SEATTLE — Natural wine is gaining popularity in Seattle as more people become health conscious or want to imbibe while on diets like Paleo and Keto.
That's because unlike conventional wine, which can contain up to 60 ingredients or additives, nothing is added to natural wine.
Natural wine starts with grapes from organic vineyards.
"In the vineyards, people are using organic, biodynamic, very sustainable or some combination of those growing principles. And when they're making wine, they're starting their fermentation with a native yeast or ambient yeast," said Shawn Mead, co-owner of Vif Wine and Coffee. "Once that gets the fermentation going, there's very little to nothing else added to the wine."
Vif Wine and Coffee is one of a few places in Seattle where you can buy natural wine. Conventional wine can include up to 60 ingredients or additives that can improve the color, clarity, taste and smell of the wine, according to Mead.
"You can create a wine that comes out the same every single time so there are flavorants, things that strip add flavor, things that add color or take color away. You can add acid. You can add a lot," Mead said.
Natural wine contains fewer sulfites and the alcohol content is lower, too.
"We're talking fourteen percent and lower. Our sweet spot is twelve percent and lower," said Lauren Feldman, co-owner of Vif Wine and Coffee. "You can really taste the fruit. You're not getting drunk off a glass or two of wine. That in and of itself will make people feel better the next day."
You can also find natural wine online at Dry Farm Wines, which touts a low-carb, sugar-free wine for health conscious consumers.
Scout and Cellar also sells natural wine. They call it "Clean Crafted."
More restaurants in the Seattle-area are also adding natural wine to their menus. Vinnie's in Seattle is a natural wine bar that opened last year.
“Adding a natural wine bar to our family of cocktail, beer, and tiki bars was the perfect next move," Owner Anu Apte-Elford said. "We already had a small place tucked behind Navy Strength that was begging for a new concept. Natural wine is so lovely, funky, and fun.”
