Pour a glass of Ribolla Gialla from the hills above Gorizia and you may be surprised: the color of burnished copper, the grip of black tea, and a savory, almost amber-like depth that has little to do with the pale, crisp whites many of us grew up on. Pour a Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Mount Etna made with no additives and you might find red cherry, crushed stone, and volcanic smoke, all delivered with startling transparency. Welcome to natural wine in Italy, a movement that is thriving, inspiring, and, depending on who you ask, wonderfully liberating or maddeningly vague.
Italy is arguably the most fertile ground in the world for natural wine. It has hundreds of native grape varieties, a deep tradition of peasant-style farming, and a landscape of small family estates. Here is where the movement came from, why it divides people, and which bottles are worth seeking out.
What Is "Natural Wine," Exactly?
The first thing to know is that there is no official legal definition of natural wine in Italy, or in the European Union as a whole. (France introduced a voluntary Vin Méthode Nature label in 2020, but Italy has nothing comparable at the national level.) That means the term can mean different things to different producers, importers, and sommeliers.
In broad strokes, natural wine usually refers to wine made with:
- Organic or biodynamic farming, often without chemical herbicides or synthetic pesticides
- Hand harvesting of grapes in small quantities
- Native (indigenous) yeasts for fermentation rather than commercial cultured strains
- No or minimal added sulfur dioxide (SO₂), the preservative used in most winemaking
- No heavy fining or filtration, so many bottles are cloudy
- No additives such as added tannins, acidifiers, or flavor enhancers
Italian natural winemakers often say they are not adding anything new to winemaking but removing what shouldn't be there. Because the rules are informal, producer associations have stepped in with their own standards. The best known is VinNatur, founded in 2006 by Angiolino Maule of La Biancara in the Veneto. It requires members to submit to lab testing and follow a strict protocol on treatments and sulfur levels. Other groups, such as ViniVeri, take a more philosophical, charter-based approach.
The Roots: From Veronelli to the Friulian Pioneers
It's tempting to think natural wine is a recent fad, but in Italy it's a rediscovery of how wine was made for centuries. Before the post-war push toward industrial agriculture, most Italian growers farmed without synthetic chemicals and fermented with whatever yeasts their cellars hosted. What changed in the late 20th century was that a handful of winemakers consciously chose to go back.
The gastronomic writer Luigi Veronelli was a key intellectual figure. He championed small artisan growers and what he called "vini veri" (true wines) at a time when Italian wine was chasing international styles, new oak, and polished uniformity. His advocacy gave early natural producers a voice and a philosophy.
The movement's spiritual home, though, is the border region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. There, Josko Gravner became one of the most influential figures in modern Italian wine. After a trip to California in the late 1980s left him dissatisfied with technology-driven winemaking, he began questioning everything. He eventually abandoned stainless steel and, from 2001, began fermenting and aging his wines in amphorae imported from Georgia, buried underground and left on the skins for months. Nearby, Stanko Radikon pioneered long skin maceration of white grapes, especially Ribolla Gialla, with little or no added sulfur. His son Saša continues the work today.
These wines were polarizing at first. Today they are modern classics, and "orange wine" (white grapes fermented on their skins) has become a global category.
Regions and Styles to Know
Friuli and the Carso: Orange Wine's Heartland
The Collio hills and the rocky Carso plateau near Trieste are essential for skin-contact whites. Beyond Gravner and Radikon, look for Paolo Vodopivec, who ages Vitovska, a local white grape, in buried amphorae, producing wines that are mineral, saline, and age-worthy. Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, and Vitovska are the grapes to watch.
Sicily: Etna and the Southeast
Sicily's natural wine scene is as dramatic as its landscape. On Mount Etna, high-altitude vineyards on black volcanic soil, some with ungrafted old vines, produce red wines from Nerello Mascalese and whites from Carricante. Belgian-born Frank Cornelissen became the face of the Etna natural movement, making wines under his Munjebel label with minimal intervention, no added sulfur in many cuvées, and amphorae and other non-traditional vessels for aging.
In the island's southeast, Arianna Occhipinti in Vittoria has become a leading light for Frappato, a fragrant, light-bodied red that can taste like wild strawberries and rose petals. Nearby, COS, a pioneering estate in the Cerasuolo di Vittoria zone, has long used terracotta amphorae and biodynamic farming.
Veneto and Emilia-Romagna: Fizz, Funk, and Tradition
The Veneto and Emilia are rich in rustic, refermented sparkling wines. Prosecco Col Fondo is the old-fashioned way of making Prosecco: the wine is bottled with its fine lees and refermented in the bottle, so it's cloudy, dry, and savory rather than glossy and sweet. Casa Coste Piane in Valdobbiadene is a benchmark producer. In Gambellara, La Biancara works magic with Garganega, a grape often dismissed as bland but remarkably expressive in the right hands.
In Emilia, natural Lambrusco and sparkling Malvasia from producers like Camillo Donati near Parma show how fun and food-friendly this style can be. Farther west in the Piacentino hills, Denavolo (Giulio Armani) makes structured, tannic skin-contact whites that drink almost like red wines.
Central and Northern Italy
In Abruzzo, Emidio Pepe and the late Edoardo Valentini have long been revered for traditional, non-interventionist Trebbiano d'Abruzzo and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that can age for decades. While they don't always use the "natural" label, they embody many of its values. In Trentino, Elisabetta Foradori farms biodynamically in the Campo Rotaliano and has helped rescue Teroldego from its reputation as a simple, rustic red, even aging some cuvées in terracotta amphorae.
The Debate: Revolution or Marketing Hype?
Italy's natural wine scene may be thriving, but it is anything but universally loved. The arguments tend to circle around a few key issues.
Faults vs. Character
Without sulfur as a safety net, wines are more vulnerable to oxidation, refermentation, and microbial spoilage. Critics argue that some natural wines show volatile acidity (a vinegar-like sharpness), mousiness (a stale, nutty off-note linked to certain yeasts and bacteria), or brettanomyces (a barnyardy yeast character). Defenders reply that a little funk can be part of a wine's personality, and that the best natural producers make wines that are clean, precise, and stable. As in any category, quality varies enormously.
The Sulfite Question
Sulfur dioxide is used in winemaking because it protects against oxidation and unwanted microbes. Under EU rules, organic wines may contain lower maximum levels than conventional ones (around 100 mg/L for reds and 150 mg/L for whites and rosés, versus 150 and 200 mg/L for conventional wines). Many natural winemakers go far below that, or add none at all. It's worth remembering that yeast naturally produces some sulfites during fermentation, so "sulfite-free" wine is a myth. And contrary to popular belief, sulfites are rarely responsible for wine headaches.
The Lack of a Definition
Without a legal framework, "natural" can be a marketing term as much as a promise. Some producers are rigorous about their farming and cellar practices; others borrow the aesthetic (the cloudy look, the hand-drawn label) without the substance. Skeptics also note that natural wines can fall outside traditional Italian appellation rules. Because DOC and DOCG wines must pass official tasting panels and meet style criteria, many natural producers, including Radikon and Gravner, choose to label their wines under the broader IGT category, or simply as Vino, so they can make wines as they see fit.
Consistency and Price
Natural wines can vary from bottle to bottle, and some cult bottles are expensive. For adventurous drinkers, that unpredictability is part of the appeal. For others, it's a deal-breaker.
Ten Bottles to Try
Here's a starter list covering styles and regions. Availability and vintages vary, so ask a good independent wine shop or importer.
- Radikon Ribolla Gialla (Friuli): The benchmark for long-maceration orange wine, amber-colored, tannic, and deeply savory.
- Gravner Ribolla (Friuli): Amphora-aged and extremely age-worthy, with dried apricot, tea, and spice. A splurge, but a landmark.
- Vodopivec Vitovska (Carso): Saline, textured, and mineral, a great introduction to this under-known grape.
- Denavolo "Dinavolo" (Emilia-Romagna): A skin-contact white blend from the Piacenza hills with structure and complexity.
- La Biancara "Pico" Garganega (Veneto): A wine made without added sulfur by VinNatur's founder, lively, floral, and unexpectedly deep.
- Casa Coste Piane Prosecco Col Fondo (Veneto): Dry, yeasty, and cloudy, a very different animal from supermarket Prosecco.
- Frank Cornelissen "Munjebel" Rosso (Etna): Wild, high-toned Nerello Mascalese from volcanic vineyards.
- Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Rosso (Sicily): A bright, juicy blend of Frappato and Nero d'Avola, ideal for chilling lightly in summer.
- Foradori Teroldego (Trentino): Deep, vibrant, and peppery, a modern showcase for a native Alpine red.
- Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo): A hand-crafted white of remarkable longevity and a lesson in patience.
Tasting note (orange wine, Friuli): Burnished amber in the glass, with aromas of dried orange peel, chamomile, and honeyed apricot. The palate is dry and textured, with gentle tannins and a long, savory finish reminiscent of black tea and toasted almond.
How to Enjoy Natural Wine
A few practical tips can make a big difference:
- Mind the temperature. Serve orange and skin-contact wines cool, not ice-cold, around 12–14°C (54–57°F), so their aromas and texture show. Light reds like Frappato can be slightly chilled.
- Give it air. Some natural wines show a little reduction (a struck-match or funky note) when first opened. A splash into a decanter or ten minutes in the glass often resolves it.
- Don't fear the cloudiness. Sediment or haze usually just means the wine wasn't filtered. Stand the bottle upright for a while if you prefer a clearer pour.
- Store with care. Wines with little or no sulfur are more fragile. Keep them cool, away from light and