This! I like classifying natural wines among 3 categories, is not perfect and some producers can span among different categories, but it gives me a basic framework.
Natural wines that are so clean and well made that won’t show any obvious natty characteristics.
Natural wines that would show some characteristics associated with the category, like noticeable VA, spritz texture, etc; but without obscuring its typicity.
Natural wines that are so influenced by the winemaking decisions that are turned into an anonymous beverage, sometimes not even recognizable as wine!
Again, is not perfect, I remember buying a case of early Cornalissen’s Mujabel 8 and within those 12 bottles there were examples of the 3 categories!
And on a footnote, I don’t consider brett to be a fault that should be necessarily associated with Natural wine.
That’s the economics of the region. Expected variety and style, and a price point pinned to the land value created by the signature variety. Without those shackles, the answer would be exploring other grape varieties.
Don’t I know it. I think that part of this challenge for me comes from the fact that I came into the wine industry as a consumer and enthusiast, and don’t find the drive for exploration in others in the industry as often as I’d like. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of curiosity around, and not everyone has to have the same view of things as I do, and I know for plenty of people it’s just a job and that’s ok too. I think this board is a good place for me to talk about some of those things with other people who have the bug.
Possible for you to name your main sources for wine? That would make it easier to make suggestions. I can think of plenty of names but it won’t do much good if you can’t get them. I looked at Punchdown but it didn’t seem they have a full inventory list.
I don’t really post here that often, but if you’re interested in learning about wines from organically farmed fruit, made with zero additives (other than less than 20 parts of SO2), and no fining or filtration, that’s what I do!
I’d be glad to join your tasting and bring a lineup of what we do. I’m a CA wine producer, but focus solely on Italian grape varieties made in the style of several of the producers listed above. Looks like we’re neighbors so if you’re up for it, I would be delighted to share.
Also, Sam (Idlewild) and I have a minimal intervention bottle shop up in Healdsburg that is solely low intervention wines from Italy and France that meet the criteria you’ve listed above, so I could roll up with a bag of treats from there as well.
Thank you Thomas, and everyone else who has contributed ideas. My mistake for thinking I could start a thread at the start of harvest and actually have any brain power to contribute to it…
Your offer is kind, Thomas, but I must decline it, if only because your presence, however warm and gracious, would give the impression of a skew away from impartiality that some in the group would object to. But if we are neighbors and you are making wines of this style I would love to meet you and taste your wines. I’ve had many Idlewild wines and, at their best, have found them compelling and exciting expressions of varieties under-utilised in these parts!
