My Google alerts results for the term 'natural wine' have really grown in the past few weeks. There are dozens of current articles, blog posts and endless Twitter chatter about natural wine.
And of course there is the inimitable Alice Feiring, whose books and blog posts have led so many wine lovers down the natural wine path.
Some of these writings are informative (mostly the blog posts and articles) and a few are simply antagonistic rhetoric (often found on Twitter). Natural wine appears to have broken out of it's little niche and joined a corner of the mainstream wine world's attention. And I think this is a good thing. Not simply to champion the natural wines themselves, but to lead all of us into a constructive discussion of how wines are actually made.
There is even a reactionary element within the natural wine world itself, with some vehemently proclaiming that bad wine hides behind the natural wine umbrella. Of course, this is true, because there is plenty of bad wine to go around, natural or not. They shout out about brett or volatile acidity, both of which can be present in both processed or natural wines. Some people really like brett, me not so much, but I will not question another's personal tastes. Why should I?
Much like Alice Feiring wrote recently, I drink what I like. Most of the wines I reach for at dinner are rather natural. But do I also enjoy wines made with cultured yeasts or from grapes that were not organically farmed? Of course. I am not dogmatic and there are no rules to this wine game.
Wine, whether natural or not, is made for enjoyment. If you want cookie cutter wine with lots of new oak, go for it, put a smile on your own face. Of course, many wine lovers probably fall somewhere in between and often drink both processed and natural wines. There a few people I have noticed who get rather heated at the mere mention of natural wine. To me, natural wine is like gay marriage, if you don't like it, no one is forcing you get one for yourself!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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3 comments:
Amy - the upshot of the increased level of discussion seems to be a move toward a consensus along the lines of "good wine first; how it got there, second." As more people enter the conversation the most dogmatic voices on both sides are increasingly marginalized. But more importantly, the concepts leading to natural wine gain increasing traction in the mainstream. I see this as a good thing. Do you?
well said, Amy. I think it's possible to find the good in any grape, any region, and/or in this case, any style. Everyone's going to have their preferences, but I certainly tip my cap to the folks who go through the extra pains in the effort to make a good natural wine.
Spot on, Amy! I couldn't agree more with what you say in your post. There's a sying here in Spain "Ancha es Castilla!" which basically means that the world is a big place and there's room in it for all sorts of people with their own opinions and tastes. So yes, it's great that natural wine is being talked about more. And hopefully, as John comments above, the extremist voices will be lost in the hubbub of more sensible conversations :)
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