“The concept of natural wine is, at best, a clever marketing strategy; at worst, a deception.” the word of Riccardo Polegato, a producer from Friuli and owner of La Viarte. And here he explains why.
Riccardo Polegato, born in 1996, a “son of art” who grew up among rows and bottles, owner together with his sisters Luana and Giorgia of La Viarte winery in Prepotto (UD) on the Colli Orientali del Friuli, breaks the hesitations and takes a position on “natural wines,” a topic that in recent weeks has ignited the debate within the wine world. A diatribe that, between grey areas and little mastery of the subject, risks damaging the work of many producers, misleading the final consumer.
The word from Riccardo Polegato
“In recent years, the term “natural wine” has become fashionable, a label that attracts a certain audience and promises superior quality and less health-impacting consequences. However, behind this seemingly appealing definition lies a highly controversial reality.
First, the concept of “natural wine” has no legal basis or official regulation: in fact, there is no controlling body that certifies what is actually a natural wine and what is not. This leaves room for arbitrary interpretations and, inevitably, misleading marketing practices. It is, in essence, a term without rigor that plays on consumer perception.
Artifactual conventional wines?
Not surprisingly, the narrative accompanying natural wines often implies that conventionally produced wines are somehow “artifacts” or “inferior.” This is deeply misleading, because conventional viticulture is regulated by precise standards, with strict controls on product quality and safety. And one cannot forget how professional winemakers working under conventional or modern methods rely on decades, if not centuries, of scientific knowledge and established practices to ensure an excellent and safe product, while organoleptic imperfections translated as “natural” are often winemaking defects.
Healthier natural wines?
Another critical aspect is the implicit message that natural wines are healthier.
This is a simplification that borders on deception, since the healthiness of a wine does not depend on whether it is natural or not but, rather, on factors such as the sulfite content (which, by the way, is naturally present even in so-called “natural” wines), the quality of the grapes and the winemaking processes.
So, to claim that a natural wine is automatically “better for health” is a manipulation that exploits the little knowledge of the average consumer.
Belittling the work of those who work differently
Finally, there is the risk of a boomerang effect: focusing on “natural” risks diminishing the work of thousands of producers who, while not using this label, make an honest effort every day to create extraordinary wines that respect the environment, the land and, above all, the consumer.
Not to mention that this type of communication only unnecessarily divides the industry, instead of enhancing the diversity and richness of the world’s viticulture.
In conclusion, the concept of natural wine is, at best, a clever marketing strategy; at worst, it is a deception.
Informing yourself carefully is essential
I firmly believe that improving communication in the wine industry is necessary to protect consumers, who deserve to know that a good wine does not need misleading adjectives to prove its quality.
Therefore, as a young producer, I suggest that my peers carefully inform themselves on the subject, to be able to more consciously evaluate their consumption choices.
And I say this in the belief that issues such as transparency, knowledge and respect for the work of producers should be at the center of the dialogue, not trivialized and turned into labels that only serve to create unnecessary divisions.”
Riccardo Polegato, CEO La Viarte
