In the past several years, there has been a noticeable movement in the direction of natural wine-making, that is, wines produced with a minimum of manipulation, chemical additives, synthetic fertilizers or processed yeasts. At the same time, more and more wineries are touting their adherence to sustainable farming practices which may include using only organic grapes and following biodynamic principles with great attention paid not only to responsible maintenance of their own vineyards but the surrounding ecosystem of flora, fauna and natural biological cycles.
For my most recent wine tasting class, we took a deep dive into a wide variety of natural/organic wines, including white, "orange" or amber (aka skin-contact whites), rosé and red wines. We sampled several wines from around the world that fall under these nomenclatures, dispelling some of the myths about so-called "natural" wines - often derided as too funky, barnyard-y, overly rustic, rough or just unpleasant - to find that indeed they are often quite delicious as well as reasonably affordable.
Most of these wines can be found in local bottle shops, such as DiBruno Bros., since these emporiums deal almost exclusively in natural/organic wines from small, independent producers. See a list of Philly wine boutiques at the end of the tasting notes below.
For further recommendations on natural/organic wines, please see my previous two blog posts featuring tastings and visits from my fall trip to Central Coast wineries in the Paso Robles area, and the preceding post on my class on Bottle Shop wines from last fall, which highlights many organic/natural wines.
Ciello Bianco
Catarratto 2024
Origin: Terre Siciliane IGP, Italy
Varietals: 100% Catarratto
Production/Tasting Notes: Organic;
no filtration; savory flavors on the palate; quince, apricots, almonds;
refreshing acidity; touch of salty ocean brine, preserved lemon, ripe orange on
the mid palate; earthy body.
Food Pairings:
Shellfish; oysters, clams on the half shell.
Alcohol: 12%
Camurria Orange 2024 ($23)
Origin/Classification:
Terre Siciliane IGP
Varietal: 100% Grillo
Production/Tasting Notes:
Organic; hand harvested; volcanic tuff; 30 year old vines; spontaneous
fermentation; 5-day skin maceration; malolactic fermentation in stainless steel
tanks; neutral barrel aging for 2 months; 9 months on fine lee before bottling;
unfined, unfiltered; bouquet of wild flowers, almonds, marzipan, orange peel;
medium bodied; layers of citrus, stone fruit, sweet spice; taut acidity.
Food Pairings:
Fresh grilled fish;
Alcohol: 11.5%
Enguera Bodegas “Aliats” Verdil 2022 ($9 @ PA state store)
Origin: Valencia, Spain
Varietal: 100% Verdil
Production/Tasting Notes:
Sustainable family farm; organic; several weeks of skin contact; citrus notes;
ripe fruit aromas; Verdil is a native varietal nearly lost to time, but revived
by Bodegas Enguera among others.
Food Pairings:
Asparagus goat cheese pizza; poke bowl with salmon, mango; potato gnocchi with
marinated artichokes
Alcohol: 12%
Bibich Think Pink 2023 ($28)
Origin: Dalmatia, Croatia
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Production/Tasting Notes:
Organic; indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks; minimal
intervention; strawberry, raspberry on the nose; fresh, savory, bright, spicy,
fruity.
Food Pairings: Light
hors d’oeuvres; aperitif
Alcohol:
13.5%
Echeverria “No Es Pituko” Cabernet Franc
2023 ($20)
Origin: Curico Valley,
(200km south of capital Santiago) Chile
Varietal: 100% Cabernet
Franc
Production/Tasting Notes:
Organic, unfiltered, unfined, no added sulfites; Beaujolais-Nouveau
style ; bouquet of black cherry, black currant; violets; plum; hints of green pepper, herbs; medium
bodied; juicy; soft tannins
Food Pairings:
Charcuterie; roast pork; spicy dishes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Meinklang Burgenlandred 2023 ($28)
Origin: Burgenland
(Neusiedlersee), Austria
Varietal: 60% Zweigelt;
30% Blaufrankisch; 10% St Laurent
Production/Tasting Notes: Biodynamic
farming; unfiltered, unfined; no added sulfite; aged on the lees in stainless
steel; semi-carbonic maceration; ripe blackberry; bright juiciness.
Food Pairings:
Roasted pheasant; stir-fried duck dishes; sauteed calf’s liver.
Alcohol: 12%
Iuli Umberta Vino
Rosso 2021 ($30)
Origin: Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy
Varietal: 100% Barbera
Production/Tasting Notes: Organic;
indigenous yeast; aged 10-11 months in cement; malolactic fermentation; no
filtration or fining; fresh, fruity, black cherry, black raspberry; violets;
plum; touch of cedar on the finish.
Food Pairing: Pizza;
pasta with red sauce
Alcohol: 14.5%
Philadelphia Bottles Shops
DiBruno Bros.
920 S. 9th St.
Vernick Wine
2029 Walnut St
Cork
253 S. 20th St.
Jet Wine Bar
1525 South St,
Bloomsday
414 S. 2nd St
Le Caveau
614 S. 7th St.
Sally Philadelphia
2229 Spruce St.
Solar Myth
1131 S. Broad St.
Lovats Square
184 E. Evergreen Ave.
Market Square
Chestnut Hill
