Written by Michele Longari IWA
Wine labels have become a little busier over the last few years.
Organic. Biodynamic. Natural. Sustainable. Low intervention. Vegan. Low sulphite. At some point, choosing a bottle of wine can feel like trying to decode a small agricultural manifesto.
I say that with affection, because many of these words do matter. They can tell us something useful about how a wine is grown, how it is made, and how seriously a producer thinks about their land. But they can also be confusing, especially when they are used as if they all mean the same thing.
They don’t.
Three of the most common terms you’ll see are organic wine, biodynamic wine and natural wine. They often overlap, but they are not identical.
Organic wine is mostly about certified farming and production rules. Biodynamic wine starts with organic principles, then adds a wider view of the vineyard as a living ecosystem. Natural wine is more about minimal intervention in the cellar, often with organic or biodynamic farming behind it, but with less formal regulation.
That already sounds like quite a lot, doesn’t it?
So, let’s keep this simple. What does organic wine mean? What does biodynamic wine mean? What does natural wine mean? Are they healthier? Do they taste different? And, most importantly, does any of this help you choose a better bottle?
What is organic wine?
Organic wine starts in the vineyard.
In simple terms, organic grapes are grown without synthetic herbicides, synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and other routine chemical interventions that are common in conventional agriculture. Instead, organic growers focus on soil health, biodiversity, careful vineyard management and naturally derived treatments where needed.
This does not mean “nothing is used”. That is one of the biggest misunderstandings about organic farming. Vineyards are living places, and vines can suffer from mildew, rot, drought, pests and all the usual dramas that come with farming. Organic growers still need to protect their crops, but the list of permitted treatments is much more restricted.
Organic certification also covers what happens in the winery. This can include limits on certain additives and processing aids, as well as lower permitted levels of sulphur dioxide compared with conventional wines.
Sulphur dioxide, usually shortened to sulphites, is one of those topics that deserves its own article and a strong cup of coffee. For now, the key point is this: organic wine is not automatically sulphite-free. Many organic wines still contain added sulphites, because sulphites help protect wine from oxidation and microbial spoilage.
That distinction matters. “Organic” does not mean wild, cloudy, funky or unstable. It simply means the wine has been made according to certified organic rules, from vineyard to bottle.
In other words, organic wine is about farming with fewer synthetic inputs, protecting soil health, and working within a recognised set of standards.
That may sound less romantic than some of the language around wine, but it is genuinely important. Good wine begins with good grapes, and good grapes begin with healthy vineyards.
What is biodynamic wine?
Biodynamic wine also starts in the vineyard, but with a broader and more philosophical approach.
A biodynamic vineyard is farmed organically, but the producer goes further. The vineyard is treated as a complete living organism, where vines, soil, animals, insects, plants, compost, water and wider natural rhythms are all connected.
The basic idea comes from the agricultural lectures of Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. Today, biodynamic certification is most commonly associated with Demeter, the international biodynamic certification body. Demeter standards include organic principles, but also add specific biodynamic preparations, composting practices, restrictions in the winery, and a strong emphasis on ecological balance.
This is where biodynamics becomes more distinctive.
Biodynamic producers may use preparations made from herbs, minerals and composted manure. They may work with lunar and cosmic calendars when choosing the timing of certain vineyard or cellar tasks. They often aim to make the farm as self-sustaining as possible, reducing dependency on external inputs and encouraging a balanced ecosystem.
Some of this sounds beautifully holistic. Some of it can sound, depending on your mood, like the vineyard has joined a rather intense book club.
But here’s the important part. Many great biodynamic producers are not making wine by magic. They are farming with exceptional attention to detail. They are walking their vineyards constantly. They are building soil life, encouraging biodiversity, making compost, observing weather patterns, reducing chemical intervention, and trying to understand their land as deeply as possible.
Whether or not you personally connect with every spiritual element of biodynamics, the practical result is often very careful farming. And careful farming is rarely a bad thing.
For me, the most useful way to understand biodynamic wine is this: it is organic farming with a deeper ecological philosophy behind it. It asks the producer to think about the vineyard as a complete system, rather than a simple crop-producing machine.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is slightly different, because it is less about a single official certification and more about a winemaking philosophy.
In broad terms, natural wine is made with minimal intervention. The grapes are usually farmed organically or biodynamically, although this is not always certified. Fermentation is normally spontaneous, using native yeasts rather than commercial yeast strains. In the winery, the producer avoids heavy manipulation, unnecessary additives, aggressive filtration and excessive sulphur dioxide.
The idea is to let the wine express the grapes, the vintage and the place as directly as possible.
That sounds simple, but natural wine is probably the most misunderstood of the three categories.
Some people hear “natural wine” and imagine cloudy bottles, cider-like aromas, wild acidity, bottle variation and something that tastes vaguely like it escaped from a farmyard. Sometimes, yes, natural wine can be challenging. Let’s be honest. There are bottles out there that require a very open mind... and perhaps a small support group!
But that is only part of the picture.
Good natural wine can be clean, fresh, precise, joyful and incredibly expressive. It can be bright and juicy, savoury and earthy, delicate and elegant, or properly serious. The best natural winemakers are not simply doing less because they can’t be bothered. They are making very deliberate choices to avoid unnecessary intervention while still producing balanced, enjoyable wine.
The problem is that “natural wine” is not regulated in the same clear way as organic or biodynamic certification. Different organisations and groups have developed their own charters and definitions, but the term is still used more loosely in the market.
So, when you see “natural wine”, it is worth asking a few questions.
Were the grapes farmed organically or biodynamically? Was the wine fermented with native yeasts? Were additives avoided? Was sulphur dioxide used, and if so, how much? Is the wine stable? Does it taste good?
That last question remains quite important. Romantic philosophy is lovely, but I still want the bottle to be delicious.
Natural wine, at its best, is about honesty, energy and a strong connection to place. At its worst, it can become an excuse for faults. The good producers know the difference.
Organic vs biodynamic vs natural wine: the simple difference
Here is the cleanest way to think about the three terms.
Organic wine is about certified rules. It focuses on how the grapes are grown and how the wine is made, with restrictions on synthetic chemicals and certain winery practices.
Biodynamic wine starts with organic farming, then adds a wider ecological and philosophical system. It treats the vineyard as a living organism and often follows specific biodynamic preparations and rhythms.
Natural wine is mainly about minimal intervention. It usually begins with organic or biodynamic grapes, then continues in the cellar with spontaneous fermentation, few additives and little manipulation.
So, organic is a farming and production standard.
Biodynamic is a farming standard plus a holistic philosophy.
Natural is a low-intervention winemaking approach, usually connected to organic or biodynamic farming, but not always formally certified.
There is overlap, of course. A wine can be organic and natural. It can be biodynamic and natural. It can be certified organic but made in a very polished, conventional style. It can be natural but not certified organic, even if the grower farms responsibly.
This is why the producer matters more than the label alone.
Certification can be helpful. It gives customers a framework and offers a degree of accountability. But wine is still made by people, and people vary. Some certified producers make very ordinary wines. Some uncertified producers work with extraordinary care.
The label gives you a clue. The glass gives you the answer.
Taste the difference: The Living Wine Case
Of course, the easiest way to understand the difference between organic, biodynamic and natural wine is not just to read about it. It is to taste them side by side.
That is why we have created The Living Wine Case, a six-bottle mixed case designed to accompany this guide. It includes two organic wines, two biodynamic wines and two natural wines, chosen to show how these different approaches can translate into real pleasure in the glass.
The idea is simple: open, pour, compare, enjoy. No homework required, although thoughtful sipping is always encouraged.
Inside the case, you’ll find crisp whites, food-friendly reds and a skin-contact orange wine, giving you a broad and enjoyable introduction to more conscious wine styles without wandering too far into the weird and wonderful end of the spectrum.
If you’re curious about organic, biodynamic and natural wine, The Living Wine Case is a very good place to start.
Does organic, biodynamic or natural wine taste different?
Sometimes, yes. But not in one single predictable way.
There is no universal “organic taste”. Organic wines can be crisp and clean, rich and oaky, earthy and rustic, polished and elegant, traditional or modern.
The same is true for biodynamic wines. A biodynamic Champagne will not taste like a biodynamic red from Tuscany. A biodynamic Riesling from Austria will not taste like a biodynamic Syrah from the Rhône.
Natural wine has a more recognisable stylistic reputation, but even there, the range is huge. Some natural wines are cloudy, savoury and slightly wild. Others are clean, pure and almost classical in feel.
What you may find, especially from good organic, biodynamic and natural producers, is a sense of energy. The wines can feel more alive, more detailed, more expressive of place. That is not because someone sprinkled moonlight into the fermentation tank. It is usually because healthy soils, balanced vines and careful farming can produce better fruit.
Better fruit gives the winemaker more options. They can intervene less. They can use less make-up, so to speak. The wine does not need to be pushed into shape quite so aggressively.
That is the best argument for these wines. Not that every bottle is automatically better, but that thoughtful farming and careful winemaking give wine a better chance of being honest, characterful and delicious.
And delicious remains the point.
We are not drinking a certificate.
Are these wines healthier?
This is where we need to be careful.
Many people are drawn to organic, biodynamic and natural wines because they want to drink more consciously. That is completely understandable. These wines often come from producers who care deeply about farming, soil health, biodiversity and lower intervention in the winery.
But wine is still wine. It contains alcohol. No certification makes alcohol disappear, sadly. If someone invents that, I imagine the wine trade will have a few questions.
Organic, biodynamic and natural wines may contain fewer synthetic residues from vineyard treatments, and they often involve lower sulphur dioxide levels than conventional wines. Natural wines, in particular, may use very little added sulphur, or sometimes none at all.
But “healthier” is a complicated word.
Lower sulphur does not automatically mean you will feel better the next day. Sulphites are often blamed for headaches, but alcohol level, dehydration, histamines, drinking speed, food, sleep and quantity all matter too. A 14.5% natural red can still make its presence known if you treat it like mineral water!
The better way to frame it is this: organic, biodynamic and natural wines may appeal to drinkers who want wines made with more attention to farming, fewer unnecessary inputs and a clearer sense of origin.
That is a good reason to choose them.
Just don’t ask them to perform miracles.
Are natural wines always organic or biodynamic?
Not always.
Many natural wine producers do farm organically or biodynamically, because the whole philosophy of natural wine usually begins with healthy grapes and living soils. It is difficult to make convincing low-intervention wine from poor-quality fruit.
However, natural wine is not regulated in the same way as certified organic or certified biodynamic wine. A producer might describe their wine as natural without having formal certification. That does not automatically mean they are doing anything wrong. Certification can be expensive, especially for small producers. Some growers prefer to work transparently without paying for certification.
But it does mean we need to be careful with assumptions.
A certified organic wine has met a defined organic standard.
A certified biodynamic wine has met a defined biodynamic standard.
A natural wine may be made according to a serious low-intervention philosophy, but the term itself can be more flexible unless it is linked to a specific charter, association or certification.
This is where trust becomes important. Trust in the producer, trust in the importer, and, very conveniently for us, trust in your wine merchant.
At Hay Wines, we try to look beyond the buzzwords. We want to know how the wine is actually made. We want to understand the farming. We want to taste the wine properly. And we want to make sure it gives pleasure, because worthy but joyless wine is still joyless wine.
Which should I choose?
I wouldn’t start by asking whether organic, biodynamic or natural is “best”.
I would start by asking what kind of wine you enjoy.
If you like clean, precise, classic styles but want a more conscious choice, organic wine is often a very good place to begin. You get certified standards, thoughtful farming and familiar styles.
If you are interested in producers who go further in the vineyard, biodynamic wine can be fascinating. These wines often come from growers with a deep connection to place and a very serious approach to soil and biodiversity.
If you enjoy wines with energy, texture, savoury character and sometimes a little unpredictability, natural wine can be hugely rewarding. Just choose carefully. Natural wine should still be balanced and enjoyable. “Interesting” is not always the same as “good”, although we have all politely pretended otherwise at least once.
The best route is to stay open-minded.
Some of the most exciting bottles sit in the overlap between these categories. A wine might be certified organic, farmed biodynamically and made with a natural approach in the cellar. Another might be organic but very classic in style. Another might be natural but beautifully clean and precise.
There is no single correct answer.
The right wine is the one that matches your taste, your food, your mood and, ideally, your evening.
Why we care about these wines at Hay Wines
At Hay Wines, we care about organic, biodynamic and natural wines because they often lead us towards the kind of producers we like working with: thoughtful, independent, quality-focused and deeply connected to their land.
Not all of our wines are organic, biodynamic or natural, and we don’t believe certification is the only measure of quality. Some small producers farm beautifully but are not certified. Some regions make certification more difficult because of climate pressure, humidity, disease risk or cost. A vineyard in a damp maritime climate faces very different challenges from one in a dry Mediterranean valley.
So, we try to look at the whole picture.
How does the producer farm? What do they avoid? What do they use, and why? Are they protecting their soils? Are they making wine that reflects the place it comes from? Does the bottle offer character, balance and pleasure?
That is the bit we can help with. We taste, we ask questions, we compare, and occasionally we argue politely around a table until the right bottle wins.
Organic, biodynamic and natural wines are not only about what is missing. They are about what is present: healthier soils, careful farming, lower intervention, stronger vineyard identity and, often, a clearer sense of place in the glass.
A mixed case for curious wine drinkers
If this article has made you curious to explore these styles in a more practical way, we have put together The Living Wine Case as a simple, enjoyable next step.
It brings together six bottles across the three approaches covered here: organic, biodynamic and natural. The selection has been chosen to be interesting, expressive and genuinely drinkable, rather than challenging for the sake of being challenging.
Think of it as a small guided tasting in a box. Two organic wines, two biodynamic wines and two natural wines, all chosen to show freshness, character, thoughtful farming and low-intervention winemaking in different ways.
It is ideal if you want to explore more conscious drinking, compare styles at home, or share something a little different over dinner with friends.
And, importantly, it is still wine for drinking, not wine for writing a dissertation about. Although if you do end up giving a short lecture over the cheese course, we won’t judge!
Final thoughts
The difference between organic, biodynamic and natural wine is simpler once you strip away the jargon.
Organic wine is about certified farming and production rules.
Biodynamic wine builds on organic principles with a deeper ecological philosophy.
Natural wine is about minimal intervention, usually from responsibly farmed grapes, with less manipulation in the cellar.
One is not automatically better than the others. All three can produce excellent wines. All three can also produce average wines, because wine remains stubbornly human. Farming matters, but so do judgement, taste, experience and the ability not to ruin perfectly good grapes.
For me, the most exciting wines in these categories are not interesting because they are fashionable. They are interesting because they feel alive. They have detail, energy and a sense of place. They make you want to pour another glass and talk about where they came from.
And really, that is where good wine should always begin.
