Natural wine has become one of the most debated and influential movements in the modern wine world.
In this episode of The Wine Resistance, Isabelle Legeron MW, founder of Raw Wine and author of Natural Wine, discusses the origins of the movement, its rapid international growth, and the philosophies behind lower-intervention farming and winemaking.
The conversation explores:
• The agricultural roots of natural wine
• The impact of the green revolution on viticulture
• How tasting standards evolve over time
• The perceived divide between “natural” and “conventional” wine
• Transparency, sustainability, and consumer awareness
Filmed at Vin Mon Lapin in Montréal, this episode examines how farming practices, technology, and market forces have shaped contemporary wine and what the future may hold.
Credits & thanks to:
🎥 Director of Photography: Pasquale Tropea, CINEPRISE
📹Camera operator: Émile Coteau
🖥️ Editor: Lucas Rupnik
🎵Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 – remix by Semo
🍴Vin Mon Lapin, Montréal, Canada
#thewineresistance #rawwine #naturalwine #organicwine #winemaker #winedocumentary #wineculture
3 Comments
the reduction or irradiation of chemicals in the vineyard and winery is a great aim. I don't understand not finning or filtering though. Ive wanted to love natural wines but have felt very ill after trying them or just didn't enjoy them. the gaslighting by the conventional wine trade around what I should taste or shouldn't taste is often mirrored by the natural wine movement who also lecture on what wine should be like and my headaches are because i'm used to chemical wine or have lost the ability to discern " real wine " . I avoid industrial brands and seek out through research growers who respect the soil but also that humans are part of winemaking process. the terms natural, organic and biodynamic don't necessarily mean what they say. I worked in olive oil farming as well as grape harvest and winery. I agree about the trade having no clue about what farming is like, how hard it is.
as an example from olive oil. though not registered organic, we used no chemicals on the farm, using animal and leaf manure to nourish the soil. examined the weather for pruning and picking times. noted the moon energy, the movement of air, checked the insect and bird life of the soil and farm but didn't tie ourselves with following biodynamic principles. we followed our experience not a catechism. the one area I am personally passionate about was hygiene, storage and protection from light. I was mad for unfiltered olive oil in the beginning but came to find naturally rested oil and racking after light filtratration of solids was a better olive oil and didn't oxidize as did the unfiltered ones.
anyway my comments come from my heart and are not meant as an attack. as a farmer I don't want to sprayed while I work or have my body damaged by green revolution farming. I am very saddened and angry about your family members and many others that suffered at the hands of this method.
I hope the wine farmers and the profession can find a way to communicate better with each other and the consumer.
A conversation about wine, conviction, and the cost of doing things differently. Isabelle Legeron reflects on the evolution of a movement that continues to divide opinion. What are your thoughts?
I will admit that I carried some long-held assumptions into this interview. Speaking with Isabelle made me reconsider where those impressions came from, particularly around how modern benchmarks and expectations have shaped what we think wine should be.
Curious whether this conversation shifts anything for you, too?