What is wine? By and large, we take it for granted that wine is made from the fermentation of grapes. Yet throughout the history of wine there has been a tension between the paradigm of wine as a natural product of the vine...
Natural v industrial wine
Guest contributor
John Barker is a New Zealand-based lawyer and consultant. He has a long involvement in international wine law and policy, including as the first candidate for the role of OIV Director General from outside Europe. Here he puts natural wine in historical context. See also Natural wine defined for consideration of a new, formal natural wine initiative.
Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 297,230 wine reviews & 16,155 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
Everything in “Member”, plus:
- Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
- Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 297,230 wine reviews & 16,155 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
Everything in “Professional”, plus:
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
- Access to submit wines for review
- Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
- API access available for an additional fee
More Don't quote me
Don't quote me
Forest terroir is as real, and as consequential, as vineyard terroir. Above, Tony Bish in the Tronçais forest in central...
Don't quote me
A month that developed into one of cancellations and medications. Some older readers may remember the late Robin Kernick as...
Don't quote me
Nick Martin reflects as another en primeur campaign winds up. Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (pictured above) bundled a visit to the property...
Don't quote me
Chris Howard asks, if there’s such a thing as volcanic wine, can there be oceanic wine? Above, seals on the...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Tasting articles
Big reds continue to rule in Penfolds Land, but changes are on the horizon. Penfolds’ Magill Estate is pictured above...
Tasting articles
Concluding Walter’s report on this notably accessible vintage. Today, reviews of wines from the southern and eastern villages of Castiglione...
Tasting articles
A final report on a tricky vintage that produced some remarkably fresh and accessible wines. Today, reviews of wines from...
Inside information
Mexico’s wine industry offers lessons in dealing with climate challenges, says Mexico-based journalist and sommelier Carlos Borboa. Above, vineyards in...
Vinomakase
Richard’s new Vinomakase column explores how the experts match wine with Japanese cuisine. For the first edition, a traditional sushi...
Free for all
Leading new-wave South African wine producer is looking to the future. A version of this article is published by the...
Bite-sized
A 15th-century pub with bang-up-to-date feasting in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans. The front bar is still reassuringly pubby...
Wines of the week
Thirst-slaking freshness in a red from Central France. From £15.50, $26.95. For a variety so maligned for much of the...