7 lo-fi and natural wines to drink now

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 18 Aug 2022

By
Alexandra Whiting

Wine made with integrity? That’s our jam. Here’s the new holistically bottled juice we’re buzzed about.

Organic, chemical-free, natural – winemakers are a passionate, innovative folk. The term “lo-fi” in the wine world means more than just “a bit funky”, it’s an all-encompassing term for wine made with integrity, from the way the grape is grown to how the juice is bottled. Think hand-picked, synthetic-free, sustainable and (sometimes) biodynamic. It’s great to buy this wine at the source – a drive out to the vineyards is a weekend well spent – but when you can’t get there, it’s good to see these lo-fi wines at your local. Ahead, the seven bottles we’re drinking now, and the holistic nuances that make them a great drop, and great dinner conversation.

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1. Serafino Orenji Project McLaren Vale White Blend

Remember the name, because “Serafino” is entering the zeitgeist vocabulary. If you’re not a white drinker, you’re bored of rosé, and it’s too hot to drink red, this is the answer. Like Mary Poppins, it’s practically perfect in every way. With dinner? Perfect. With a cheese plate? Perfect. As an afternoon wine? Perfect. There’s no occasion this vibrant, super fresh, wine doesn’t work in. It’s zippy from the notes of orange peel and mandarin but with multiple layers and texture. The bottle itself is like a work of art, so if you want to line your walls with it, we don’t blame you.

2. Native & Ancient Lo Fi Pinot Noir NZ

Native & Ancient is a collection of natural wines (currently five, all winners) from Isabel Estate Vineyard on the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. Isabel Estate is already a rarity in new world wineries because its wines are organically grown and bottled entirely within the boundaries of the estate. With Native & Ancient, they’re pushing things further, making wine in the most natural way possible, an undertaking that saw them adopting many early winemaking techniques. Hand-picked grapes, a bit of carbonic fermentation (which softens the tannins) and no filtration. There’s a bit of sediment in this pinot, but the wine is bright, crunchy, and dense. Like a Cadbury Black Forest chocolate block in wine form. Yum.

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3. Thousand Candles Pet Nat

One reviewer describes the Thousand Candles Pet Nat as a Goldilocks wine (not too sweet, not too savoury) – and we tend to agree. But this fun bottle comes from a pretty serious producer. We’ve all got to get our kicks, right? Thousand Candles are renowned for their pinot noir and shiraz, and for this drop they’ve blended the two and added a splash of sauvignon blanc for a bit of pop. Interestingly they use the pétillant natural (AKA pét nat) method, which means the final fermentation process is completed in the bottle. Cool, no? Punchy and punky, but from a good home, this bottle is one to uncap (literally, you need a bottle opener to snap it open).

4. Social Butterfly Blanc Piquette

Zippy, colourful and great in a crowd (as all true social butterflies should be), this is a fun wine. It’s created with historic wine techniques, this time from ancient Greece. “Piquette” wine is traditionally made from the second pressing of grapes, or the scraps (they used to give it to the workers). It’s usually lower in alcohol content and has a light fizz and cloudiness we associate with natural wine. The Social Butterfly Blanc Piquette is a history lesson and a great drink in one.

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5. Chalmers Gold Fizz

One for the sweet tooths out there (don’t worry, not all trendy wine has to be savoury and serious). Gold Fizz is Moscato Giallo, which means literally “Yellow Moscato”, but also goes by “Goldmuskateller” which kind of sounds like the hero in a Mills & Boon novel. The dollar-coin colour comes from the grapes used: large, loose clusters of deep-yellow grapes. The skin of which makes it lusciously honeyed. Nectar of the gods.

6. Yangarra PF Grenache

Preservative free, baby! That’s what the “PF” stands for in the Yangarra PF Grenache. This straight-talking vineyard makes wine with grapes grown on a certified biodynamic single-estate vineyard – meaning no herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemicals of any kind. It’s also made without additions or finings so you know it’s a thumbs up for your vegan pals. This grenache is made to be drunk young, i.e. now. It’s expectedly fresh and fruity but has a medium body, and is super drinkable.

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7. Cowpunk Prosecco Col Fondo

You’re not usually thinking of a farm when you sip sparkling. A riviera? European town square? Maybe. But not a farm. But you will when you drink Cowpunk’s Prosecco Col Fondo, and not just because “cow” is in the name. It’s a small batch prosecco made in the Italian farmhouse style: organic, vegan and with minimal preservatives. Made simply, it’s a bit rustic but the taste is surprisingly complex, and will be most appreciated by savvy wine drinkers who know their honeydew notes from their peach notes, and like something with a bit of funk. Bonus points for the bottle being entirely reusable thanks to that swing-top closure.