Natural Wine Certification

1. Review program requirements: Visit the Clean Label Project Natural Wine Certification page (cleanlabelproject.org/natural-wine-certification/) to understand testing criteria, purity thresholds, and eligible product types.

1. Assess your product portfolio: Identify which wines you want to certify. Consider starting with your flagship or best-selling SKUs to maximize marketing impact.

1. Submit an application: Complete the online application form on the Clean Label Project website, providing details about your winery, production methods, and the specific products you wish to certify.

1. Pay application and testing fees: Submit the required fees to initiate the laboratory testing process.

1. Send wine samples: Ship the required quantity of wine samples to the Clean Label Project's designated accredited laboratory for independent analysis.

1. Laboratory testing: The Clean Label Project screens your samples for pesticide residues, heavy metals, additives, sulfites, and other contaminants using accredited analytical methods. This process typically takes several weeks.

1. Receive results and certification decision: If your products meet all purity thresholds, you will be awarded the Natural Wine Certification and provided with the official seal and marketing assets.

1. Display the seal and maintain certification: Use the Clean Label Project seal on your labels, website, and marketing materials. Plan for annual re-testing to maintain your certified status.

The Natural Wine Certification evaluates wine samples through independent laboratory testing across several key contaminant categories. The primary focus is on pesticide residues, where samples are screened for a broad panel of synthetic pesticides and herbicides commonly used in conventional viticulture, including glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, and other organophosphates. Products must fall below defined threshold levels to qualify.

Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury are also tested, as these can accumulate in wine through soil, water, and processing equipment. Additives and artificial ingredients are assessed, including synthetic preservatives, colorants, and flavor enhancers that are inconsistent with natural winemaking practices. Sulfite levels may also be evaluated, as excessive sulfur dioxide additions are a common concern among natural wine consumers.

The overall assessment is binary — products either meet all thresholds and earn certification, or they do not. There is no tiered scoring system. The Clean Label Project uses accredited analytical laboratories and standardized testing protocols to ensure consistency and scientific rigor across all submissions.

The natural wine movement has grown substantially over the past decade, driven by consumer demand for transparency, cleaner ingredients, and environmentally responsible production. However, the term "natural wine" has historically lacked a formal, standardized definition, creating confusion and skepticism among consumers and retailers alike. The Clean Label Project's Natural Wine Certification, launched in 2024, enters this space as one of the few science-based, lab-testing-driven credentials specifically designed to fill this definitional gap.

The Clean Label Project has established credibility in the broader clean-label consumer products space through its work on infant formula, protein powders, and pet food — categories where its testing-based approach has garnered significant media attention and retailer recognition. Applying this methodology to wine is a natural extension, though the program is still in its early stages and has yet to achieve the widespread brand recognition of longer-established wine certifications like USDA Organic or Demeter Biodynamic.

Competing certifications such as USDA Organic and Demeter Biodynamic are more widely recognized internationally and have deeper roots in the wine industry, but they focus primarily on farming practices rather than finished-product contaminant testing. The Clean Label Project's differentiation lies in its finished-product, lab-verified approach, which resonates with a growing segment of consumers who are skeptical of process-based claims alone. Demand for clean-label beverages is growing, particularly in North America, making the timing of this certification strategically relevant — though market penetration and retailer adoption will take time to build.

The Clean Label Project was founded in 2016 as a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization focused on using science and data to expose the gap between marketing claims and actual product contents in consumer goods. The organization gained national attention through its testing of infant formula, protein powders, and pet food, publishing reports that revealed elevated levels of heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants in many popular products. This work established the Clean Label Project as a credible, science-driven voice in the consumer product safety space.

The Natural Wine Certification was launched in December 2024, as indicated by the program page's publication date, representing the organization's expansion into the wine and beverage sector. The program was developed in response to the lack of a standardized, science-based definition for "natural wine" — a term widely used in marketing but unregulated by any government body. By applying its established laboratory testing methodology to wine, the Clean Label Project aimed to bring the same level of finished-product transparency to the wine industry that it had pioneered in other consumer product categories.