How Natural wine Is Helping a new generation discover the joy of wine
Three glasses of white wine being clinked.
Wine has become less popular among the masses — especially young people. One reason for this is surely the many options now available and another is probably the price point. But these aren’t the only reasons. Without a doubt, the snobbery and lack of accessibility to wine for newbies are a put-off for many people.
Now, no, of course not all wine people are snobs. But, it’s definitely a world where people akin to snobby behavior have no problem finding a home. If you’re in your young twenties, don’t know a lot about wine, and want to order a glass, it can be far too unnecessarily intimidating.
Fortunately, natural wine is helping to change the game. Now, as a borderline alcoholic who loves natural wine, I’ll tell you that natural wine isn’t completely free of snobbery. That being said, it’s way more accessible to young people than traditional wine and definitely has more of a fun vibe than a snooty one.
Before diving any deeper, let’s get a working definition of what natural wine is. The term is broad and can refer to many different types of wines. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, while not all natural wines have sulfites, some do.
What pretty much everyone can agree upon is that natural wine is made from grapes that haven’t been treated with pesticides and are picked by hand rather than with machinery. Natural winemakers then rely on natural yeast that’s present in the air to ferment the wine (which adds the alcohol content).
Some natural winemakers use sulfites to stabilize the wine, while others don’t and let the wine continue to ferment in the bottle. Those without sulfites can take on a more fermented, kombucha-like flavor. Sadly, many people pigeonhole natural wine to just this, when, in reality, it’s a broad world with all types of wines with different tastes.
Believe me when I say there is a much more detailed explanation I can give and that no matter how I do it, it will be controversial to someone. There isn’t yet a hard and fast definition of natural wine that everyone agrees upon, but the explanation above outlines the broad strokes. But, here’s the kicker, you don’t have to care.
And while some people do, the fact that you don’t have to makes natural wine more fun. Lots of natural wines are more drinkable, also another reason they’re so fun.
In many cities, natural wine bars are popping up and they feel a lot more accessible than traditional wine bars I imagine old money, MBA-having New Englanders patronizing (not to disparage these people because there are definitely some old money, MBA-having New Englander chillers out there too).
Weirdly, I think rap star extraordinaire Dr. Baklava himself (also known as Action Bronson in some circles) has also played a huge role in putting natural wine on more people’s radars with his show Fuck, That’s Delicious and his extended digital footprint. When your favorite rapper likes natural wine, it feels much more like something you want to try.
In addition to the more accessible establishments and its rising cache in pop culture, the simple fact, as I’ve stated, is natural wine is just fun. Whether you’re going out to drink hard or want something nice with dinner, it just works. As time goes on, I really think that natural wine will continue to grow.
Much like hard kombucha and mead are growing in popularity as younger generations are exploring new ways to get drunk, natural wine is also making a clear name for itself. As time goes on and natural wine starts to emerge in more cities, it’ll probably become its own unique drinking culture staple for generations to come.
