What a pleasure to fill the rooms of our favorite restaurants , salivate in front of the menu of dishes and savor delicious dishes , prepared by good chefs . We know one who will be delighted to join the party. Do you see who we're talking about? Natural wine of course. If you don't know him, let's go for the presentations!
Natural wine, a philosophy in its own right
"I'll drink milk the day the cows eat grapes" said Jean Gabin with humor and philosophy. As much to tell you that it's not tomorrow the day before so let's stay focused on our good natural wines .
Natural wine, how is it different?
The production of natural wines is different in every way from conventional wines and is similar to that of biodynamic wines and organic wines .
When tasting it, you cannot go wrong because natural wine has a very distinct identity from that of its companions. This difference is mainly explained by a unique vinification that we will see just after.
The viticulture of a natural wine is very close to that of an organic wine and a biodynamic wine . The winemaker takes care of his vines with cultivation methods that respect the environment thanks to natural fertilizers and natural fertilizers . The winegrower works hand in hand with nature , he takes the time to listen to it and let it work at its own pace . In the vineyards of natural wines , there is life! Animals , plants and men go about their business without encroaching on the activity of the neighbor, a real companionship as we like them.
Once cradled by the seasons , the vine finally reveals its fruit, the grape . The winegrower can then pick it, with a smile from ear to ear. To make a good natural wine , no harvesting machine but a lot of elbow grease because the harvest is done by hand so as not to rush the plant.
After harvesting his entire estate , the winemaker moves on to vinification , a series of stages where the wine comes to life . A good natural wine is without artifice , so during all stages of vinification , the winemaker limits its impact as much as possible . Inputs are not allowed, apart from a very small amount of sulfur if necessary, barely 40 mg/l in the end, more than six times less than in conventional wines . For fermentation, no addition of selected yeasts , only indigenous yeasts , present naturally on the grapes are used. Natural wine clearly contradicts mathematics, because with fewer inputs , it gives real added value to the product.
If you want to know more about sulfite-free wines, we invite you to discover this article
Why produce natural wine?
Today we know all the conventional wines that we come across in the supermarket or at certain wine shops, and yet in history, it is indeed the natural wine that has always delighted our taste buds. Before industrialization to mass produce , the creation of chemicals to maintain the soil and the discovery of certain additives to control the evolution of wine , it was nature that decided!
It seems very far from our habits, we who are used to being helped by machines , and yet there are irreducible Gauls, finally winegrowers , who maintain for our greatest pleasure, the traditions of yesteryear .
Natural wines , inspired by historical viticultural techniques are therefore very modern wines. What could be more current than transparency , respect for the environment , good taste for real things and reasoned consumption ?
The producers of natural wines are true enthusiasts, driven by deep convictions, who move forward without law but with faith (not to be confused with lawlessness)! Because before 2020, this wine was not officially recognized. It was the Association des Vin Nature , an association created by independent winegrowers , which defined natural wines and the procedure for producing them. It was therefore difficult for natural wine to find a place for itself, without feeling listened to or understood by everyone.
Now, bottles of natural wines can proudly display their color thanks to the Vin Méthode Nature label , like organic wines with the AB label and biodynamic wines with the Demeter and Biodyvin labels .
Natural wine, the taste of authenticity
Let's be honest, nothing beats a good homemade meal on the plate with fresh products to really enjoy yourself! If cooking is your hobby, we offer you some homemade Oé recipes, at the bottom of the article.
Otherwise, going out to a restaurant is still a real treat, do you agree?
Here, it's the Sando 'o' Fish sandwich from the Lyon restaurant Tomé that offers Oé wines
Natural wine in catering
There's no secret between us, if you're on our blog, it's because you too are gourmets , fans of aperitifs with friends and good food-wine pairings . You can't resist a little glass of wine to accompany your dish either?
That's good because the restaurateurs understand us and offer us an increasingly diversified wine list with organic wines and natural wines , everything we love. Whether in a gourmet restaurant , a bistro or even a wine bar , organic wines and natural wines are popular and this is not due to a fad or a trend but a real crush. Having fun with a healthier and more respectful wine makes sense!
Ah the restaurants , what a pleasure to find them! Did you miss it? U.S. too. So we rushed to see our partner restaurants again .
In this article we tell you about Ultimo, a Lyonnais restaurant that we love .
Italian cuisine , Oé bottle and friendly atmosphere , in short, everything you need to have a good time.
Taste a natural wine
Everyone at the table , let's enjoy a sip of nature with a bottle of natural wine.
At Oé, when you taste a good glass of wine, you love to close your eyes and immerse yourself in its history. Natural wine l allows us to rediscover the flavors and aromas of a deliciously imperfect wine , which does not lie and which delivers with an open heart. As soon as the cork is opened, the natural wine lets out its odors expressing the terroir . The faults of natural wine make it its finest quality because behind the somewhat crude image that some confer on it, natural wine is of great sensitivity , accurately expressing the winegrower's know-how and the typicality of each grape variety . It releases unique aromatic notes and the winegrowers will tell you better than us, each bottle is different, so in the saddle of Marcel, we taste!
Natural wines even have the right to their little nickname, and not least, they are called living wines . Don't panic, they won't take to their heels and flee your cellar , they are considered alive because they are wines in constant evolution . For sommeliers , it's a real challenge, which they love to take up. Of course, living wines do not change aromas like the shirt, but they have something to surprise you, trust us.
Here they are, our good Oé recipes, to pair with our good organic wines! Yum !
Treat yourself at home with our selection of red wines , white wines and rosé wines from Provence , Côtes-du-Rhône , Languedoc Roussillon , Bordeaux and Vaucluse !
