In this article
What does intervening as little as possible mean?
Minimal intervention is neither a certification nor a designation of origin: it is an attitude. A minimal-intervention producer asks at every step whether it is necessary or whether it can be avoided. Often the answer is that there is no need to filter, correct the acidity or add extra sulphites.
In the EU there is no legal definition or official seal: what counts is what each producer does and is willing to say. That is why at Terroir Radical we measure it where it can be measured: in sulphites.
The difference with natural wine
The terms “natural” and “minimal intervention” are often used as synonyms, but there are nuances. Natural wine is, for many, the strictest form of minimal intervention. Minimal intervention admits producers who farm organically and accept small amounts of sulphites, or who make a one-off correction in a difficult vintage. The spirit is the same: intervene as little as possible.
| Natural | Minimal intervention (TR criterion) | Conventional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal definition | None in the EU. | None in the EU. | The general EU wine rules. |
| Corrections and additives | None. In “Vin méthode nature”: no additives and native yeasts. | The minimum. A minor deviation is accepted if the producer declares it (for example light fining or filtration) and it is stated on the product page. | A long list of authorised practices and additives. |
| Total sulphites | None added or very few. In “Vin méthode nature”: less than 30 mg/l. | Less than 50 mg/l of total SO₂. With 50 mg/l or more we do not list it. | Up to 150 mg/l in reds and 200 mg/l in whites and rosés (dry wines). |
| Harvest | Manual in “Vin méthode nature”. | Manual, always: a requirement with no exceptions. | No general rule. |
The middle column is our criterion, not an official rule: we explain it in our criteria. Low-intervention wines that may have been filtered, fined or contain authorised additives have their own block in the catalogue.
How we measure minimal intervention at Terroir Radical
We take French and Italian standards as a reference and not the European legal minimum, which we consider too high for this profile. Every wine from a new winery is classed in one of these levels, measured on total SO₂:
- No added sulphites — No SO₂ is added at any point.
- Minimal sulphites — Up to 30 mg/l of total SO₂.
- Minimal intervention — Less than 50 mg/l of total SO₂.
From new wineries we ask for an SO₂ analysis (free and total) of the vintage, and on each product page we show the sulphite dose and, when we have it, the analysis. All the detail is in our criteria.
Why do we choose minimal-intervention producers?
At Terroir Radical we believe the most interesting wine is the one that tells a story: that of the soil, the climate, the vintage and the producer’s hands. The more layers of intervention we add, the more those nuances are erased.
The producers we select share this conviction. It is not that they do not know how to intervene: they choose not to because they trust their grapes and their land. And their wines show it.
In short
- An attitude, not a seal — There is no legal definition or official certification.
- Measured in sulphites — For us, less than 50 mg/l of total SO₂.
- Deviations are possible — They are accepted if the producer declares them and they are stated on the product page.
Wines that speak of their origin
Honest producers who trust their grapes and their land. Nothing more, nothing less.
Keep reading
- Natural wine: what it is and where to buy it
- Wine with no added sulphites: myths, limits and labels
- Our criteria
Sources: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 · Vin Méthode Nature. Last reviewed: 4 November 2026.