What Are Natural Wines?

Natural wine is the oldest way of making wine — and the simplest. It means letting the vineyard speak for itself, without additives, corrections, or industrial processes.

At Ranchelle, natural wine is not a trend but a tradition: the continuation of how wine was made for generations in the Maremma.

Our Philosophy

Natural wine, for us, begins long before fermentation. It begins in the soil, in the biodiversity of the vineyards, and in the way the vines are grown.
We follow a few essential principles:

1. Organic & Biodynamic Farming

  • No synthetic chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides.
  • Only small amounts of copper and sulfur (around 25% of what is allowed in organic farming).
  • Annual sovescio (green manure) to keep the soil alive and fertile.
Healthy soil produces healthy grapes — and healthy grapes make honest wines.

2. Native Yeasts Only

Fermentations start spontaneously, powered by the natural yeasts that live on the grape skins and in the cellar.
These yeasts carry the DNA of the territory and give each wine its identity.

3. No Oenological Additives

Our wines contain only grapes — nothing else.
We do not use:
  • industrial yeasts
  • enzymes
  • tannin powders
  • acidifiers
  • stabilisers
  • clarifying agents
Instead, we protect the wines with nitrogen (an inert gas) during racking and bottling, instead of adding sulfur.

4. Minimal Intervention in the Cellar

No filtration, no fining, no corrections.
Gravity is used whenever possible, including during pressing and transfers.
The result: wines that are alive, unmanipulated, and true to their origin.

Why Natural Wine Matters

Natural wines preserve:

Heritage

Most of our grapes come from old vineyards or massal selections of rare Tuscan and Mediterranean varieties — many nearly forgotten.

Biodiversity

Working naturally means keeping the ecosystem intact: soil, insects, plants, microflora, and old vines thrive together.

Authenticity

Every wine reflects the vintage, the climate, and the vineyard’s personality. Nothing is masked or recreated.

Digestibility & Purity

With no additives and minimal intervention, natural wines are gentle, expressive, and easier on the body.

Natural Wine in the Maremma

The Maremma has a long history of making wine without additives.
Before industrial agriculture arrived, farmers fermented their grapes:
  • with native yeasts
  • often on the skins
  • without additives
  • in simple wooden vats or stone basins

This traditional knowledge survives in Ranchelle’s vineyards — especially in the 60-year-old Millocchio field blend, where many forgotten varieties still grow together.

How We Work

At Ranchelle, natural wine is not a label — it is a daily practice:
  • Manual harvesting in small crates
  • Fermentation in mastelle without pumps
  • Long or short macerations depending on the grape
  • Ageing in used tonneaux, steel, or fiberglass
  • Bottling without filtration
  • Minimal sulfur (often none added)

Every bottle is the result of patience, careful observation, and respect for nature’s rhythm.

Discover Our Wines

Want to taste how these principles come to life?

Explore Our Wines