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10 Best Luxury Natural And Organic Wines For Every Occasion
Our expert reveals the best sustainable wines to enjoy this summer and beyond
We’ve already seen orange wine gain popularity in recent years, with pet nats (low sugar wine) hot on their tail. And it seems the natural wine movement shows no signs of slowing down, with Selfridges recently launching a new edit, showcasing the traditional to the super funky.
Here we pick out some of our favourite sustainable whites and reds, as tried and tested by our expert panel.
Best organic and natural wines 2021
- Best organic white wine: Selfridges Selection Project Earth Organic Vegan White Wine
- Best organic red wine: Paul Jaboulet Aîné 'Parallele 45' Côtes du Rhône Rouge
- Runner-up organic red wine: The Hedonist Ecology Grenache Organic Wine
- Best unfiltered wine: The Unfiltered Dog Samurai Chardonnay
- Best organic cabernet sauvignon blend: Le Rouge La Coste
- Best white pet nat: Tenuta di Tavignano Il Pestifero Organic Pét-Nat
- Best red pet nat: Niepoort Nat'Cool Drink Me Baga
- Best Sicilian organic wine: Purato Siccari Appassimento
- Best Argentinian natural wine: Ver Sacrum Geisha Dragon del Desierto
- Best organic pinot noir: Tindall Reserve Organic Pinot Noir
What are natural wines?
Although there’s no legal definition, natural wines generally have a range of attributes including hand-picked grapes, biodynamic farming practices and the absence of additives or unnatural preservatives. Perhaps most importantly, natural wines are produced with low-intervention wine-making processes (used for thousands of years before commercial wine production). This often leads to natural fermentation, contributing to the often cloudy appearance and distinctive taste.
Selfridges Wine Buyer, Neil McDonald, tells ELLE UK: ‘We’re seeing customers are increasingly environmentally conscious and becoming more interested in organic and biodynamic wines, as these processes work with nature, not against it.
'When I travel to vineyards, it’s very important to see the quality of the vineyard itself — you can quickly tell the difference between those caring for the land and not. The best vineyards are the ones that are full of life; with lots of native plants, insects and microorganisms present in the soil. Not only do the terriors come through more strongly when the grapes have been cared for, but these great-tasting wines have that added vibrancy, without the addition of pesticides and chemicals.’
What is the difference between natural and organic wine?
We’ve included a bit of both here. Organic wines have strict rules in order to be ‘certified’ organic, while natural wines tend to follow the guidelines above.
Does organic wine give you a headache?
Some people believe that it’s the sulphites in (often cheap) wine that gives them the headache — and not the copious amounts they’ve consumed the night before. The jury is out, but it certainly can’t hurt to drink a more natural product containing less chemicals.
How we test
We recruited a panel of 10 testers (a mixture of wine experts and general vino drinkers) to give 25 natural and organic bottles of wine their undivided attention. They rated each, looking for flavours across the full spectrum — from fresh and fruity to rich and full-bodied. Here's the best luxury brands to try right now...
To help us shop more sustainably, Selfridges has collated all of its relevant earth-conscious options under the Project Earth umbrella. This organic, vegan wine was our panel’s favourite organic white, thanks to a complex palate of brioche, citrus and white pepper. The red version is also superb.
Key specifications
Country: Spain
Grapes: Garnatxa blanc (grenache blanc)
75cl, 13.5%
Certified organic, as well as broadly following biodynamic principles, Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s wines are always worth looking out for. Displaying chewy red fruit such as strawberry and cherry, and a spicy kick, our panel felt this light red would be best paired with grilled lamb for your next Sunday roast.
Key specifications
Country: France
Grapes: Grenache, syrah
75cl, 14%
The Hedonist Ecology Grenache Organic Wine
Textural and savoury, The Hedonist’s grenache is a fail-safe choice when entertaining. Strawberries, cherries and raspberries are all wrapped up in a leathery finish, making this an excellent choice with intensely flavoured meat, such as duck or smoked charcuterie.
Key specifications
Country: Australia
Grapes: Grenache
75cl, 14%
In contrast to the oaky chardonnay of the early noughties, this zippy, natural unfiltered number couldn’t be fresher. The panel loved the combination of ripe peach against a buttery richness, and thought it delivered oodles of complexity, making it outstanding value. Try it with summer salads or as an aperitif.
Key specifications
Country: Australia
Grapes: Chardonnay
75cl, 13%
From the makers of your beloved Lady A (an ELLE UK-approved easy drinking rosé from the Soho House group), comes this biodynamic full-bodied red from Provence. It has that distinctive hint of farmyard on the nose that tells you this is a natural wine — but don’t let that put you off. Complex and rich with plenty of ripe red fruit, it’s ultra quaffable.
Key specifications
Country: France
Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon, grenache, syrah
75cl, 14%
If you picked this one up for the cute label alone, we wouldn’t blame you but this natural sparkler is more than just a pretty bottle. The brand’s techniques ensure minimal environmental impact, and the vineyard has been fully organic since the 2015 vintage. The wine itself is an easy-drinking style with subtle bubbles, plenty of lemon sherbet, and a slightly savoury note. In short — a super fun drop to serve next time you’re hosting.
Key specifications
Country: Italy
Grapes: Verdicchio, malvasia and sangiovese
75cl, 11.5%
Niepoort Nat'Cool Drink Me Baga
For something totally different, allow us to introduce a Portuguese pet nat made with red grapes. It’s perfect for summer, with strawberries and cherries on the palate and a hint of refreshing orange. Youthful and crisp, it’s served slightly chilled to appreciate the light fizz. Our testers reckon this one litre bottle is a picnic essential.
Key specifications
Country: Portugal
Grapes: Baga
100cl, 12.5%
Abel & Cole is our go-to for organic produce, including natty wines such as this one from Sicily. This red has a really concentrated flavour — our testers picked out raisins, sweet cherries, vanilla and tobacco — which develop as the grapes are left to dry naturally in the hot Italian sun.
Key specifications
Country: Sicily
Grapes: Nero d'avola, shiraz/syrah
75cl, 14%
Ver Sacrum is a winery with lofty intentions to ‘bottle the vineyard’. That means using old-fashioned, low-intervention techniques resulting in unmasked, fruit-forward wines. Our panel approved, finding a smooth white with refreshing acidity, and intense stone fruit. First time trying viognier? Its full-bodied nature is excellent with spicy Asian cuisine.
Key specifications
Country: Argentina
Grapes: Viognier, marsanne and criolla blanca75cl, 13.5%
Tindall Reserve Organic Pinot Noir
Using certified-organic grapes from New Zealand’s esteemed Marlborough region, the brand works with nature to create fresh, elegant wines, reflective of the terroir. The result is an extremely smooth pinot noir, with textbook mushroom, raspberry and cherry notes, making it a versatile food-friendly choice.
Key specifications
Country: New Zealand
Grapes: Pinot noir
75cl, 13%
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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