The World of Natural Wine

Natural wine has nothing to hide. Made from grapes alone – organically farmed, then harvested, fermented, aged, and bottled without additives – it’s wine that seeks to express, in every sip, its traditional and crucial link to nature.The World of Natural Wineis the book wine lovers need to navigate this movement – because it’s about so much more than labels and vintages. Meet the obsessive, often outspoken, winemakers; learn about the regions of France where natural wine culture first appeared and continues to flourish today; and explore natural wine in Spain, Italy, Georgia, and beyond. And just as important: find out what must be “unlearned” to discover the eye-opening pleasures of drinking naturally.

“" The World of Natural Wine represents a new landmark for the understanding of natural wine. If you want to know about natural wine, you have to read this book." --Levi Dalton, host of the I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk podcast "From farming to winemaking, its past and its future, Ayscough has produced an essential addition to natural wine literature." --Alice Feiring, author of To Fall in Love, Drink This "A must-read for anyone who loves--or hates--natural wines. Ayscough's very well-researched, highly informative, lucid book gives us the keys to enter the culture and enjoy this galaxy of iconoclastic characters and their wines. Natural wine is much more than no sulfur: it is a hymn to the ever-changing nature of life." --Pascaline Lepeltier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France "Ayscough captures an overall snapshot of natural wine, from its inception to where it is now and where it's heading next. He gives insight into its principles and introduces the vignerons, cavistes, and restaurants whose energetic work behind the bottle has happily brought natural wine to where it is today." --Jorge Riera, wine director of Frenchette and Le Rock "Aaron's book affirms what all lovers of natural wine know instinctively from their first joyous glass--that natural wine is not reducible to a scientific definition or a marketing campaign but is instead the overflowing abundance of humanity itself struggling for solidarity, freedom, and happiness." --Bradford Taylor, owner of Ordinaire and Diversey Wine”

“The World of Natural Wine represents a new landmark for the understanding of natural wine. If you want to know about natural wine, you have to read this book.”
—Levi Dalton, host of the I’ll Drink to That! Wine Talk podcast

“From farming to winemaking, its past and its future, Ayscough has produced an essential addition to natural wine literature.”
—Alice Feiring, author of To Fall in Love, Drink This
 
“A must-read for anyone who loves—or hates—natural wines. Ayscough’s very well-researched, highly informative, lucid book gives us the keys to enter the culture and enjoy this galaxy of iconoclastic characters and their wines. Natural wine is much more than no sulfur: it is a hymn to the ever-changing nature of life.”
—Pascaline Lepeltier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France
 
“Ayscough captures an overall snapshot of natural wine, from its inception to where it is now and where it’s heading next. He gives insight into its principles and introduces the vignerons, cavistes, and restaurants whose energetic work behind the bottle has happily brought natural wine to where it is today.”
—Jorge Riera, wine director of Frenchette and Le Rock
 
“Aaron’s book affirms what all lovers of natural wine know instinctively from their first joyous glass—that natural wine is not reducible to a scientific definition or a marketing campaign but is instead the overflowing abundance of humanity itself struggling for solidarity, freedom, and happiness.”
—Bradford Taylor, owner of Ordinaire and Diversey Wine
“[The World of Natural Wine] presents natural wine in a clear and comprehensive way that recognizes its complexities. That’s an achievement, and it ought to be warmly received by anybody who is curious about natural wine or already a fan.”
—New York Times, The Year’s Best Books on Wine
 
“To understand natural wine and the culture around it, The World of Natural Wine is a must-read.”
—Bloomberg, The Year’s Top Books on Wine
 
“A definitive (and beautifully illustrated) guide to natural wine. . . . No matter how you feel about natural wine, it’s a must read.”
—Forbes
 
“The World of Natural Wine does a brilliant job at explaining natural wine from farm to table, what it is and is not.”
—The Irish Examiner
 
“Gorgeous.”
—TastingTable, Best Cookbooks of the Year

“The World of Natural Wine represents a new landmark for the understanding of natural wine. If you want to know about natural wine, you have to read this book.”
—Levi Dalton, host of the I’ll Drink to That! Wine Talk podcast

“From farming to winemaking, its past and its future, Ayscough has produced an essential addition to natural wine literature.”
—Alice Feiring, author of To Fall in Love, Drink This
 
“A must-read for anyone who loves—or hates—natural wines. Ayscough’s very well-researched, highly informative, lucid book gives us the keys to enter the culture and enjoy this galaxy of iconoclastic characters and their wines. Natural wine is much more than no sulfur: it is a hymn to the ever-changing nature of life.”
—Pascaline Lepeltier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France
 
“Ayscough captures an overall snapshot of natural wine, from its inception to where it is now and where it’s heading next. He gives insight into its principles and introduces the vignerons, cavistes, and restaurants whose energetic work behind the bottle has happily brought natural wine to where it is today.”
—Jorge Riera, wine director of Frenchette and Le Rock
 
“Aaron’s book affirms what all lovers of natural wine know instinctively from their first joyous glass—that natural wine is not reducible to a scientific definition or a marketing campaign but is instead the overflowing abundance of humanity itself struggling for solidarity, freedom, and happiness.”
—Bradford Taylor, owner of Ordinaire and Diversey Wine
“A definitive (and beautifully illustrated) guide to natural wine. . . . Ayscough debunks any misnomers about natural wine, all while telling the story of some of the world’s most thoughtful, obsessive, and imaginative producers. Outside of makers the book is part resource, part coffee table tome, filled with everything from in-depth looks at winemaking processes to full page images of the faces who make natural wine and the land they work with. He expertly catalogs natural wine’s inception to the lush, living state it is in today. No matter how you feel about natural wine, it’s a must read."
—Forbes

“The World of Natural Wine represents a new landmark for the understanding of natural wine. If you want to know about natural wine, you have to read this book.”
—Levi Dalton, host of the I’ll Drink to That! Wine Talk podcast

“From farming to winemaking, its past and its future, Ayscough has produced an essential addition to natural wine literature.”
—Alice Feiring, author of To Fall in Love, Drink This
 
“A must-read for anyone who loves—or hates—natural wines. Ayscough’s very well-researched, highly informative, lucid book gives us the keys to enter the culture and enjoy this galaxy of iconoclastic characters and their wines. Natural wine is much more than no sulfur: it is a hymn to the ever-changing nature of life.”
—Pascaline Lepeltier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France
 
“Ayscough captures an overall snapshot of natural wine, from its inception to where it is now and where it’s heading next. He gives insight into its principles and introduces the vignerons, cavistes, and restaurants whose energetic work behind the bottle has happily brought natural wine to where it is today.”
—Jorge Riera, wine director of Frenchette and Le Rock
 
“Aaron’s book affirms what all lovers of natural wine know instinctively from their first joyous glass—that natural wine is not reducible to a scientific definition or a marketing campaign but is instead the overflowing abundance of humanity itself struggling for solidarity, freedom, and happiness.”
—Bradford Taylor, owner of Ordinaire and Diversey Wine

Aaron Ayscough is a British American writer based in Paris. Since 2010, he has written a blog and newsletter about natural wine called Not Drinking Poison. His writing about wine and restaurants has appeared in the Financial Times, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Eater, and Meininger's Wine Business International, among other publications. He is the English translator of two works by the French winemaker-scientist Jules Chauvet: Wine in Question and The Aesthetics of Wine. Ayscough has worked extensively as a sommelier over the past two decades, building wine selections for restaurants including Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles), Yard Restaurant (Paris), Chez la Vieille (Paris), Table (Paris), and Supernature (Monaco). He is presently studying viticulture at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune in France.

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