Until recently, natural wine was no way to put your kids through college: Those who made it, or imported and sold it, did so out of love. In the late 1990s, the United States’ first natural wine importers, Louis/Dressner and Jenny & François, brought with them idealistic values as they championed their farmers and winemakers. “These natural wines connect strongly with the coveted younger demographics and wine companies and retailers won’t ignore this opportunity for long,” wrote Felicity Carter, the editor of Menninger’s Wine International. Upon research, I learned the product had no added sulfites — but that it had used selected yeasts, a cardinal sin in natural wine. There’s no legal definition of “natural” wine; I have my standards, and I hope others follow them, but I’m no lawmaker.

Source: International New York Times December 07, 2019 18:33 UTC