All the lies about natural wine

They say it's healthier, but that's just one of many green myths. There's no scientific evidence that it causes fewer headaches after drinking it, or that it contains beneficial bacteria. What to know about sulfites.

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Among the many clichés, devoid of any scientific rigor or reliability, there's also the myth that natural wine is healthier. This is completely untrue, to the point that a veritable literature of lies, big and small, has developed around natural wine. 

First of all, the definition of “natural” wine (sometimes it is referred to as “farmer's” wine) it is not univocal and transparent. There is no single, mandatory specification, as is the case, for example, with DOC, organic, or biodynamic wines. One can only say that natural wine is produced with the least possible intervention, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, according to a philosophy shared by many producers, but not regulated by law.

As for its benefits, sometimes touted as miraculous, science debunks almost all of them. One by one.

  • Natural wine does not cause less headache, The after-effects and dehydration of conventional wine. And sulfites are almost never the cause of headaches, which instead depend on the amount drunk, the alcohol content, and the residual sugar content.
  • Another fake invention green and false sustainability is that natural wine improves intestinal health. Alcohol, in general, is not a friend of the intestines and in wine there are no Probiotics useful lives. If it is true that natural wine uses fewer additives, it is also true that Additives authorized in wine are not known to harm the microbiota.
  • Natural wines do not have pesticides: And who can guarantee it, given that there are no regulations, unlike those for organic or biodynamic production? Each producer interprets and defines the concept of "natural wine" in their own way, and therefore no one can guarantee the absence of pesticides.
  • It is not true that the quantity of sulphites added to conventional wine is harmful as such. On the contrary: sulfites protect wine from oxidation and bacteria, make it more stable and safe, and are present of course even without additives. Therefore, they can also exist in wine defined as "natural."
  • It is absolutely not proven or reliable that natural wine contains “good” bacteria. Actually. 

In poorly protected natural wines, the following may develop:

  • bacteria that produce histamine
  • oxidative microorganisms
  • unwanted yeasts and bacteria

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