Dear Russell,

Unfiltered wine skips the mechanical filtration process that can be used to remove yeasts, microbes, and sediments naturally found in wine. Instead, the wine simply rests for a period, allowing gravity to settle particles before the clear wine is drained off. Some winemakers (and consumers) believe that filtration—especially a “tight” filtration—can strip away nuances of flavor and aroma. Unfiltered wines appeal to these individuals. It should be noted, however, that many unfiltered wines don’t say “unfiltered” on the label. That’s because winemakers often decide on a wine-by-wine basis whether or not to filter certain wines in certain years, and labels may have been printed before the winemaker decides!

—Karen