I've thought about this analogy a lot too, so I'm pleased to see someone writing about it. Both movements have their extreme side that seems to get all the press and masks what both movements are really about. Great read
Well I loved this one Vicky! I want equal rights (especially rights to my own body) but the feminist movement is not something I align with- at all. I love men, in fact I love a middle aged white man. They would hate me for it. But I do prefer being an outlier. When it comes to natural wines, I like good ones. But sulfites are needed in most wines and funny enough I’ve seen so many anti sulfite hipsters eating french fries and charcuterie. The irony. I say, try some, not all are faulty and horrible for us to ingest. There are some great ones coming out of Portugal. But I’ve had some awful ones from France and America recently. 🤷🏻♀️ But it all leads to the question of… what the hell is natural wine anyway. 😂
Great take! Natural wine is definitely grappling with an image problem. I also think if you ask 10 people to define it, you might get 10 different answers. Hard to trust a category (or even evaluate it) when you could be talking about completely different things. I’ve been seeing this become more and more a topic of discussion recently so hopefully we are at an inflection point!
Absolutely! The lack of definition definitely complicates things. I've had various people come into the wine shop I work in asking for "natural wine". All our wines are either organic, biodynamic or low intervention, but we don't have any of the cloudy funky stuff. Some people just walk away at that point!
One interesting thing I've noted is that if you tell people Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, and Natural are all different things, they're usually susprised to hear it. I think they assume they're all unavoidable parts of the same modern-era whole, rather than completely different designations/definitions, some of which are regulated certifications and some of which are just things the brand can say with or without justification.
Agreed. It's further complicated by the fact that some wines are produced organically (for example) but don't have the money to pay for the certification label. Let's face it, the wine industry isn't designed to be simple!
Cascina Tavijn with their Bandita or 68 wines can also be recommended. They fall squarely into the “low intervention / natural wine” category, but are high quality (Barbera based) wines that are simply delicious. Sounds like a great night out 🍷😊
Excellent comparison! i like to differentiate "natty" and "natural", the former being the funky stuff. and let me also add Tatsis Winery In Greece to the list of minimal intervention groups producing top tier stuff that tastes incredible.
Haha! I always thought "natty" was one of those Britishisms that I'd simply missed from living abroad for so long... interesting that you've assigned it a different meaning! And thanks for the tip on the Greek wine :-)
Love this! I don’t mind the funky cidery natural wines but not all are like this and I really like the ones that aren’t. Had a great one two weeks ago at a wine bar in Paris. Must dig out the picture!
I've thought about this analogy a lot too, so I'm pleased to see someone writing about it. Both movements have their extreme side that seems to get all the press and masks what both movements are really about. Great read
Thanks Charlie! In general I believe that right now in the world, we need less focus on the extremes and more understanding of the grey area...
Well I loved this one Vicky! I want equal rights (especially rights to my own body) but the feminist movement is not something I align with- at all. I love men, in fact I love a middle aged white man. They would hate me for it. But I do prefer being an outlier. When it comes to natural wines, I like good ones. But sulfites are needed in most wines and funny enough I’ve seen so many anti sulfite hipsters eating french fries and charcuterie. The irony. I say, try some, not all are faulty and horrible for us to ingest. There are some great ones coming out of Portugal. But I’ve had some awful ones from France and America recently. 🤷🏻♀️ But it all leads to the question of… what the hell is natural wine anyway. 😂
Haha, indeed that is the question! Thanks for your positive comment and don't worry, I quite like middle-aged men too. I even married one ;-)
As usual no extra useful insights like everyone else but really enjoyed your article!
Haha, thanks! And also, I'm glad my articles aren't only being read by wine pros!
Great take! Natural wine is definitely grappling with an image problem. I also think if you ask 10 people to define it, you might get 10 different answers. Hard to trust a category (or even evaluate it) when you could be talking about completely different things. I’ve been seeing this become more and more a topic of discussion recently so hopefully we are at an inflection point!
Absolutely! The lack of definition definitely complicates things. I've had various people come into the wine shop I work in asking for "natural wine". All our wines are either organic, biodynamic or low intervention, but we don't have any of the cloudy funky stuff. Some people just walk away at that point!
One interesting thing I've noted is that if you tell people Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, and Natural are all different things, they're usually susprised to hear it. I think they assume they're all unavoidable parts of the same modern-era whole, rather than completely different designations/definitions, some of which are regulated certifications and some of which are just things the brand can say with or without justification.
Agreed. It's further complicated by the fact that some wines are produced organically (for example) but don't have the money to pay for the certification label. Let's face it, the wine industry isn't designed to be simple!
Cascina Tavijn with their Bandita or 68 wines can also be recommended. They fall squarely into the “low intervention / natural wine” category, but are high quality (Barbera based) wines that are simply delicious. Sounds like a great night out 🍷😊
Thanks George! Never heard of them but I'll keep an eye out!
Excellent comparison! i like to differentiate "natty" and "natural", the former being the funky stuff. and let me also add Tatsis Winery In Greece to the list of minimal intervention groups producing top tier stuff that tastes incredible.
Haha! I always thought "natty" was one of those Britishisms that I'd simply missed from living abroad for so long... interesting that you've assigned it a different meaning! And thanks for the tip on the Greek wine :-)
Thanks for this piece Vicky. I think it's a great analogy actually. Sometimes the content gets lost in the rhetoric doesn't it?
Love that you included Quinta do Javali too. I'm a big fan of their wines.
Here's to our next evening out being as inspiring as the last.
Thanks for challenging my perception of natural wines! Might see you at the natural wine fair on Saturday :-)
Love this! I don’t mind the funky cidery natural wines but not all are like this and I really like the ones that aren’t. Had a great one two weeks ago at a wine bar in Paris. Must dig out the picture!
Thanks Jen! Definitely some good natural wines coming out of France!