There is so much that’s right about the “natural wine” movement, which emphasizes sustainable farming and chemical-free winemaking while making the traditionally elitist, white-skinned industry more accessible to a diverse, younger audience. With bright, artistic labels, an empowering spirit of exploration, and methods that challenge the status quo — while often embracing ancient processes — it’s making wine cool for the next generations, connecting so many with a beverage that’s woven through the history of humankind.
I love all those things, and yet I’ve been extremely reluctant to embrace natural wine ever since the trend emerged a decade ago. A large part of my concern, and one that persists today, is that so many vintners — especially in Santa Barbara County, but also around the world — were growing and making what now qualifies as “natural wine” for decades before someone thought it needed to be its own category.
I appreciate the reasons why the movement began: Many grocery store shelves are stocked with bottles enhanced by various additives to bolster color, flavor, acidity, texture, and so forth, so elevating producers who act with the environment and health in mind is welcome. But I still feel like it’s misleading to imply that those who built the modern industry were somehow doing it wrong — especially when so many were, in fact, doing it right, at least by the so-called standards of natural wine.