Old Ways of Making Wine Gain New Fans
2023-10-19
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1Wine made by ancient methods is gaining new fans.
2Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fruit like grapes.
3Natural wine uses methods that reduce processing and harmful effects on the Earth.
4Research company IWSR Drinks Market Analysis found that people in the U.S. are seeking natural wine in increasing numbers.
5At the same time, the number of wine buyers has been dropping since 2015.
6Natural and other Earth-friendly wines made up less than one percent of sales in 2021.
7But demand for those wines was rising faster than other kinds on the whole, reported Drizly, an online site for ordering and shipping wine and other alcohol.
8Most natural wines are made with organic grapes collected by hand.
9Organic growers do not use poisonous chemicals to stop or control insects or unwanted plant growth.
10To make wine, the grapes need to be crushed.
11Some wine producers crush grapes by foot like people of ancient times.
12Afterwards, the crushed grapes ferment naturally. Manufacturers do not add water, yeast or other substances.
13There are exceptions. Some natural winemakers add sulfites, a chemical produced naturally in grapes.
14Extra sulfites can help preserve, or keep, the wine.
15And some winemakers clear the final liquid of any small pieces that could make it look cloudy.
16The result is wines that are earthy and less predictable than many of the wines created by bigger producers.
17"The first time you taste it, you can tell it's alive," said John Keller.
18He is the owner and winemaker at Neu Cellars in Northern Michigan.
19But selling natural wine processes can be difficult.
20Natural wine has no set definition in the U.S.
21It is not easy to find, since most natural wines do not identify as such on their labels.
22"Natural just sounds good, but conventional wine is pretty natural too," said Anita Oberholster.
23She is a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis.
24"If the idea of natural wine is going to grow, we should do research on it and define it."
25Keller of Neu Cellars has a degree in biochemistry.
26He started out working for a big winemaker in California.
27But he left because he was not happy about all the chemical mixes it used.
28These include gelatin, oak dust, and eggs.
29However, some say the line between natural and conventional wines is very narrow.
30Many products added to wine, like yeast, are natural products, Oberholster said.
31And many conventional wines are made without adding anything.
32Some in the industry would like to establish rules for producing natural wine.
33France's wine industry took such action in 2020, enacting requirements that winemakers must meet to identify their wines as natural.
34Some manufacturers argue that rules can make wine making more costly.
35Keller uses organic grapes but he says he cannot support the cost of repeated inspections for approval as an organic wine.
36Anthony Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a wine investment company.
37He sees another problem.
38Vinovest says some wine companies are profiting from the lack of rules.
39They use labeling content like imagery that suggests their wine making is natural when they are not, he argues.
40That can mislead buyers who often will pay higher prices for wines made by smaller producers that use natural methods.
41However, buyers may have more information on wine bottles soon.
42Starting in December, wines sold in the European Union will have to identify on their labeling all the substances each product contains.
43Oberholster expects the U.S. to pass similar measures as well in the next few years.
44I'm Gregory Stachel.
1Wine made by ancient methods is gaining new fans. 2Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fruit like grapes. 3Natural wine uses methods that reduce processing and harmful effects on the Earth. Research company IWSR Drinks Market Analysis found that people in the U.S. are seeking natural wine in increasing numbers. At the same time, the number of wine buyers has been dropping since 2015. 4Natural and other Earth-friendly wines made up less than one percent of sales in 2021. But demand for those wines was rising faster than other kinds on the whole, reported Drizly, an online site for ordering and shipping wine and other alcohol. 5Most natural wines are made with organic grapes collected by hand. Organic growers do not use poisonous chemicals to stop or control insects or unwanted plant growth. 6To make wine, the grapes need to be crushed. Some wine producers crush grapes by foot like people of ancient times. Afterwards, the crushed grapes ferment naturally. Manufacturers do not add water, yeast or other substances. 7There are exceptions. Some natural winemakers add sulfites, a chemical produced naturally in grapes. Extra sulfites can help preserve, or keep, the wine. And some winemakers clear the final liquid of any small pieces that could make it look cloudy. 8The result is wines that are earthy and less predictable than many of the wines created by bigger producers. 9"The first time you taste it, you can tell it's alive," said John Keller. He is the owner and winemaker at Neu Cellars in Northern Michigan. 10But selling natural wine processes can be difficult. Natural wine has no set definition in the U.S. It is not easy to find, since most natural wines do not identify as such on their labels. 11"Natural just sounds good, but conventional wine is pretty natural too," said Anita Oberholster. She is a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. "If the idea of natural wine is going to grow, we should do research on it and define it." 12Keller of Neu Cellars has a degree in biochemistry. He started out working for a big winemaker in California. But he left because he was not happy about all the chemical mixes it used. These include gelatin, oak dust, and eggs. 13However, some say the line between natural and conventional wines is very narrow. 14Many products added to wine, like yeast, are natural products, Oberholster said. And many conventional wines are made without adding anything. 15Some in the industry would like to establish rules for producing natural wine. France's wine industry took such action in 2020, enacting requirements that winemakers must meet to identify their wines as natural. 16Some manufacturers argue that rules can make wine making more costly. Keller uses organic grapes but he says he cannot support the cost of repeated inspections for approval as an organic wine. 17Anthony Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a wine investment company. He sees another problem. 18Vinovest says some wine companies are profiting from the lack of rules. They use labeling content like imagery that suggests their wine making is natural when they are not, he argues. 19That can mislead buyers who often will pay higher prices for wines made by smaller producers that use natural methods. 20However, buyers may have more information on wine bottles soon. Starting in December, wines sold in the European Union will have to identify on their labeling all the substances each product contains. 21Oberholster expects the U.S. to pass similar measures as well in the next few years. 22I'm Gregory Stachel. 23Dee-Ann Durbin and Haven Daley reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted the story for VOA Learning English. 24________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26ferment - v. to go through a chemical change that results in the production of alcohol 27conventional - adj. common and ordinary 28label - adj. a piece of paper or cloth that is attached to something to identify or describe that thing