Perhaps titling your book, "How to Drink Natural Wine", would tell prospective readers who are 'experienced' drinkers all they need to know before they bother to buy the book! I've literally had it with natural wines. I'm sick of the fizz. I'm sick of the brett. I'm sick of the reductive VA aromas of nail polish that stab into my sinus cavity. I'm sick of the mousiness that natural Somm's pass of as 'Earthiness' and 'Natural Terroir'. I'm sick of the cloudiness that's worn like a badge of unfiltered honor. I'm sick of the Lactic Spoilage with its lovely aromas of spoiled yogurt, sauerkraut & pickle juice. I'm sick of wine that smells like a three day-old Kombucha. I'm sick of the high prices they command for no reason other than Gen Z has fallen hook, line and sinker for the marketing myth that natural is more authentic, better for the environment and less stuffy than the wine their Grandfathers socked away under the stairs. I'm sick of the label art that is either a badly drawn cartoon or an equally bad art piece done by the winemakers partner. And most of all, I'm sick of having to explain any of this to numbskulls who will happily pay twice as much for a bottle that smells like cider left in a gym bag, then call it "expressive terroir", while claiming they have impeccable taste, while insisting the vinegar notes are intentional and the mouse taint is simply part of the journey.....
Brad Trent! You are a most impassioned fellow and I always love hearing from you! I’ve never left cider in a gym bag and yet I know exactly what you mean!🙃😊
While anyone who knows proper wine has been turned off for awhile, I'm happy to see that a huge swath of consumers are getting wise to what I've call 'Trash Natural' in the past. 'Natural' in wine will always have its niche group, but the public in general are realizing it's not like 'organic' on a loaf of bread and is indeed an inferior product. This book is a continuing means to try and normalize it.
As a wine maker I have my own opinion about natural wine, the main one being that there is no legal designation for the word "natural," and I am quite certain that many commercial vintages using that designation may have had some intervention. Is racking off the lees "natural?"
In 1983 I visited the cellar of Cos d'Estornel, a highly regarded Bordeaux producer. Before I went, I read that they never filtered their wines. When I entered the cellar, I saw wine being pumped through a plate and frame filter. I said to the winemaker, "I thought you didn't filter your wines."
He replied, "We don't." Then I pointed at the filter and asked, "What is that?" He said, "c'est un filtre" but, he added, it's just part of the bottling line.
Your story inspired me to look at some of the books in my collection. I found a pocket book by Terry Robards from 1982. "A Votre Sante!" A Complete Guide To French Wines. It's really basic and funny, discussing wine buckets and breathing
Perhaps titling your book, "How to Drink Natural Wine", would tell prospective readers who are 'experienced' drinkers all they need to know before they bother to buy the book! I've literally had it with natural wines. I'm sick of the fizz. I'm sick of the brett. I'm sick of the reductive VA aromas of nail polish that stab into my sinus cavity. I'm sick of the mousiness that natural Somm's pass of as 'Earthiness' and 'Natural Terroir'. I'm sick of the cloudiness that's worn like a badge of unfiltered honor. I'm sick of the Lactic Spoilage with its lovely aromas of spoiled yogurt, sauerkraut & pickle juice. I'm sick of wine that smells like a three day-old Kombucha. I'm sick of the high prices they command for no reason other than Gen Z has fallen hook, line and sinker for the marketing myth that natural is more authentic, better for the environment and less stuffy than the wine their Grandfathers socked away under the stairs. I'm sick of the label art that is either a badly drawn cartoon or an equally bad art piece done by the winemakers partner. And most of all, I'm sick of having to explain any of this to numbskulls who will happily pay twice as much for a bottle that smells like cider left in a gym bag, then call it "expressive terroir", while claiming they have impeccable taste, while insisting the vinegar notes are intentional and the mouse taint is simply part of the journey.....
Brad Trent! You are a most impassioned fellow and I always love hearing from you! I’ve never left cider in a gym bag and yet I know exactly what you mean!🙃😊
While anyone who knows proper wine has been turned off for awhile, I'm happy to see that a huge swath of consumers are getting wise to what I've call 'Trash Natural' in the past. 'Natural' in wine will always have its niche group, but the public in general are realizing it's not like 'organic' on a loaf of bread and is indeed an inferior product. This book is a continuing means to try and normalize it.
A classic FUTRENT rant. Haven't seen one of those for a long time. Cheers Brad!
Hey Joe!!! 😘
I don't think you left anything out. Well done.
As a wine maker I have my own opinion about natural wine, the main one being that there is no legal designation for the word "natural," and I am quite certain that many commercial vintages using that designation may have had some intervention. Is racking off the lees "natural?"
In 1983 I visited the cellar of Cos d'Estornel, a highly regarded Bordeaux producer. Before I went, I read that they never filtered their wines. When I entered the cellar, I saw wine being pumped through a plate and frame filter. I said to the winemaker, "I thought you didn't filter your wines."
He replied, "We don't." Then I pointed at the filter and asked, "What is that?" He said, "c'est un filtre" but, he added, it's just part of the bottling line.
Thanks so much Louisa and thanks for sharing that (!!) story. So I guess it’s all up to one’s interpretation of the word?!
Hi Lettie,
Your story inspired me to look at some of the books in my collection. I found a pocket book by Terry Robards from 1982. "A Votre Sante!" A Complete Guide To French Wines. It's really basic and funny, discussing wine buckets and breathing
Cheers Marc!