Unfiltered Wine: Embracing the Pure Essence at Cellar Beast in Andreas, PA

By Kim McCullough

Hello wine drinkers! We are opening the cork on the topic of unfiltered wines today at Cellar Beast! If you have ever heard the word ‘unfiltered’ thrown around, you probably don’t really know what it means. And you’re probably not too concerned.. till now! We’re going to uncover some tasty truths between unfiltered whites and reds, and discover what makes unfiltered amazing wines really taste like. Fill a souvenir wine glass full of your favorite libation, and join me as we break the seal on why unfiltered wine is worth the hype. By the time we are through with our tasting, you’ll be ready to register for a guided tasting with some of our talented sommeliers, and we will bring the samples straight from wine country to your doorstep.

What Is Unfiltered Wine?

You might be familiar with another common wine making practice: filtering. It’s akin to adding a few finishing touches to the wine before bottling – removing sediment, yeast and other particles so that the wine is crystal clear and certain it won’t turn a glass of wine cloudy. But as much as filtering creates a stable, brilliant end-product, it also strips away nuances of flavor and texture. Unfiltered wines skip this step altogether. What that means for us as consumers is that we can still experience the wine in all its naked, robust glory, as close to nature as they come, completely singular – pure, complex, and full of life. Unfiltered wines maintain their natural qualities, which some experts believe enhances the wine’s flavor and body. According to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), unfiltered wines can exhibit richer flavors due to the preservation of natural particles and compounds.

Why Choose Unfiltered Wine?

Picking unfiltered wines might be likened to choosing a more artisanal, less processed product. Here are some reasons to reach for that bottle with no filter. 1. You care about natural purity. In line with this principle, you prefer meals that are as free from interference as possible. 2. You don’t welcome the addition of chemicals, which are used to keep the wine from quickly spoiling after bottling.

1. Flavor and Aroma: Because they are not filtered, unfiltered wines often have more concentrated flavors and aromas since they retain all the micro-specks of flavor and intensity.
2. Texture: Expect a little more weight and body from this glass of wine. You’ll have more to chew on with these. So now you know which wines to choose, but how do you make the most of them? The first rule of notebook club is… For notebook wines you need to work. More depth calls for more input. With these wines, layering tasting words onto your tasting note can propel it to greater heights of sensual impression. You need to chew at them and tweak them for a few days. Don’t be overly purist or linear. Conflate a few of the separate tasting details. Or dream up a new descriptor that fits the bill a little better. Chardonnay: steely, zesty, hard, light apple. Petit Verdot: polished, prickly, tough, dark spice. Tannat: grainy, grippy, thirsty – granite? Cinsault: soft, spicy, breezy, baked red fruit. Chenin Blanc: smoky, mealy, dried apple, haze.
3. Health Benefits: Some argue that unfiltered wines contain more beneficial molecules, such as antioxidants and polyphenols, because they are less processed. Unfiltered wines may contain higher levels of antioxidants, attributed to the lack of filtration. While more research is needed, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) notes that moderate wine consumption may offer certain health benefits, including antioxidant properties.
4. Tradition and Authenticity: Untouched by man, wines ferment naturally through the ages-old traditional methodology which bestows a glimpse of winemaking history and got to taste the artisanal skill and craftsmanship.

Unfiltered White Wines

Unfined white wines come as a revelation to anyone who thinks white wines are all about freshness and shouts of fruit. Only quality wines with confidence in their purity and happy to rock a touch of turbidity survive intact. What are they like? Here’s to clarity. Here, forthrightness can take a back seat; instead, depth and nuance can be coaxed out in colours that shy away from the vivid and could be described as soft. Just as a fine-skinned red wine has only hints of redness, so a good white wine can signal itself only by avoiding the milk-white and moving into very pale yellows. The champions of these wines, with names such as Chenin blanc and Riesling, can also carry unsung accents of musk and hay.

1. Appearance: Unfiltered white wines can be hazier than filtered wine Various natural winemakers share a similar philosophy There’s another very good reason to ditch the filters and slow down the production process: that inefficiency creates time for fascinating, complex flavors, rich textures and profound aromas to develop in the wine. It’s a subjective realm, but what many in the barefoot camp have that the sunglass-wearing crowd lacks is this cowboy spirit, this sense of the wine being a completion of a journey rather than simply a bottle on a shelf.
2. Aromatics: Expect a flurry of aromatic complexity: Fine lees (the dead yeast cells) can lend some tension and complexity to the bouquet, with hints of fresh bakery, nuts and floral prettiness.
3. Flavor Profile: Unfiltered whites can get more complex on the palate, with flavors ranging from vibrant citrus and green apple to deeper, more savory notes of brioche and almond.
4. Texture: They also often have a creamy, richer texture, as the wine will still have had contact with lees. Unfiltered wines often showcase a fuller body and enhanced texture. GuildSomm highlights that these wines retain natural lees and particles, which can contribute to a richer mouthfeel and complex flavors.

Example at Cellar Beast: Haziness fits unfiltered Chardonnay perfectly. Our unfiltered Chardonnay has a nice haze – light lemon zest, apple, and toast/brioche; creamy texture; pear, citrus, and walnut flavors; clean, dry, and long with lovely minerality.

Unfiltered Red Wines

Unfiltered reds, then, are your best opportunity to taste the full potential of the grape. Here are just some of their virtues. 1. Wine tastes better when you can taste the flavors from the grape. 2. Alcohol acts as a natural preservative so wine left to sit ages well. 3. In contact with oxygen for a while, a little of a wine’s sulphur burns off.  4. Unfined, unfiltered reds are your best opportunity to taste the full potential of the grape. 5. It makes you feel like a trailblazer.

1. Appearance: These reds are going to be darker and likely a little more opaque. Depending on the age of the wine, you may find some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. This is a natural and part of the overall experience with unfiltered wines.
2. Aromatics: The nose of the unfiltered red will be more forceful and complex with more pronounced blackfruit, spice and earth characters.
3. Flavor Profile: These are rich, full-bodied wines with lusher, more concentrated flavors. More layers of fruit, spice and sometimes earthiness or minerality which add on layers of complexity. Unfiltered wines can be particularly well-suited to pairings with robust, earthy foods. As noted by Wine Folly, unfiltered reds work well with foods that balance out the wine’s complexity, such as roasted meats or aged cheeses.
4. Texture: Unfiltered reds are extremely lush, almost syrupy mouth-filling. By retaining small particles, the wine can be velvety and even thick, allowing the drinker to engage with it on a more tactile level.

Example at Cellar Beast: Our unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon is a masterpiece. Purple-black in color, it opens up with perfumed aromas of blackcurrant, plum and a whiff of leather. On the palate, dark fruits and spices are wonderfully intertwined with earthy notes and soft tannins that persist on the long finish, perfect with a charcuterie board.

Serving and Storing Unfiltered Wines

The following suggestions for serving and storing unfiltered wines will help to keep your interest piqued.

1. Decanting: This wine is unfiltered and naturally has sediment, so it is in your best interest to pull the cork a few hours before you plan to drink and decant it to let it breathe and separate a bit.
2. Storage: Keep unfiltered wines stored on their sides in a dark and cool place. Wines that have not been filtered tend to dry out their cork, driving air into the bottle, and may oxidize quickly as a result. Temperature may be a little more important to unfiltered wines, especially whites, so try to keep things stable.
3. Serving Temperature: Chill unfiltered whites a little less than filtered whites to improve their freshness, and serve unfiltered reds just below room temperature to develop their full, round profile.

Experience a Guided Wine Tasting at Cellar Beast

But the ideal way to experience them to the fullest is to taste them first-hand, up close. Come to Cellar Beast and one of our excellent sommeliers will guide you on a sensory journey through our range of unfiltered wine by the glass. Why you should book guided tastings:

1. Educational Experience: What is the vinification process? Why do unfiltered wines require immediate recorking once opened? How can you learn to taste like a professional?
2. Exclusive Selections: Sample a selection of declassified wines that our staff enjoys, including some exclusive to our tasting room, which shine a light on our winemaking approach.
3. Personalized Guidance: Our sommeliers will offer a personalized experience to find your new favorite wine.
4. Purchase and Delivery: If you are too far from the Winehouse but still want to try our bottles of wine, simply buy your favorites online, and we’ll ship them to you – ready to be opened for your next dinner party or wine trail, elevate your weeknight or whenever you fancy some peace and quiet with a glass.

Conclusion

Unfiltered wines are more complex, intense, layered and ultimately expressive of the wine they represent – of that particular terroir, of the winemaking culture around it – in a more honest, unadulterated way. At Cellar Beast we pride ourselves in producing these wines. Come and join us for a blind tasting, winery tour, and unfiltered wine experience where all your senses will come alive and you will be able to discover for yourself the magic of unfiltered wine.

So, what are you waiting for? Book your tasting today (or offer a friend the perfect gift) and let’s raise a glass of wine to the pure, unfiltered beauty of wine. Santé!

About Cellar Beast:

Our skilled team of winemakers and sommeliers have meticulously curated an extraordinary selection of dry wines, creating an educational event and a memorable wine experience, transforming your palate with the rich flavors from top wine regions on the West Coast. Take the challenge of a blind wine tasting with our team, the best in the wine industry. Our wine campus, often with live acoustic music and food samples, showcases a distinctive assortment of authentic wines, particularly French varieties, setting us apart in a region predominantly known for dessert wines.

Create your own wine trail by participating in a tasting session with our celebrated team is akin to enrolling in an in-depth formal wine course. It’s designed to excite your taste buds, deepen your appreciation of aromas from primary to complex, engage you with wine samples, perhaps a wine flight, and help you, the refined wine collector, planner of corporate events, or curator of special events, fully appreciate the unique wines bearing the Cellar Beast emblem or your own personalized wine labels.

Additionally, we offer wine trails an exclusive selection of wine gifts, including sparkling wines, white wines, and delicious, full-bodied red wines. To our wine club members, we raise the bar for what you expect from a bottle of wine purchase. We host food pairings, private events, birthday party, amazing events, and wine tasting experiences for wine lovers. Cellar Beast’s winemakers have earned prestigious accolades, including Double Golds and Best in Class, at numerous wine competitions, award-winning wines achieving ratings as high as 97 points, each reflecting our personalized touch.

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This guide combines insights from expert sources, including the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, to offer reliable information on unfiltered wines. While featuring Cellar Beast’s offerings, the focus is to benefit all wine enthusiasts.

Interested in trying unfiltered wines? Explore our selection here and discover the full flavor spectrum of natural winemaking.

This guide is crafted by Kim McCullough, Level One Sommelier and co-founder of Cellar Beast Winehouse. Combining years of experience in sustainable winemaking, Kim is dedicated to sharing expert insights into the world of unfiltered wines.

References:

1. Polyphenols and Heart Health
   Research from sources like the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic explains how polyphenols, found abundantly in red wines, improve heart health by reducing inflammation and enhancing blood flow through increased nitric oxide production. Polyphenols like resveratrol, catechin, and quercetin are linked with improved vascular function and reduced cholesterol, which contributes to lower cardiovascular disease risk.
   • Read more at Cleveland Clinic
   • Read more at Mayo Clinic​Cleveland Clinic​
   • UT Southwestern
   • Mayo Clinic
2. Antioxidant Activity in Unfiltered Wines
   Polyphenols in unfiltered wines act as powerful antioxidants, protecting cells from oxidative stress that leads to chronic diseases. Foods like apples, berries, and dark grapes contain similar compounds, with red wine showing particularly high concentrations due to its grape skin content. Antioxidants combat cellular damage, which helps prevent diseases associated with aging and inflammation.
   • Learn more from Heart Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center​UT Southwestern
3. Gut Health and Probiotics in Natural Wines
   Unfiltered wines, especially those minimally processed, may retain live bacteria similar to probiotics found in fermented foods. This can benefit gut health by promoting a healthy microbiome, which is tied to digestive health, mood regulation, and immune response. Scientific discussions about the microbiome and natural fermentation appear in microbiology journals such as Frontiers in Microbiology and other health-focused publications.
4. Lees-Contact Wines and Health Benefits of Sediment Compounds
   Wine lees, the sediment in unfiltered wines, contain mannoproteins and other compounds that are recognized for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies in journals like Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveal that these compounds can support immune health and reduce inflammation.
5. Lower Sulfites in Natural and Unfiltered Wines
   Unfiltered wines often have lower sulfite levels, which can be beneficial for those with sulfite sensitivities. Articles from sources like the Allergy and Asthma Proceedings explore how reducing sulfite intake may prevent allergic reactions and support overall health for sensitive individuals.