The Naked Grape: Who’s Who in Natural Wine
The natural wine movement has flooded Europe and is taking root in the States. Find out who the important people are to watch when it comes to natural wine.
Natural wine has quickly moved from “what is that?” to one of the most intriguing — and trendiest — wine movements. In case you’re not quite in the loop yet, natural wines are wines made according to Old World methods, without added sulfites or, really, added anything! Natural wines, also known as naked wines, take winemaking back to its roots, for a more complex and natural product. Keep on top of the trend thanks to this who’s who of natural wines. Get to know the big names in natural wine, so that you too can bask in the glow of wine that is oh-so unmessed with.
Jean-Luc Poinsot – Winemaker
This Provençal winemaker based in Toulon, France is all-natural when it comes to his wine, from natural yeasts to complete exclusion of added sulfites. La Badiane is the name of his label; you’ll find three different AOCs represented. This summer, get your hands on a bottle of 2007 Antiboul rosé or 2010 Deux Soeurs Blanc. Either bottle will be cool, refreshing and, of course, all-natural.
Zev Rovine – Importer
Importers are just as important in the natural wine movement as the winemakers, especially because so much of natural wine being made today still hails from the Old World. Zev Rovine has built his business on natural wines, for the simple reason that he doesn’t believe that this movement is a mere trend. Instead, he firmly believes that these natural ways of making wine will fit in with our return to local, natural food. And thanks to people like him, the best bottles will soon — or may already! — be available at a retailer near you.
Alice Feirling – Author
If you’re at a loss when it comes to the movement, fear not: Alice Feirling’s delicious book, Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally will fill in the blanks. Feirling strips down this stripped-down wine through stories about her own adventures in trying a hand at making natural wine. An experienced food-and-wine journalist and budding expert, Feirling is the perfect resource for wine-lovers looking to learn more about the movement that may, in fact, change the way we think about, talk about and drink wine.
