and goes through spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. If you want to know more about what natural wine is, we have an entire guide under our reference section!

The short answer is that natural wine can taste like any other kind of conventional wine (we like to call these stealth natural wines) or it can taste quite a bit different, as production methods can vary and potentially be lighter, or in a style you've never had before (like orange, pet-nat or amphora).

The natural wine community is also more accepting of some qualities in wines that conventional would consider a flaw, like Brett, some oxidation, or volatile acidity. We would consider these in high amounts to also be a flaw, but in many cases a touch of these qualities can ultimately improve their flavor and texture and be happily accepted in a natural wine.

To find out more about what natural wine tastes like, check out our full blog and podcast on the topic here.

The short answer is, no — but many are! Glou-glou is a French term often used to describe wines that are light, fresh, and easy to enjoy. They’re typically made to be served young, often with bright fruit flavors, lower tannins, and an average ABV around 10%. These wines are meant for casual, approachable drinking and are especially popular in the natural wine world. You can explore different styles of glou-glou natural wine on our site!