These so-called “natural” wines, which are highly popular among consumers, did not officially exist before February 3, 2020. Until then, any winemaker could use the term “natural wine” without any possibility of verifying the honesty of the provided information.
The initiative “Syndicat de Défense des Vins Nature'L”, founded on July 16, 2019, by Sébastien David and Jacques Carroget, offers consumers oversight of natural wines and a definition that has sparked much debate.
In this regard, the French Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has already clarified that the term “natural wine” does not comply with European regulations.
To support its claims, the DGCCRF relies on both Article 53 of Delegated Regulation 2019/33, which “allows the use of a descriptive term referring to the wine production method,” and Article 7 of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation. This implies that “voluntary declarations must not mislead consumers and must be accurate, clear, and easy to understand.”
According to the DGCCRF, the term “natural” can only apply to an untreated product with no added ingredients.
However, considering the way wine is processed and the addition of inputs such as sulfites, wine does not meet this definition, making the use of the term on labels illegal.
To address this legal vacuum and the rise of "fake" so-called "natural" cuvées, the Syndicat de Défense des Vins Nature'L presented a Charter of Commitments on February 3, 2020, at the Loire Wine Fair. This charter was defined in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), and the DGCCRF.
As a result, a new designation compatible with current European regulations was born: “vin méthode nature”, available in two logos (see below).
This French certification process, reserved for European wines, is being trialed under the supervision of the INAO for at least three years before potentially becoming fully regulatory. The road ahead will not be easy, as evidenced by protests from Italian MEP Elena Lizzi to the European Commission. She demanded action against the neighboring country's certification, calling it “misleading and contrary to European law.”
The production of wines with this new label is still relatively rare, almost confidential, with around a hundred small French producers involved. We are monitoring its development and will keep our customers informed.
The Charter contains twelve commitments that form the definition of the “natural wine method” and appear to be enforceable (we would also like to introduce you to them).
On bottles of French wine produced using the natural method in 2020 (and even some from 2019), you will now see one of the two logos below: natural wine with no added sulfites (unsulfited), or those with a total content of less than 30 mg/l of added sulfites.
