I like the ladybug stamp - that's a cute idea! Here in Amsterdam, there's generally no problem getting hold of low intervention wines. The challenge is more in differentiating between the good stuff and the "natty bangers" that are full of VA and mousiness. But again, finding your favourite local wine shop and sticking to it is a good start. Anyway, I'm sure Simon will have lots to say about this in the next few days - he's Amsterdam's King of Natural Wine!
Agreed! I joke with my husband that the moral of most movies is “listen to your wife”. I feel like the the solution to most wine questions is “trust your sommelier”, and wine retail staff members are generally very knowledgeable about what’s on their shelves! A good salesperson can do the heavy lifting for the customer and filter out the natty bangers from the classic taste profiles that happen to carry a Demeter certification.
Coincidentally, the discussion around natural wine is also heating up in Japan in Japanese. The term "natural wine" may sound nice, but it actually encompasses a wide range of styles, not only strong volatile acidity (VA) or mousiness but also significant vintage variation that often lack clear varietal characteristics.
Because of this, some wine drinkers tend to reject all natural wines outright. On the other hand, natural wine enthusiasts embrace these traits as part of the wine's character including off flavor. My job as WSET educator includes off flavor subject in the topic but not all consumers don't learn about it. There are of course clean “Natural Wine” and some wine professional want to looking for strategies to let the consumers know.The term natural wine has become extremely popular in Japan, just as it has in English.
One question—do native English speakers find low intervention an easy term to understand? Actually, the equivalent term in Japanese is much more complex than natural wine. So, I'm also looking for a word like ladybug stamp(love it!) in Japanese too!
Excellent points! I think wine industry folks (at least in the Bay Area) have an understanding of what makes a wine “low intervention”. It’s been harder to get consumers oriented around the term because the “natural wine” tag became more popular, but I would argue that most of the people who say they’re looking for “natural wine” are satisfied to know that they’re buying something “low intervention”.
The power of language! Education is a big part of wine appreciation, and for many consumers it is more of a hurdle to learn about wine than to embrace its role in culture.
When people tell me they drink natural wine only I legit roll my eyes and walk away. There is no definition, no standards it is just gobbledygook. Also, it means they truly are so ignorant about how wine is made and how many producers actually make wine in a “natural” way. I especially love when these same people go on to buy cured meat at the wine shop I work at… ok sulfates. Rant over. Ha. Also the ladybug thing we do at the wine shop we work at for organic wines.
Agreed! In my CMS Intro class, we learned that there are more sulfites in a small serving of McDonald’s fries than any bottle of wine. That being said, a Big Mac with a great bottle of Nuits-Saint-Georges still slaps.
🤣 I have to admit I don’t eat fast food. It’s been over 20 years since I have had McDonalds- but I’ll take your word for it! Maybe make a homemade one and pair it!
I now need to see you make a homemade Big Mac with better ingredients as you sip a bottle of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Bonus points if you make your own fries!
I like the ladybug stamp - that's a cute idea! Here in Amsterdam, there's generally no problem getting hold of low intervention wines. The challenge is more in differentiating between the good stuff and the "natty bangers" that are full of VA and mousiness. But again, finding your favourite local wine shop and sticking to it is a good start. Anyway, I'm sure Simon will have lots to say about this in the next few days - he's Amsterdam's King of Natural Wine!
Agreed! I joke with my husband that the moral of most movies is “listen to your wife”. I feel like the the solution to most wine questions is “trust your sommelier”, and wine retail staff members are generally very knowledgeable about what’s on their shelves! A good salesperson can do the heavy lifting for the customer and filter out the natty bangers from the classic taste profiles that happen to carry a Demeter certification.
Listen to your wife and listen to your wine seller - words to live by!
Coincidentally, the discussion around natural wine is also heating up in Japan in Japanese. The term "natural wine" may sound nice, but it actually encompasses a wide range of styles, not only strong volatile acidity (VA) or mousiness but also significant vintage variation that often lack clear varietal characteristics.
Because of this, some wine drinkers tend to reject all natural wines outright. On the other hand, natural wine enthusiasts embrace these traits as part of the wine's character including off flavor. My job as WSET educator includes off flavor subject in the topic but not all consumers don't learn about it. There are of course clean “Natural Wine” and some wine professional want to looking for strategies to let the consumers know.The term natural wine has become extremely popular in Japan, just as it has in English.
One question—do native English speakers find low intervention an easy term to understand? Actually, the equivalent term in Japanese is much more complex than natural wine. So, I'm also looking for a word like ladybug stamp(love it!) in Japanese too!
Thanks for the thought-provoking discussion!
Excellent points! I think wine industry folks (at least in the Bay Area) have an understanding of what makes a wine “low intervention”. It’s been harder to get consumers oriented around the term because the “natural wine” tag became more popular, but I would argue that most of the people who say they’re looking for “natural wine” are satisfied to know that they’re buying something “low intervention”.
The power of language! Education is a big part of wine appreciation, and for many consumers it is more of a hurdle to learn about wine than to embrace its role in culture.
When people tell me they drink natural wine only I legit roll my eyes and walk away. There is no definition, no standards it is just gobbledygook. Also, it means they truly are so ignorant about how wine is made and how many producers actually make wine in a “natural” way. I especially love when these same people go on to buy cured meat at the wine shop I work at… ok sulfates. Rant over. Ha. Also the ladybug thing we do at the wine shop we work at for organic wines.
Agreed! In my CMS Intro class, we learned that there are more sulfites in a small serving of McDonald’s fries than any bottle of wine. That being said, a Big Mac with a great bottle of Nuits-Saint-Georges still slaps.
🤣 I have to admit I don’t eat fast food. It’s been over 20 years since I have had McDonalds- but I’ll take your word for it! Maybe make a homemade one and pair it!
I now need to see you make a homemade Big Mac with better ingredients as you sip a bottle of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Bonus points if you make your own fries!
I always make my own fries- we LOVE potatoes hehe! Okay no pressure now. It may be a few weeks but i’ll do it