RAW WINE REVOLUTION:
an interview with Isabelle Legeron Interview by Andrea Eby, DipWSET, IWS, CMS, Sommelier, and Gary Hewitt, DipWSET, CWE, FWS, Sommelier Isabelle Legeron is the author of Natural Wine: An Introduction to Organic and Biodynamic Wines Made Naturally and the founder and driving force behind the “totally independent” RAW WINE fairs. Isabelle was raised in a traditional agricultural family, developed a love of the land, and later found herself drawn to the study of wine. Even advanced studies left her wanting more, and she enrolled in the Master of Wine (MW) program, where she discovered that her non-intervention and organic outlook challenged the program’s conventional teachings. But Isabelle remained resolute: she not only graduated but is now a champion of the natural wine movement. Isabelle brings deep knowledge and a focused, clear approach to her ongoing work. She happily shared her time in order to spread the word about natural wines
life, that microbiology, is preserved and translated during the vinification process.
Gary Hewitt (GH) Perhaps we could start our discussion with your definition of natural wine.
IL I think it’s divided. I would say that the majority of people would like to see a definition. You cannot tell anything from the wine label or from just looking at the bottle of wine. So, from my perspective, it is important to define it. I like things to be quite transparent; I want to open eyes, and I like to know what’s what.
Isabelle Legeron (IL) Natural wine is literally a 100% grape juice—nothing added, nothing taken away. It’s a wine that has been made from organically grown grapes with very little intervention in the cellar and nothing added during the vinification process. And really, for me, it’s the wine that preserves the living: the living in the soil, in the vineyard. That
38 http://banvilleandjones.cornervine.com
GH At the moment, there is no official definition of natural wine…? IL Yes, that’s really true. I think the closest thing you’re going to get may be some charters of quality that grower associations are putting together like the Association des Vins Naturels (France). At the moment, we’re relying on private organizations and their definition of what is a natural wine. Andrea Eby (AE) Do you feel that the community wants an official definition or does the culture of that community like a little ambiguity in the definition?
But, there are people who prefer it to be more nebulous. And for me, the two go together. When you start exploring natural
