My Guidelines for consuming "cleaner" wine

The word "clean" in the wine world can be a bit of a misnomer. 🧽

And sadly, (because of the lack of labeling requirements and standards) the word "clean" can be slapped on wine labels as a marketing ploy with no certification to back up those "clean" claims.

Instead of falling for marketing catch phrases, like "clean"... I suggest you look for provenance and transparency when purchasing wine. ☑️✅

I am not a sommelier. 🍾

I am not a wine expert. 🍷

I am a mom who enjoys wine.👩‍👧‍👧

I am a health coach who ardently believes that wine (in moderation) can be a part of a healthy and happy lifestyle. 🌱

And I fervently believe we deserve transparency regarding what is actually in the bottles of the wine we are enjoying.

Here are my guidelines for consuming “cleaner” wine:

1. Minimal intervention in the winemaking process

A. Only using additives when absolutely necessary - preferably using none at all

B. No dyes or colorings (such as "mega purple") added

C. No GMO yeast used (only wild or organic yeast)

2. Preferably practicing an organic or biodynamic growing process

A. Look for "made with organic grapes" on the label - grapes grown with no "'cides"

B. Ask your wine guy or gal if the winemaker is using any organic, sustainable or biodynamic practices

3. 100 ppm sulfites per bottle or less.*

4. Get to know and TRUST your wine guy/gal

A. Most local wine shops will designate whether they find a wine to be clean/natural/organic

B. Your local wine shop is the BEST place for you to find clean wine. They know their importers who know the winemakers. Find a shop you trust and #supportlocal

*A note on sulfites. They get a bad rap because they are the only ingredient that winemakers have to put on their label. That's because they are an allergen for about 1% of the population, but sulfites are 💯 necessary to stabilize wine.

Lastly, always look at wine as a treat. Afterall, it does have alcohol in it that your liver needs to process! But the more additives there are, the more your liver needs to work through. So if you are going to indulge, try to choose a "cleaner" wine.