All Natural Wines Story
King Frosch founder Klaus Bellinghausen takes the standard drinking toast — “to your health” — to a new level with the first all-natural wine brand, King Frosch. In 2003, he imported clean-crafted wines from Germany, specifically wines crafted without any artificial colors, tastes or flavor enhancers.
Bellinghausen comes from Koblenz, Germany, a picturesque city located at the bend where the Rhine and Mosel rivers flow together. Koblenz was originally known as “Confluentia” by the ancient Romans, who introduced grapes and planted vineyards on the sunny, slate-rich banks along the rivers.
A Way to Enjoy All Natural Wines
Being raised in this celebrated wine-growing region instilled a deep interest and passion in the entire wine-making process for Bellinghausen. Growing up, his family enjoyed a memorable nightly tradition of tasting fine wines at dinner.
This love for the world’s finest-tasting wines was the inspiration for Bellinghausen to launch his own wine company (BBG LTD.) and introduce the world to King Frosch All Natural Wines.
King Frosch is the first true all-natural wine brand without any artificial colors, tastes or flavor enhancers. Bellinghausen is one of the healthy wine pioneers, promoting all natural wines years before “organic” and “health foods” were popular.
“All our wines are crafted to achieve a perfect balance between naturally occurring sweetness in the wine and acidity,” says Bellinghausen, who collaborates with boutique, family-owned vineyards in Germany. “But before a wine is selected to be part of the King Frosch wine family, it must pass rigorous quality tests for great taste, drinkability and all-around sheer perfection – and it must be All Natural without any hint of artificial colors, taste or flavor enhancers.”
Known as the No-Headache Wines
Bellinghausen is passionate about providing perfect wines with excellent taste sensations. King Frosch Wines are crafted naturally, without the “monkey business” common in mass produced wines.
“Wine should not create headaches and should complement great and intimate moments with family and friends,” he says. “What I daydream about is people sitting down, turning off their cell phones and TV and just hanging out and talking with a glass of our natural wine, having fun and enjoying life. And no headaches.”
Wine Lovers Agree: I’m All Natural
We often hear from King Frosch wine customers who are able to enjoy King Frosch All Natural wines without experiencing headaches. For example, King Frosch Wine Club Member Russell B. had not enjoyed a glass of wine in more than 14 years due to migraines that leveled him even after a couple of sips of wine.
According to Russell B, “When I went to a friend’s home for dinner and they had wine, I drank a soda,” he says. “If I was making an Italian dinner for my girlfriend, I could not have any wine, though I always had some for her.”
This all changed when he discovered King Frosch All Natural Wines. Russell had heard from friends who enjoyed the wines and raved about the clean all natural wines. “So, I tried a few sips,” he says.
“Amazingly, 15, 20, 30 minutes went by and there was no headache, no hot flashes. Nothing but enjoyment. Ever since, my life has changed for the better and I am able to enjoy wine again, thanks to King Frosch.”
Clean Crafted, All Natural Wines
Bellinghausen could relate to Russell B.’s story. “When I moved to California from Germany, I often got headaches from mass-produced, popular wines purchased in grocery stores or wine shops. I wanted to know why. My research shows most people believe sulfites are the main culprits for wine headaches, but it’s really not the case. You’ll find sulfites in most every wine, and they are generally harmless, unless you suffer from severe asthma or lack certain enzymes in your body.”
Artificial additives, flavors and colorings used in mass produced wines are more likely to be the cause of those wine headaches.
“I interviewed, visited and watched wine makers all over the world and found that many added artificial ingredients to tweak the wine,” he says. “I found barrel manufacturers who offered wine barrels with artificial chocolate taste imbedded and they were proud that they could create the same desired taste every time from chocolate to any desired complexity demanded. The wines initially tasted good and I was impressed, but I got headaches despite drinking plenty of water.”
As a result, he was determined to offer only clean crafted wines with the lowest sulfite, and histamine levels, and wines crafted with no artificial flavors or colorings.
Real Wines, Real Varietals, Real Terroir
“King Frosch wines are produced and farmed using the same methods the Romans used 2,000 years ago, but with modern craftsmanship,” Bellinghausen says.
Romans found the mineral rich banks of the Rhine, Mosel and Nahe rivers to be prefect for growing grapes. The oxygen rich soils are well aerated for root and microbe respiration, which in turn allows nitrogen-fixed bacteria to exist.
‘When it is combined with carbon dioxide, it creates a healthy environment for below ground plant functions,” Bellinghausen says.
Healthy Dry Farming the Natural Way
Although rich topsoil at vineyards where King Frosch Wines are born may be scarce, this forces the vines’ root systems to seek deep down to the nutrients in the soil. This is where they draw from rich mineral reserves that have been waiting for millions of years to be brought to the surface. Many of these minerals have healthful benefits, which became the standard for King Frosch Wines. Almost all King Frosch Wines come from dry farmed vineyards with a long history of all natural planting. Many of them are even hand-harvested.
”Our all natural wines are in stark contrast to wines made from grapes grown in shallow fields that have been over-irrigated, fertilized with synthetic chemicals and waterlogged,” Bellinghausen says. “So many mass-produced wines have absolutely no terroir.”
Bringing hand-crafted, all natural wines from Europe to the U.S. has been the mission of King Frosch from day one. You should be able to enjoy the wines you love with less guilt and no headaches.
“King Frosch Wines are the perfect solution for anyone who wants to enjoy healthier, all natural wines. When you raise a glass and say, ‘to your health’, you can really mean it if it’s a glass of King Frosch.” And the best part is, they can be delivered to your home or office.
To have King Frosch All Natural Wines delivered to your home or office, or to join our All Natural Wines Wine Club, visit our All Natural Wines shopping page.
