(Forbes) - Natural Wines: Robert Parker has called them a “scam… that will be exposed as a fraud.” Newsweek claims it “tastes worse than putrid cider.” At the same time, there are wine fairs and groups around the world that celebrate them and restaurants that devote their wine lists to them. So, what are Natural Wines and what makes them so hotly debated?

In her new book Natural Wine, Isabelle Legeron attempts to answer this question. She refers to herself as “That Crazy French Woman” and, sanity issues aside, she is the first French woman to become a Master of Wine and is also the founder of the RAW Artisan Wine Fair.

Part of the problem with discussing Natural Wine is there is no legal definition or exact set of standards. While the grapes are usually farmed organically or biodynamically, what separates them are cellar practices; minimal intervention in the winery, wild yeast fermentation, no additives and no sulfur dioxide added before fermentation and little, if any, added before bottling. I spoke with Isabelle Legeron see what makes her so passionate about these wines.

What do you love about Natural Wines?

Pleasure. There is authenticity, texture and the deliciousness which defines these wine. More diversity, more romance and they are rarely over-oaked. They are lighter, more digestible. Once people explore these array of flavors — it’s what they want in what they eat and wine is part of what you eat. Look at cheese. I get more pleasure out of properly made cheese from unpasteurized raw milk. It has a different expression.

What originally drew you towards these wines?

Wine is a family affair. I was brought up on a vineyard and I grew up with all my grandparents, aunt and uncles farming vineyards. When I started wine studies as an adult it didn’t fulfill me as much as I thought it would. I was brought up with farmers and simple values and realized wine is a big industry dominated by numbers. Then I found there was this tiny universe of wines that still excited me. When I became a Master of Wine I decided this was the only facet of wine I was interested in.

Why does Natural Wine bring out such heated emotions?