Natural Wine is Made For Loving, Not Fighting

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!

First Annual Natural Wine Week Los Angeles

Calling all food and wine geeks in southern California: The first annual Natural Wine Week Los Angeles will run from May 9-16. Keep posted on events as they are announced at NaturalWineLosAngeles.com.

Watch out San Francisco and New York, your dolled up southern sister is hot on your natural wine heels!
Lou Amdur of the well-loved and much respected Lou on Vine wine bar, has taken on the admirable task of getting this week organized. In other words, herding the wine cats of Los Angeles. Kudos to Lou!

Many of L.A.'s top restaurants and wine shops will be participating through tasting events and/or natural wine specials throughout the second week of May. Domaine LA, Palate Food & Wine, Lou on Vine, Grace, Campanile, Pourtal wine bar, Silverlake Wine and the list keeps growing.

So whether, you have already been bitten by the natural wine bug or whether you are wondering what the hell this natural wine thing is all about, mark your calendars for the second week of May!

Is This Progress? Another Wine Tool To Turn Substandard Grapes Into Wine.

When I read a recent article about the new flash extraction machinery at Monterey Wine Company, I did a double-take. I thought it had gotten mixed in with all of those April Fools Day blog posts.

But no, it seems they are quite serious about utilizing this new wine technology and are proud to spill the beans about it as well. After reading about what this process does to the grapes, I am not so confident that their client wineries will be quite so forthright about using flash extraction.

Here is a quote from the article, lest anyone think I am exaggerating:
"Flash-Détente, which translates roughly as “instant relaxation”, involves a combination of heating the grapes to about 185ºF, then sending them into a vacuum chamber where they are cooled. The cells of the grape skins are burst from the inside, allowing for better extraction of anthocyanins and skin tannins. Flash-Détente creates steam that goes into a condenser, and the condensate is loaded with pyrazines and other aromatic compounds, like the aromas associated with rot or mold. (The heating process also sterilizes the grapes.) Bayle acknowledged that some fruit aromas are also found in the condensate. “You smell the green first, and a tiny part of the flavor,” Bayle said of the condensate.

Because vapor has been removed, the sugar level is increased in the remaining must. The winemaker can either work with the higher Brix level; add back the condensate; discard the condensate and add water; or a combination."

Apparently the color is much darker with the 'flashed' wines. But I ask, is color a problem that needs to be fixed in California Zinfandel?
Also, big surprise here, it was noted during sampling the resultant wines, that the 'flashed' wines had lost some of their varietal flavor characteristics.

Monterey Wine Company states that this process is best used on "substandard, low quality and problematic grapes". Sounds delicious.

This is another perfect example of why there has been a growing interest in natural wines over processed wines.