All Natural Wine; does it exist??

[Randy Caparoso]

Well, the only thing commercial wineries use during their winemaking process is sulphur dioxide (in extremely low amounts these days). There are very, very few wineries that dispense with this practice, and therefore their wines aren't exactly the most stable. But they exist. Re:

Among California producers on the commercial market, Frey Vineyards from Mendocino makes pretty good drinking unsulphured (also organically grown)Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Frog's Leap from Napa Valley makes cleaner, more serious unsulphured wines (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for whites, Zinfandels and big, pricey Cabernet Sauvignons for reds).

If you're close to Berkeley, you can stop by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and buy numerous examples of unsulphured French wines -- particularly some wonderful Morgons (from Beaujolais, some fairly soft, yet serious, red wines) by growers such as Foillard, Lapierre, and Breton), and the famous Domaine Tempier Bandol (great dry rose, and earthy, full bodied reds). Since Kermit Lynch wines are also distributed nationally in isolated areas, you just may see them in cutting-edge, health food oriented markets (you know the type -- where they sell whole wheat flour by the bushel, "organically grown" is the operative term, and rows and rows of aromatherapy products).

Good luck!