What Makes Wine Healthy + Exactly Where To Buy Better Options

But these benefits can be outweighed when consuming wine that's rife with chemicals—and I'm not just talking about pesticides on the grapes. Winemakers draw on a list of over 60 approved additives—none of which are required to be disclosed on the bottle—that help balance tannins, acidity, mouthfeel, flavor, and more. There are a number of reasons to avoid these additives, including dietary preferences (many wines rely on fish bladders to clarify the product, which makes the result decidedly not vegan) and a desire to avoid ingredients like chemical sulfites (which have been linked to respiratory and gut issues1) or commercial yeasts (which can be problematic for the histamine sensitive2). 

Finally, raw or natural wine references grapes that have been allowed to ferment fully naturally, without any added yeasts (organic wine allows added yeast for fermentation, as long as it, too, is organic). Because it's naturally fermented, raw or natural wine tends to vary quite a bit from bottle to bottle and is hard to produce en masse, a quality many wine aficionados find appealing. At present, it's a fully unregulated term, meaning that to find natural wine, you mostly need to rely on wine-shop owners, sommeliers, or simply finding brands you love and rely on.

You can look for biodynamic or organic wine in your local wine shop, but these days, it can be easier to find healthy wines online. A number of companies have sprung up in recent years to do the work for you, ensuring all of their products are free of the aforementioned added chemicals while maintaining their delicious flavor. Primal Wine sells natural, biodynamic, and organic wines from around the world by the bottle at reasonable prices. Thrive Market recently added Clean Wine to their membership options, with curated cases of delicious, affordable bottles (or you can opt to build your own!). Dry Farm Wines has created a wine club and will send six specially selected wines on a monthly or quarterly basis. The company has garnered a number of wellness world-celeb fans, including Dave Asprey and Mark Sisson, all of whom applaud the brand's high standards when it comes to both taste and health.