ORGANIC WINE
Organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.
Winemaking techniques should be organic as well; little or no manipulation of wines by reverse osmosis, excessive filtration, or flavor additives (such as oak chips). Many organic winemakers also prefer wild yeasts for fermentation.
The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use, in extremely small quantities, to help stabilize wines, while others frown on them completely.
BIODYNAMIC WINE
The concept behind biodynamics is that everything in the universe is interconnected and gives off a resonance or ‘vibe’. The interconnectivity of everything even includes celestial bodies like the moon, planets and stars. Biodynamic viticulture is the practice of balancing this resonance between vine, man, earth and stars.
The concept of Biodynamics started in the 1920’s with an Austrian philosopher named Rudolph Steiner. It is a holistic, homeopathic manner of farming that, of course, also includes viticulture. It is the oldest, anti-chemical agricultural movement that predates the creation of organic farming by about twenty years.
Besides the biodynamic calendar, no chemicals or ‘manufactured’ additions (like commercial yeast) are allowed in biodynamic wine. Instead, wine growers make special compost preparations with natural ingredients to bolster their vineyards. This is where things start to get controversial.
NATURAL WINE
The term ‘vin naturel’ – natural wine – was adopted in France during the 1980s to describe a process of ‘natural’ fermentation, with minimal intervention in the viticulture process. Natural wines are created without the use of commercial yeasts, enzymes, sugars, colors, or oak chips which often heavily stamp their flavor on wines in which they are used. Likewise, micro-oxygenation, reverse osmosis and other processes for 'adjusting' wine are not used for natural wines.
ORANGE WINE: THE NEW SHADE OF WINE
Orange wine is simply white wine made like red wine. It takes on the characteristics of both – strength, tannins, fruit, minerality – and pairs easily with many foods.
Despite the recent interest in orange wine, its origins are as ancient as winemaking itself. It sits within the larger “natural wine” movement of minimal intervention and manipulation in winemaking. A veritable return to the way wine was made thousands of years ago, when keeping the skins with the grapes was letting nature take its course.
Red Wine: black grapes macerated with their skins.
Rose Wine: black grapes macerated with their skins for a brief time.
White Wine: white grapes macerated without their skins.
Orange Wine: white grapes macerated with their skins.
All our wines are presented with a wine
card, detailing the characteristics of the wine, including residual
sugar, sulphites, and if it is suitable for vegetarians or vegans, the
same happens with our craft beers and food.
Discover more about us at The Star Wine List (The guide to great wine bars & wine restaurants)