Organic, Natural and Sustainable Wine in London: A No-Snobbery Guide

Written by Carlos Santos, Head of Wine at Humble Grape.

Stare at a wine list long enough and you'll see the jargon start working against people: someone squinting at "biodynamic," working out whether to risk it, or steering clear of anything called natural in case it turns out cloudy and a bit odd. Wine built a wall around some simple ideas, and somebody needs to knock it down. Welcome, wine lovers, wine likers and wine not-so-sure-ers, this is where we do it.

At Humble Grape, every bottle across our seven London bars is organic, natural or otherwise sustainably made. This isn't one special section within a conventional list. The rule covers all 500+ wines at Battersea, Bow Lane, Canary Wharf, Islington, Fleet Street, Liverpool Street and Smithfield. That's not a trend we picked up because it's fashionable this decade. It's been the whole point since day one: "if it's not the best choice for the planet, we don't do it."

So here's the guide we wish existed when we started: what these words mean, what to expect when the wine hits your glass, and how to order any of it without feeling like you're sitting an exam.

What do organic, biodynamic, natural and low-intervention mean?

These four words get used as if they're interchangeable. They're not, though the ideas can overlap. Here's the plain-English version.

Organic wine: it starts in the soil

Organic winemaking begins in the vineyard. Certified organic growers follow audited rules that restrict synthetic pesticides and fertilisers and permit only approved inputs. In the UK and EU, a wine labelled organic must meet organic production rules and be certified by an approved control body. It's independently checked, not a sticker a producer can just decide to use.

Those rules do not stop at the vineyard. Organic wine production also limits which ingredients, additives, processing aids and winemaking practices may be used in the cellar.

Biodynamic: organic, and then some

Biodynamic farming takes the organic principle further. It treats the vineyard as one connected, self-sustaining ecosystem and follows the ideas of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, including working to a lunar and seasonal calendar. Yes, this can involve burying a cow horn packed with compost in the vineyard over winter. We're not going to pretend that doesn't sound unusual, because it does. What matters is the outcome: certification from a body such as Demeter builds on organic requirements and adds its own biodynamic standards. That level of care can produce distinctive wine, though farming method alone doesn't earn a bottle a place on our list, it still has to taste good enough on its own terms. Certified biodynamic wine is not automatically natural; the terms describe different things.

Natural wine: minimal intervention, no official rulebook

Natural wine has no legal definition in the UK. The producers we describe that way may use organic or biodynamic farming, hand-picking, native yeast, few additions and light filtration, but practices differ. We ask each producer how they work. Some small producers follow organic methods without putting an organic claim on the label. Formal certification requires inspection and has recurring fees, so the lack of a certification mark does not tell you the whole farming story. We ask the producer how they work rather than treating a logo as the only test.

Low-intervention: related to natural wine, but not the same thing

You'll see "low-intervention" used close to "natural" on wine lists, ours included, but the terms do not have one shared legal definition. On our list, we use producer-specific details for both terms. Those details can cover vineyard and cellar choices, such as organic or biodynamic farming, fewer additions and less processing after harvest. Because "natural" can come with assumptions about cloudy glasses and farmyard smells, we explain the producer's own choices instead. That brings us to the next question.

• Organic: applies audited rules in the vineyard and limits permitted ingredients, additives, processing aids and practices in the cellar.

• Biodynamic: treats the vineyard as an ecosystem and adds a lunar calendar and specific preparations; certified by Demeter or Biodyvin.

• Natural or low-intervention: neither term has one shared legal definition. Check the producer details for the farming and cellar choices behind a bottle.

What to expect in the glass

Natural wine can be hazy or fizzy, with flavours that veer toward cider or kombucha. That is one possible style, not a definition of the category. Our list also includes clear, conventionally styled wines.

Organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines can be clean, precise and fruit-led as well as hazy or fizzy. We taste thousands of wines a year, and if we don't like a bottle, it doesn't come in, no matter how sustainably it was farmed. Sustainability gets a wine in the door. It doesn't get it onto the list. Taste does that.

If you want to try the funkier end of the spectrum, ask a member of staff and they'll point you to something suitably wild. If you'd rather ease in gently, say so. Nobody will raise an eyebrow either way.

How Humble Grape sources this wine

We import directly from producers, with no distributor in between. That removes one layer from the supply chain and gives us an actual relationship with the people who grow the grapes, not a line item on an order form. We visit them. We taste with them, often in the cellar. It's how we know the story behind a bottle isn't marketing copy someone wrote afterwards.

Take Domaine Jourdan, a Demeter-listed estate in Cravant-les-Coteaux in the Loire Valley.

It is one example of the producer stories our team learns through direct relationships. The details change from producer to producer, which is why we ask how each works and visit when we can. You can read more producer stories like this one on our blog.

How to order without feeling tested

A long wine list can leave people unsure where to start. We built ours around guided recommendations.

If you don't know where to start, tell a member of staff what you usually drink, or what you fancy tonight, and let them guide you. We call this Love at First Flight: a conversation about what you like, followed by a glass or bottle recommendation. If the first recommendation is not right, ask the team for another. Mention it when you sit down.

A few useful things before you order:

• There's no wrong bottle. If you like it, it's the right choice.

• It's fine to ask "what does that taste like" instead of decoding the label yourself.

• Ordering by the glass is a normal, sensible way to try something new before committing to a bottle.

• Staff here know the wines because they've tasted them, not because they memorised a script. Ask them anything.

If you want a proper, structured introduction, Wine 101 is a 45-minute tasting through four wines for beginners, and every £22 ticket includes a £20 voucher to spend at the bar afterwards. It's designed for exactly the person who's never quite known what to order.

Where to drink organic, natural and sustainable wine in London

You can find our full organic, natural and sustainable list at any of our seven London bars: Battersea, Bow Lane, Canary Wharf, Islington, Fleet Street, Liverpool Street and Smithfield. Check our menus for what's currently pouring at each.

A few ways to explore properly:

Wine O'Clock. £6 for a glass of 100% organic wine. On weekdays it runs from 5pm to 6pm at Canary Wharf only. On Saturdays it runs from 12pm to 4.30pm at Canary Wharf, Battersea and Islington. The offer uses the same direct-import sourcing as the rest of the list. See Wine O'Clock for current times.

Wine School, Fleet Street. WSET Level 1 and Level 2 courses, run by certified WSET educators, with food included at every session. The current Level 1 course runs over four dates and includes nine wines. Level 2 runs over four dates and includes forty-five wines from eleven countries. Check Wine School for current dates and format.

World of Wine Tastings and Winemaker Supper Clubs. A rotating programme at selected bars, from regional deep-dives to evenings where producers share their stories over dinner. See current venues and dates under Events.

A quick, honest word on health

We're not going to call organic wine a healthy drink, because it isn't. Wine is wine. For the wines we describe as natural or low-intervention, a producer may choose fewer additions in the cellar, but practices differ. That describes how the wine is made, not a medical benefit. We choose each wine because we like how it tastes. Enjoy the evening. We'll leave the rest to you and your own good sense.

Organic and natural wine: quick questions

Is natural wine better for you?

We do not present natural wine as a healthier choice. The producers we describe that way may choose fewer additions or less processing, but practices differ. The term has no legal definition and those production choices are not a medical benefit.

What does biodynamic mean?

Biodynamic certification builds on organic requirements, treating the vineyard as one connected ecosystem and adding a calendar based on lunar and seasonal cycles plus specific preparations in the soil. Bodies such as Demeter certify against those added standards.

Where can I drink organic wine in London?

At any of Humble Grape's seven bars: Battersea, Bow Lane, Canary Wharf, Islington, Fleet Street, Liverpool Street and Smithfield. Every wine on the list, over 500 of them, is organic, natural or otherwise sustainably produced.

What's the actual difference between organic and natural wine?

Organic certification covers the vineyard and also limits permitted ingredients, additives, processing aids and practices in the cellar. Natural wine has no legal definition. The wines we describe that way may involve farming and cellar choices, such as organic farming, native yeast fermentation and fewer additions, but practices differ. A wine can be organic without being natural, and an organic claim on the label requires certification.

Is natural wine always cloudy or fizzy?

No. Some styles are deliberately hazy or lightly sparkling, but that is one style, not the rule. Our list also includes clear, conventionally styled wines made with minimal intervention.

Do I need to know anything about wine before I try Wine 101 or Love at First Flight?

No, and that's the entire point of both. Wine 101 is built for complete beginners. Love at First Flight is just a conversation with someone who knows the list, so you can turn up knowing nothing and leave with something you like.

Does Humble Grape only serve organic wine?

Every wine across all seven bars and the wine shop is organic, natural, biodynamic or otherwise sustainably produced. It's not a curated "organic section" of an otherwise ordinary list. It's the whole list.

About Carlos Santos

Carlos Santos is Head of Wine at Humble Grape. He joined the team in 2017 and has worked across wine lists, tastings and team training.

Ready to try one for yourself? Book a table at any of our seven London bars, grab a spot at Wine 101 or a Winemaker Supper Club, or catch Wine O'Clock for a £6 glass, weekdays at Canary Wharf or Saturdays at Canary Wharf, Battersea and Islington. However you get there, welcome. We'll pour you something good.