Going Au Naturel
While the natural wine movement was born in France, it is gathering pace across the winemaking world, including Australia.
Australia may have earned its wine stripes for its powerful Shiraz and crisp Chardonnay, which today accounts for half of all white wine produced in the country, but a different type of wine is now attracting drinkers.
In recent years, Australia has built a reputation as “a natural wine paradise,” according to Member and wine importer Andrew Heffernan, who hosts an Aussie natural wine tasting at the Club this month.
Natural wine might represent a small slice of the overall market in Australia, but Wine Enthusiast’s Christina Pickard says its influence is “widespread.”
“The number of producers [in Australia] who today identify as natural or are a bit natural-ish or tick a lot of the natural boxes is uncountable,” Australian wine writer Max Allen told the magazine in 2020.
Colonial Trade’s Heffernan, who grew up in the famed Australian winemaking region of Yarra Valley, shares his thoughts on the rise of natural wine.
What makes a wine “natural”?
AH: My definition is a wine made without fining or cross-flow filtration and without any additives, with the exception of low added sulfites—under 50 parts per million [conventional wine contains up to 350 parts per million].
What is behind the global natural wine movement?
AH: People aged 40 and younger are much more environmentally motivated when purchasing consumables. Furthermore, they seek out artisanal and small production products. Natural wine is an exciting part of a return to methods that predate certain technologies and the “scientification” of wine, which, in its best form, is a true representation of the vineyard and the winemaker.
How popular are Australia’s natural wines?
AH: Incredibly popular. In fact, it is very difficult to get export allocations, as most wines are sold domestically or to bigger markets, such as the US. Specifically in Japan, Australian natural wines have a good reputation, which cannot necessarily be said about our classically made wines.
What are the benefits of producing natural wine?
AH: In my opinion, a natural wine need not be yeasty or funky. The natural wines we import are all well-made and drink well over several days. They are typically lighter and easier to digest and, with skin contact being a core principle in many natural wines, you get the health benefits typically only associated with red wine.
What can Members expect from this month’s tasting?
AH: An assortment of petulant, amber, orange, light red and white wines. I have selected a range of picnic- and barbecue-friendly wines appropriate for drinking on summer nights and the warm autumn afternoons that follow.
Aussie Natural Wine Tasting
August 25 | 6:30–8pm
Words: Nick Jones
Image: Clara Garcia
