A blog dedicated to the places and faces of natural wine. Join us in our journey through terroir.
Let’s start a bit philosophically with “what is natural wine for you?” This is going to sound a bit provocative but to me, natural wine doesn’t exist. The term “natural” is used to identify those wines made with a certain specific philosophy in the vineyard and in the cellar. What we call natural wine should ideally indicate all wine. We...
Nature vs nurture: which can be seen as predominant in natural wine and what could be said to be the main differences with conventional wine? Natural wine for me was born as a very noble idea, indicating all those wines made without excessive intervention both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Of course once that, after the hard work...
Angiolino, a quick and dirty definition of natural wine? Natural wine is simply a wine that is produced without any additives both in the vineyard and in the cellar. It’s a product and child of the land, transformed by culture, experience and wisdom. The human element is here considered a vital element and part of nature, as well as of...
(photo credit: vinidivignaioli.fr) Podere Magia, which means “Estate of Magic”, is located in one of Italy’s true heartlands of authentic culinary and viticulture-winemaking traditions, Emilia-Romagna – to be precise the Western part of the region, called “Emilia”. Emilia-Romagna is not only the birthplace of tortellini, cappelletti, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello, balsamic vinegar (phew, what a list...
Distina is located in the “Colli Piacentini” hills of Western Emilia-Romagna near the picturesque burg of Castell’Arquato and is nestled between two verdant and rather Hobbit-esque valleys. The very same hills are also home to several other natural wine pioneers: La Stoppa, Andrea Cervini, Denavolo, Croci, and Montesissa. A small, family-led passion project, Distina was born in 2017 when young...
Giovanni Mesina likes to call himself “the shepherd who makes wine”. That’s because that’s what he is, aside from being a natural vigneron who is as unassuming and gentle as he is tremendously skilled and inspired. Giovanni’s family hails originally from the rugged mountains and plateaus of Sardinia, and have been raising sheep there for 3 generations. He emigrated to...
Marco Buratti, who might seem rather gruff and surly at first impact, is just quiet and slightly shy...initially at least. He then pleasantly explodes in a frenzy of joyous activity, imbued with the sacred fire of he, who wants to make the wines he loves to drink, and who loves to speak of his land. Before returning to his native...
Elisabetta Foradori – also known as “The Lady of Teroldego” in natural wine circles and well beyond – is one of the most historical and respected natural wineries in Italy, and one of the very few in Northern Italy’s mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige, a region rich in native varieties and diverse terroir but rife with conventional operations. Elisabetta Foradori's winery was...
COS winery, located on the extreme south-eastern tip of Sicily, not too far from African shores, was founded in 1980 by three lifelong friends: Gianbattista Cilia, Cirino Strano, and Giusto Occhipinti. The name of the winery is simply the acronym of their last names' initials. Their idea of wine is best expressed in their own words: “Wine is body, substance,...
Born within the impenetrable compounds where obscure vinnaturist secret societies have their quasi-mystical rendezvous, the mantra “vinocinghialo” - which can be translated as “wild boar wine” - has slowly but surely trickled down into the general vinnaturist consciousness. Well, at least in some parts of Italy. But what is vinocinghialo? Is it a state of mind? A bizarre weltanschaung? All...
Folicello holds a special place at Primal Wine. Folicello wines were amongst the first natural wines we bought for this project. Everybody loves Folicello wines and for very good reasons. In this piece, we'd like to show you what makes Folicello natural wines so special. They are not only delicious and affordable but, as cheesy as it sounds, they are...
Agnanum, located on the volcanic hills of the Campi Flegrei area of the Mediterranean paradise of the Campania region, is one of the symbols and pioneers of heroic viticulture in Italy. The Moccia family has been devoted to distilling the spirit and soul of their unique and often harsh terroir into living, luminous wines for more than 40 years. The...
Today we are talking about wild wines. A natural wine primal mantra welcomes you as soon as you land on Cantina Indigeno’s homepage: “In the vats the must shakes off the sugars and procreates the alcohol. Grape skins thicken by the sides, raiding polyphenols, the tannic infantry surges from the stems as if from a wartime trench. Amphoras transpire: they...
The Sega brothers, Matteo and Luca, along with their father Angelo, are the heart and soul of Barbacan. They are among the pioneers of natural winemaking in the steep slopes of the Valtellina area in northern Lombardy and true symbols of heroic winemaking. The territorial nature of this beautiful family-run winery is evident from the name itself since Barbacan in...
