What are natural wines?

Wine is also Cooltura

Why choose an authentic natural wine?

People often wonder why we prefer a natural wine to an industrial one. The answer lies in honesty: an industrial wine is often created in a laboratory to be the same every year, eliminating the differences between vineyards and seasons. On the contrary, natural wine it is a living organism that faithfully expresses the characteristics of the soil and climate.

Choosing natural means rediscovering authentic flavours and sustainable agriculture, which does not exploit the land but regenerates it among our hills of Pesaro and Fano.

Ethics and production

What are natural wines (really)?

For us, the definition of "natural" isn't a fad, but a rigorous protocol. A wine can only be defined as such when it emerges from a process of total integrity.

The natural wines of Agricola Arzilla are obtained by following these pillars:

  • Local vineyards and manual harvesting: We work as independent producers with low yields, hand-selecting each individual bunch to ensure quality.
  • Sustainable and organic agriculture: We practice respectful agronomy that completely excludes the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides.

  • Spontaneous vinification: We do not add selected yeasts, enzymes, or sugars. We reject any chemical acidity adjustments or invasive techniques like reverse osmosis.

  • Integrity of the must: the wine does not undergo clarification or micro-filtration, preserving its natural richness.

  • Minimum sulphites: sulphur dioxide is almost never added; in rare exceptional cases, we always remain below the strict threshold of 30 mg/liter.

The result is a live wine, healthy and rich in the natural microbiology that only a respected territory can offer.

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The guarantee and safety of the VinNatur brand

How to recognize if a wine is natural?

Today many talk about "natural" wine, but without clear rules the risk is confusion. We at Agricola Arzilla We have chosen the path of total transparency to offer those who choose our bottles absolute certainty.

We don't just tell our philosophy: we certify it. We are proud to be part of VinNatur, the association that brings together winemakers determined to follow a strict and uncompromising specification. For us, this brand is not just a simple graphic symbol on the bottle, but a promise of safety towards the consumer.

Every year our wines are subjected to laboratory analysis to guarantee theabsence of over 200 pesticidesFor us, the VinNatur certification is the fundamental bridge that unites artisan passion with protecting the health of those who drink.

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Our natural wines

Garbino Rosso - Sparkling red wine Sangiovese refermented pét-nat wine Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaGarbino Rosso - Sparkling red wine Sangiovese refermented pét-nat wine Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Red Garbino

Sparkling Red

Sangiovese | Montepulciano

Garbino Rosato - Sparkling rosé wine Sangiovese refermented pét-nat wine Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaGarbino Rosato - Sparkling rosé wine Sangiovese refermented pét-nat wine Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Garbino Rosato

Sparkling Rosé

Sangiovese

Arzillo White - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaArzillo White - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Arzillo Bianco

Still White

Sangiovese

Garbino Bianco - Refermented white wine pét-nat Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaGarbino Bianco - Refermented white wine pét-nat Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Garbino Bianco

White Pet-Nat

Biancame

Costanza - Red wine Montepulciano Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaCostanza - Red wine Montepulciano Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Costanza

Marche IGT red

Montepulciano

Gazza - Red wine Aglianico Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaGazza - Red wine Aglianico Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Gazza

Marche IGT red

Aglianico

Il Lupo e la Botte - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaIl Lupo e la Botte - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Il Lupo e la Botte

Barrel-Aged Red Wine

Sangiovese

Bocca del Lupo - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaBocca del Lupo - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Bocca del lupo

Red wine

Sangiovese

Arzillo Rosso - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaArzillo Rosso - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Arzillo Rosso

Marche IGT red

Sangiovese

Baia - Rosé wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaBaia - Rosé wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Baia

Still Rosé Wine

Sangiovese

Molo di Levante - Still white wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaMolo di Levante - Still white wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Molo di Levante

Marche IGT white

Biancame

Cavour - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola ArzillaCavour - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Cavour

Still White Wine

Fiano

Camillo - Natural Orange Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Camillo

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15,50€
Cavour - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Cavour

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13,50€
Molo di Levante - Still white wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Molo di Levante

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13,50€
Baia - Rosé wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Baia

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13,50€
Arzillo Rosso - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Arzillo Rosso

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13,50€
Bocca del Lupo - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Bocca del lupo

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13,50€
Il Lupo e la Botte - Red wine Sangiovese Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Il Lupo e la Botte

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14,50€
Gazza - Red wine Aglianico Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Gazza

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16,00€
Costanza - Red wine Montepulciano Natural Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Costanza

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16,00€
Arzillo White - Natural White Wine Marche IGT | Agricola Arzilla

Arzillo Bianco

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13,50€

Ok, you've convinced me, take me to the shop!

deepening

technical information on natural wines

If we've piqued your curiosity and you want to learn more about natural wines and their world—which is also ours—you can continue reading here.

Natural wine is a wine made in an unusual way nowadays because…natural. It could be a grand cru Burgundy or a normal table wine; it could be a Sangiovese Pure or a blend of ten different grape varieties; it could cost 5 or 500 euros. There are natural wines in all these categories.

What they all have in common is purity (no synthetic products) and honesty of expression (locally native vines). Natural wines taste like the grapes they are made from and the place where they grew..

Industrial wines have those few prepackaged flavors of the concentrated musts, industrial yeasts, and metabisulfite that are used to create them (go to amazon.com and you'll find these industrial components of "wine").

Differences in location and grape variety are secondary if these are damaged or destroyed by industrial viticulture that uses herbicides, pesticides, etc. and if industrial oenological products are used in the cellar.

Differences in location and grape variety are sacrificed in favor of predictable flavor (always the same from year to year; how is this possible?) and production volumes (up to 5 times higher per hectare than natural wines).

For this reason, in our opinion, industrial wines are banal and uninteresting, regardless of where they come from and the grape variety they are made from.

The only positive thing about commercial wine: the price. Do you think a bottle sold for €3,0, where the bottle, cork, and label alone cost about €1,0, contains wine? Have you ever wondered why if you leave one of these bottles open, it (almost) never turns into vinegar?

It tastes better, it's better for you, and it's better for the environment.

  • TasteNatural wine tastes better than industrial wine. And every year it's a little different, because it follows the course of nature, not chemistry. A wine isn't great simply because it's natural. Not every vineyard is capable of producing a great wine. But organic farming and natural winemaking are the way to get the most out of a vineyard, whatever its potential, and to express its characteristics more truthfully.
  • HealthNatural wine is good for you. Industrial winemakers claim that many of the chemicals used in the production of their wines are present in the bottle only in small, harmless quantities. In a natural wine, nothing is present except what came from the grapes. Furthermore, wine-growing countries end up with truly risky levels of soil pollution, and therefore of groundwater and air pollution. Biodynamic winemakers can drink the preparations they spray in their vineyards, industrial farmers go to apply treatments in space suits to protect themselves from the poisons and often their health suffers.
  • Cost: Natural wines offer better value for money Because they get more from a vineyard than any given value. Many natural winemakers choose to operate outside the appellation system because it hinders the quality they achieve: appellations were created for industrial viticulture. A natural wine producer is a true craftsmanViticulture and natural winemaking require skill, patience, knowledge, and hard physical labor. In most cases, it brings small but fair financial rewards. Only those who are passionately committed to the idea of ​​natural wine will choose to work this way.
  • Environmental impactNatural wine is better for the environment. All natural wine is produced through sustainable and ecological agriculture. A great natural wine can only be made on land that has been organically farmed for many years. Here, too, the designation given by government agencies isn't what matters, but rather the actual work of the winemaker.

The disadvantages of natural wine fall mostly on those who sell them, it costs more, and therefore only those who understand its value are willing to pay the price. Most consumers look for low prices or "famous" wineries.

This is why you won't find our wines in supermarkets, and rarely in wine shops. Only a few passionate wine retailers will promote these small wines. artisanal masterpieces.

A natural wine is different every year.Different bottles from the same year may vary slightly, depending on the barrel it comes from or the time of tasting. Many wine shops or wine stores are not willing to accept it. Supermarkets, in particular, will only have a large number of identical bottles of wine.

Without the preservatives and sterilization techniques used in industrial wine, natural wine is also more at risk of spoilage. This risk is drastically reduced only if it is transported and stored properly.

Natural wine cannot be mass-produced.Natural winemakers will never be able to produce the number of bottles needed to supply a supermarket chain.

Currently, there are few people capable of making wine this way; large-scale industry is riding the wave of success—without truly succeeding, and never will. It's like the difference between a woodcarver and a furniture factory.

Some natural wines need to be opened several hours before being served.They may have an unpleasant reduction odor when first opened, contain gas, and therefore be slightly fizzy. They often contain sediment or sediment. A little patience and a decanter or carafe are all you need.

Natural wine requires careful transport; it should be kept below 16 degrees at all times, from bottling to serving. This means that shipping is expensive as it should be done in refrigerated containers. This is why the big wine industry will never produce truly natural wines.

A few years ago the FIVI (Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers) It groups together winemakers who use their own grapes and excludes merchants/fake producers. It includes producers of industrial and natural wine.

What is FIVI?

The Independent Winemaker cultivates his own vineyards, vinifies his own grapes, bottles his own wine, and personally oversees its sale, under his own responsibility, under his own name and label. He operates as a single or jointly owned farm and, in carrying out his work, complies with Italian industry laws (Article 2135 of the Civil Code and Article 32 of the Consolidated Income Tax Code). He does not purchase grapes and/or wine for commercial purposes.

The Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers currently has more than 1.300 members and aims to represent the winemaker before the authorities.

FIVI engages with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF) in Rome and the European Parliament in Brussels through CEVI, the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers, which brings together independent winegrowers' associations from all major European wine-producing countries. It participates in viticultural development policies at the local, national, and European levels. It proposes economic measures and legislative measures in the interests of Independent Winegrowers.

(source: fivi.it)

The concept of ""terroir"" is fundamental to understanding natural wine. It's a word with no exact equivalent in Italian or English, often roughly translated as "territory" or "sense of place." A wine, like a person, is shaped by its experiences: in the vineyard, in the cellar and in the bottle.Where, when, and how it was made will influence its flavor. Terroir is the term given to that part of the wine experience that is determined by its location. It's the imprint of the land on the grapes grown there and the wine they become.

What makes it terroir?

Some or all of the following factors are essential:

  • climate: temperature, rain and light of the sun, everything influences the growth of the vine;
  • altitudeFrançois Bard's pictorial epiphany altitude, the slope and the appearance of particular vineyards determines their exposure to the elements;
  • geology: the physical properties of the soil and the rocks of which it is composed;
  • soil chemistry: the availability of the various nutrients that the vine requires and of the microorganisms that help make them available;
  • yeasts: indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentations, without any help from chemistry, will always have their own characteristics, different for each place and each year.

Why is terroir important?

Because the terroir is what gives wines their character. Natural wines are as diverse as the places where they're made. Natural wine lovers are those who celebrate this diversity. Conventional wines have little or no sense of terroir because they're completely destroyed by winemaking practices.

Winemaking is the process of turning grapes into wine. Grapes naturally contain everything needed to make wine, and in natural wine, well-ripened organic grapes are the only ingredient..

Winemaking can be divided into what happens before, during, and after fermentation. Below is a brief explanation of these steps.

1. Before fermentation

Choosing the right time to harvest the grapes is essential for the quality of the wine. For producers of Natural wine is a question of instinct and nerves, supported by chemical-physical analyses, but above all by continuous tasting of the grapes. 

The grapes are harvested by hand, then crushed, pressed, and macerated. More specifically, press grape means breaking the skin so that some juice is released and fermentation can begin. The pressing It is instead the removal of the skins and any other solid matter from the must. The juice is pressed directly and the skins discarded as soon as the pressing is complete. The period between pressing and pressing, when the juice is still in contact with the skins, is called maceration.

The skins can be removed before, during, or after fermentation. For dark red wines, maceration is longer, while for lighter reds, it is shorter. White wines are usually pressed directly, without being crushed. However, some natural white wines are made with maceration on the skins, even for white wines, called "orange wines”, for wines with an intense yellow or copper or even orange color.

2. Fermentation

Even a very complex wine can be just fermented grape juice. Alcohol is produced through a process called fermentation. Fermentation requires two things: sugars and yeast. A ripe, organic grape is rich in natural sugars and has indigenous, natural yeasts that live on its skin.As soon as the grape skins are broken, fermentation can begin.

To make wine, all the winemaker has to do is harvest the grapes and gently crush them, releasing the must and exposing it to the yeasts. It must be monitored daily, including with analyses to understand its evolution, and carefully monitored until all the sugars have been converted into alcohol.

Malolactic fermentation

Malolactic fermentation is a secondary bacterial conversion process, which can follow or overlap with alcoholic fermentation, in which malic acid is converted into the softer and less acidic lactic acid. This means a reduction in the acidity of the wine and an increase in its complexity.If a wine is bottled quickly, malolactic fermentation occurs in the bottle, causing often unpleasant secondary fermentations—this is one reason why sulfites are added at bottling, to avoid this problem. A natural winemaker must wait for malolactic fermentation to complete naturally in the barrel before bottling the wine.

3. After fermentation

Some wines are ready to drink immediately after fermentation, others are aged in oak barrels for up to three or four years before being bottled. Unlike natural wines, at this point, conventional wines are finely filtered and clarified, treated with sulfur dioxide or other preservatives, before being bottled.