Is 'real' natural wine becoming endangered?

Not surprisingly, as we consumers have become more conscious of what’s on our plates, demand for organic food has increased, along with knowing where it comes from and how it was farmed and made. Is wine next?

Perhaps so. That may be why natural wine, which is ‘made from organically grown grapes, with nothing added or taken away’, according to natural wine advocate Alice Feiring, has become a hot topic as of late.

There’s been alot of buzz about natural wine becoming mainstream, between New Yorker’s November 18th article ‘How Natural Wine Became a Symbol of Virtuous Consumption’ and New York Times Dec 7th opinion article ‘Is Natural Wine Really Dead’. With larger companies getting on the natural wine band wagon, it can be difficult for a consumer to really know what they are buying and drinking.

Confusion about what natural wine ‘really is’ motivated Antonella Manuli in 2013, during her Tuscan farm and winery, La Maliosa’s, early years of production, to approach Lorenzo Corino, legendary viticulture researcher and natural wine producer from Costigliole d’Asti in Piedmont, Italy, to develop a method for natural wine farming and production. After several years of collaborating, the Metodo Corino was defined and patented, with La Maliosa’s products paving the way.

The Metodo Corino, just like in organic farming, sees no use of pesticides or other chemicals, and it goes a step further. According to Lorenzo, more than 50 percent of a wine grower-maker’s work is in taking care of the soil, including no tilling the soil and keeping flora on the soil all year round. From the soil to the cellar, everything occurs through natural processes, including no added sulfites nor added yeast.

To follow all the steps of production, without risking to become manufactured, the Metodo Corino sustains that total production remains ‘artisan-sized’, eg, up to 1000 case production / year. By US standards, this is a very small winery. ‘True’ natural wine of one single producer would never reach chains or large scale nation-wide distribution since they don’t make sufficient volume. Instead you need to seek it out!

This is what Vero (which means ‘real’ or ‘true’ in italian), is all about - we do the work to find you these small production, sustainable gems and bring them direct to you; and not just wine but also delicacies like small production extra virgin olive oil.

Vero is fortunate to have Anontella Manuli’s natural wines and organic extra virgin olive oil, as well as Lorenzo Corino’s delicious old vine barbera and nebbiolo wines as part of our portfolio. All developed following the Metodo Corino, you are in for a treat, body, mind and soul!

Consumers, you can find them in our online shop, and trade buyers and distributors you may contact us to get pricing, etc.