Ten Great Unfiltered, Unfined Wines to Try

Does less-invasive winemaking result in a more flavorful drink? Try these bottles to see for yourself.

If you spend time in good wine shops, you've undoubtedly seen the terms "unfiltered" and "unfined" on wine labels here and there. Innocuous as the terms may seem, be careful what you wish for if you ask what they mean. The subject always elicits very strong opinions from winemakers and wine-shop employees alike.

Many argue that wines that have been fined or filtered have less character. But both processes are common, long-used practices that remove sediment, yeast and bacteria from wines before they're bottled. In other words, the reason a wine looks bright and clear is often because the winery cleaned it up.

But did they sacrifice the wine's aromas and flavors in the process?

In Depth: 10 Great Unfiltered, Unfined Wines To Try

Plenty of people believe so--that looks don't matter, only aromas and flavors do, and that fining and filtering strip them away. The proverbial jury won't return a verdict on this anytime soon, however, so to find out which camp you fall in, you just have to try the wines for yourself and see which you prefer.

Where to Begin
Start with chardonnay, which many wine drinkers believe is at its best when it's been fiddled with the least. If you haven't tried unfiltered chardonnays, sample the Dehlinger Unfiltered Russian River Valley and the Saintsbury Carneros. Both are delicious, but expect them both to be richer and fuller-bodied than other chardonnays you might have had in the past.

For some California wineries, it's never been a question which way to go. Renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs, who makes wines for clients in the U.S., Argentina and Chile, has long been an advocate of unfined, unfiltered wines--especially chardonnay. Same goes for Newton, which doesn't filter any of its wines. And some even take things a step further.

Famed Sonoma pinot noir maker Williams-Selyem has always made unfiltered wines, such as its 2006 Hirsch Vineyard pinot. But the company's philosophy, "Respect the juice," extends all the way to eschewing pumps to move wine between tanks and barrels--they use gravity.