How to Define Natural? It Depends on the Label
We all are aware that highly processed foods in our diet can disrupt our body’s natural ability to maintain the delicate balance between a healthy body and compromised states of health. Food additives also affect the natural vitamins and beneficial organisms present in raw foods.
Foods subjected to sterilization or high-heat cooking are stripped of some or all of the nutritional value that our bodies rely upon to be healthy and to ward off disease. Fresh fruits and vegetables grown with artificial chemicals added to the soil, leaves or fruit may do more harm than good.
The marketing departments of food companies understand Americans are becoming more healthy-food conscious, notwithstanding our inability to maintain our health as obesity and its related health problems are still growing. They have embarked on campaigns to label their food products to project an image of wholesomeness.
One term that is becoming more popular in describing healthy foods produced in a non-invasive manner is “natural.” Whether in advertisements or on package labels, this term has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. But what does natural – or its idealized synonyms, such as organic and/or sustainable – mean for consumers? The additional reference point – biodynamics – is the extreme form of naturally managing a vineyard. Stand by for a future column exploring this precept.
Since “natural” is not a term defined by the FDA, it is subject to interpretation (manipulation?) by those imprinting it on packages and labels. Hence, it is difficult for the consumer to discern whether this product term meets his or her criteria.
Wine is no different. The definition of “natural wine” is in the eye of the beholder, who doesn’t always have 20/20 vision. Is natural wine a connotation of being “organically” produced, in a “sustainable” manner? And just what is organic or sustainable? They are ill-defined as well – and therefore generally unreliable.
There is a notable exception. Many wine-producing nations have government-regulated terms for a wine to be classified “certified organic.” If this identifier appears on a bottle, the consumer is assured the producer followed strict standards to earn this coveted designation. However, relatively few producers of organic wines seek this very expensive, time-consuming and bureaucratic-forms-preparation path to certification.
My view is that to best understand whether a particular wine has been produced in a historically correct manner, which I define as having no artificial input from producers and satisfying the physiological needs of our bodies, we must in large part rely on the originating winemaker. Relying on government or big business to satisfy this requirement is not feasible – or rewarding – in the 21st century.
Reasonably reliable methods to ferret out these winemakers include:
- Find an engaged wine merchant who is simpatico to your viewpoint. He or she will reject the term “natural” as vague and unreliable. Through their own research, coupled with interfaces with multiple winemakers, distributors and importers, they have gained a knowledge that should enable them to discern between “nature’s wine” and “industrial wine.” If they are so engaged, they can direct you to wines that are the fruit of the land.
- Take advantage of your internet. Many winemakers across the globe take pride in their winemaking heritage and are devout naturists. In the 21st century, they can communicate their ethos and their techniques directly to consumers via their websites.
These winemakers take pride in not resorting to convenient and less expensive modern means to produce their wines. They use no artificial fertilizers to nurture their vines, no chemical herbicides to maintain healthy vines, no industrial pesticides to preserve the yield of grapes, no laboratory concocted hormones to enhance their wines.
What methods do they employ? Grazing sheep in their vineyards to fertilize the soil and keep weeds in check; natural predators to control insects; and natural yeasts to enhance their wines. Understanding the growing desire of American consumers to seek out information, these winemakers have created sophisticated websites and have formed consortiums of like-minded cohorts that disseminate the gospel according to nature.
Natural wines are an admirable trait to seek in all food product labels. Be careful to research the facts behind these claims.
Nick Antonaccio is a 45-year Pleasantville resident. For over 25 years, he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member and program director of the Wine Media Guild of wine journalists. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
