VOA文化艺术2023--Old Ways of Making Wine Gain New Fans

Old Ways of Making Wine Gain New Fans

Wine made by ancient methods is gaining new fans.

Wine is an alcoholic¹ drink made from fruit like grapes.

Natural wine uses methods that reduce processing and harmful effects on the Earth. Research company IWSR Drinks Market Analysis found that people in the U.S. are seeking natural wine in increasing numbers. At the same time, the number of wine buyers has been dropping since 2015.

Natural and other Earth-friendly wines made up less than one percent of sales in 2021. But demand for those wines was rising faster than other kinds on the whole, reported Drizly, an online site for ordering and shipping² wine and other alcohol.

Most natural wines are made with organic grapes collected by hand. Organic growers do not use poisonous chemicals to stop or control insects or unwanted plant growth.

To make wine, the grapes need to be crushed. Some wine producers crush grapes by foot like people of ancient times. Afterwards, the crushed grapes ferment³ naturally. Manufacturers do not add water, yeast⁴ or other substances.

There are exceptions. Some natural winemakers add sulfites, a chemical produced naturally in grapes. Extra sulfites can help preserve, or keep, the wine. And some winemakers clear the final liquid of any small pieces that could make it look cloudy.

The result is wines that are earthy and less predictable than many of the wines created by bigger producers.

"The first time you taste it, you can tell it's alive," said John Keller. He is the owner and winemaker at Neu Cellars in Northern Michigan.

But selling natural wine processes can be difficult. Natural wine has no set definition in the U.S. It is not easy to find, since most natural wines do not identify as such on their labels.

"Natural just sounds good, but conventional wine is pretty natural too," said Anita Oberholster. She is a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. "If the idea of natural wine is going to grow, we should do research on it and define it."

Keller of Neu Cellars has a degree in biochemistry. He started out working for a big winemaker in California. But he left because he was not happy about all the chemical mixes it used. These include gelatin, oak dust, and eggs.

However, some say the line between natural and conventional wines is very narrow.

Many products added to wine, like yeast, are natural products, Oberholster said. And many conventional wines are made without adding anything.

Some in the industry would like to establish rules for producing natural wine. France's wine industry took such action in 2020, enacting⁵ requirements that winemakers must meet to identify their wines as natural.

Some manufacturers argue that rules can make wine making more costly⁶. Keller uses organic grapes but he says he cannot support the cost of repeated inspections⁷ for approval as an organic wine.

Anthony Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a wine investment company. He sees another problem.

Vinovest says some wine companies are profiting from the lack of rules. They use labeling content like imagery that suggests their wine making is natural when they are not, he argues.

That can mislead buyers who often will pay higher prices for wines made by smaller producers that use natural methods.

However, buyers may have more information on wine bottles soon. Starting in December, wines sold in the European Union will have to identify on their labeling all the substances each product contains.

Oberholster expects the U.S. to pass similar measures as well in the next few years.

Words in This Story

ferment – v. to go through a chemical change that results in the production of alcohol

conventional – adj. common and ordinary

label – adj. a piece of paper or cloth that is attached to something to identify or describe that thing

1 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

2 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

3 ferment   

vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱

参考例句：

• Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。
• The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

4 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

5 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》