Is Wine Really a Natural Product? The Truth About the 70+ Additives Allowed in the Winemaking Process
Is Wine Really a Natural Product? The Truth About the 70+ Additives Allowed in the Winemaking Process
We like to believe that wine is a simple thing—grapes, yeast, and time. That a bottle holds the pure expression of a place, shaped by soil, climate, and human hands. But modern winemaking tells a different story. In the U.S., as many as 76 additives are permitted in wine production, yet none are required to appear on the label except sulfites. Even though fewer additives are permitted in the European Union, the same lack of transparency exists. That means when we pour a glass, we have no idea what’s actually in it.
The Hidden World of Wine Additives
From animal-derived fining agents like egg whites and fish bladders to high-sugar grape juice concentrate and chemical stabilizers like Velcorin (dimethyl dicarbonate), additives serve a range of functions in winemaking. Some clarify. Some enhance color. Some alter the taste of the wine. Some ensure microbial stability.
Velcorin, for example, is so toxic in its concentrated form that workers must wear full protective gear to handle it safely. It’s used in everything from conventional to non-alcoholic wines as a sterilizing agent. How much of it is left in your wine? No one knows. But are you willing to drink it without knowing for sure?
Despite the widespread use of these substances, the only legally required disclosure on a wine label is a warning about sulfites. Everything else remains hidden from the consumer. And that raises an important question: Why are we kept in the dark? Wouldn’t wineries want to be transparent, especially when they pride themselves to craft terroir driven wines?
The Shift Away from Tradition:
Terroir vs. Manipulation
Wine has long been a story of place. Historically, a vineyard’s unique combination of soil, topography, climate, and grape variety defined the taste of each bottle. But with the rise of industrialized winemaking, this intimate connection to the land has been eroded. Instead of allowing nature to guide the process for a vintage truly driven by the expression of a place, many producers rely on additives to ensure a standardized product—one that meets mass-market demands or earns high scores from critics.
Mega Purple, a grape concentrate, is commonly used to deepen color and add sweetness. Tannins add structure and acidifiers help balance flavor. Commercial yeasts drive fermentation toward predictable taste profiles. The result? Wines that are consistent, yes, but also stripped of their authenticity. A bottle may claim to express terroir, but what happens when that expression is masked by manipulation?
At its core, this is a question of integrity. Are we drinking wines shaped by nature, or wines engineered for marketability? The industry’s answer is clear—wine is a business, and perception can be polished with clever marketing. But the real question is how we, as consumers, choose to respond.
What You Can Do: Advocating for Transparency
We have more power than we think. Here’s how we can push the industry toward greater honesty:
- Ask Questions. When purchasing wine, inquire about the producer’s use of additives. Demand clear, honest answers and be aware that claims like “natural wine” are not defined and can therefore mean a variety of things.
- Support Transparent Brands. Choose wines from producers who disclose their ingredients and prioritize clean, authentic winemaking. Brands like DIRT Wine are leading the charge toward radical transparency.
- Demand More. Every winery is required to keep thorough compliance records for the TTB and FDA, but that information rarely reaches consumers. It’s time to change that.
Use Your Voice. Share your findings. Advocate for clearer labeling. The more awareness we create, the more pressure we put on the industry to evolve.
The Future of Wine: Clean, Honest, and Transparent
The wine industry stands at a crossroads. Transparency isn’t just an ideal—in our opinion, it’s essential for the future of wine. By embracing honesty and nature-positive farming and low intervention winemaking, we can create wines that respect both the land and the people who drink them.
So the next time you raise a glass, ask yourself: Do you really know what’s in your wine? And, more importantly, do you want to? The answers we demand today will shape the wines we drink tomorrow.
Cheers to a cleaner, more authentic future.
