At Vella Terra, we recognize natural wine through clear and straightforward criteria, far from the “trendy labels” that often respond more to marketing than to authentic agriculture and winemaking practices.

We start from a simple premise: only a full analysis of a wine can reveal its true components, including sulfites. That’s why only wineries that provide lab results for the wines they present can participate in our fair. We also require either organic certification in the vineyard, genuinely organic grape origins, Demeter certification, or, if the winery has no certification or is in conversion, a pesticide residue analysis of the wine or grapes.

At Vella Terra, we ask for what’s necessary, and when there’s any doubt, participation is not allowed. There are many fairs with no admission criteria where wineries that don’t want to provide lab results can go—but not at Vella Terra. From day one, requesting analytical data and ensuring veracity in the natural wine sector has been essential. Our commitment is to guarantee the authenticity and purity of the wineries we showcase. Being a “natural winery” and making natural wine is not enough—you have to prove it.

Exhibitor Criteria & Veracity

Our criteria for exhibitors include working organically or biodynamically (certified or in conversion), carrying out artisanal winemaking practices, and avoiding artificial corrections. Fermentations must occur without added commercial yeasts or bacteria, and without adjusting sugars, acidity, color, or alcohol. Clarification or filtration using chemical or industrial methods is not allowed, nor techniques like micro-oxygenation that alter natural processes. In short: no additives, and sulfites only from fermentation, ranging from undetectable to a maximum of 9 mg/l, depending on the region and winemaking method.

That said, we also make room for wineries that, while meeting all the above criteria, use a minimal amount of sulfites (always under 30 mg/l). They do this to protect their wine in a challenging vintage, during early steps toward sulfite-free winemaking, or to prevent wine spoilage due to factors beyond the winery’s control. At Vella Terra, we respect that effort. Since 2016, we’ve welcomed these wineries—many of which at that time were the majority of those now producing sulfite-free wines. For us, it’s about supporting a winery’s evolution toward cleaner, more authentic, and sulfite-free wines.

Our Admission Criteria Since 2016, Recognized in a French Natural Wine Certification in 2020

It’s worth noting that in 2020, France launched Vin Méthode Nature, the first officially recognized certification for natural wines. Its criteria closely match those we’ve applied at Vella Terra since our first edition in 2016. And again, we always require analytical data: every wine presented at the fair must be verifiable.

We understand how challenging it is to produce natural wine without added sulfites, for both seasoned winemakers and newcomers alike. Our fair is dedicated precisely to that effort. What we don’t accept is inconsistency: wineries claiming “zero sulfites” without showing lab results, while criticizing those who are transparent. Many hide unsustainable practices—like excessive water use—or only participate in fairs that don’t require checks or transparency, even while marketing themselves as “natural.” For consumers attending with the expectation of authentic natural wine, that’s nothing but marketing with a misleading label.

At Vella Terra, we don’t believe in double standards. Here, what you see is what you get. Every winery and every wine presented is verified.

To put it in perspective: conventional wines can have up to 200 mg/l of sulfites with no limit on additives; organic wines, up to 120 mg/l and more than a hundred different additives.

Against that backdrop, the wines at Vella Terra are a different story: quality-driven, honest, and transparent. What you see is what you get—and that’s what we stand for.