natural wine is confusing. let’s talk about it.

You don’t have to wear plaid and a beanie to enjoy natural wines. 

Last week, we dove into the world of wine additives — from “liquid oak” to Mega Purple — and why ingredient transparency matters. 

Thank you to those who replied with clean product recs!
(Shoutout to Laura for Pact organic cotton clothes and Lia for vegan cleaners from Attitude.)

If you have a favorite clean or eco-friendly product, I’d love to hear from you.
Even if your name doesn’t start with L (lol).

Today, we’re diving into the unplugged world of natural wines, and what it means to go “au naturel” as a woman (I’m looking at you, SKIMS bush thong). 

Pour Decisions

Natural wine only makes up ~1% of the global wine market, but natural wine bars are popping up everywhere from Kansas City (hi 👋) to Tokyo (my hometown). So… what is natural wine, really?

As Captain Jack Sparrow once said, it’s “more what you call guidelines than actual rules.”

According to latest edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine, natural wine usually means:

• Small-scale, independent producers

• Hand-picked grapes from sustainable, organic, or biodynamic vineyards

• Fermentation with native (not commercial) yeast and no additives

• Little or no sulfites are added

The gist is that the end result is the most natural expression of the grapes and the wine itself. However, there’s still no official definition or regulation.

Except in France. Of course.

In 2020, France became the first country to officially recognize “vin methode nature” with requirements like:

• Hand-picked grapes from certified organic vineyards

• Fermented with indigenous yeast

• No “brutal” processing (like flash pasteurization or mashing the grapes too angrily - just kidding)

• 30 mg/L or less sulfites (or none for the sulfite-free label)

In the rest of the world, the labels can vary wildly and be confusing.

Not all natural wines are organic, and not all organic wines are natural.
Some natural wines may have that kombucha-funk or be hazy, while others may look and taste more like a “traditional” wine.

You might also see “minimal/low intervention” or “wild/native yeasts.” 

If you’re thinking…

…Sorry!

The best way to know what you’re drinking is to ask your wine shop or do a quick bottle search.

Some popular examples of natural wine include:

• Pet-Nat (or Pétillant Naturel): a type of sparkling wine where the wine finishes fermenting in the bottle – an ancient method called Méthode Ancestrale – which causes a natural spritz. Try some chenin blanc Pet-Nats from the Loire Valley in France!

• Col Fondo: a funky, unfiltered version of Prosecco that is less sweet and can be sour or slightly bitter

• Glou-glou: the onomatopoeia for “glug-glug” in French, these fresh, lighter red wines are often served chilled, have a slightly lower alcohol content at 10%, and are meant to be drunk early (and quickly!). If you like gamays or fruitier pinot noirs, get your glou-glou on!

One last thing:
Natural wines, especially sulfite-free ones, are fragile so:

• Buy local when possible

• Store in a cool, dark space away from all (including artificial) light

• Drink within a year if sulfite-free

• Use a cork or vacuum stopper once opened

Also, a quick heads-up:
The use of native yeasts in natural winemaking might increase tyramine, which may trigger headaches or migraines in some people. Just something to be mindful of!

Sip Happens

So what happens when we (read: women) go au naturel? 

Much like natural wine, that definition depends on who you ask.

Does it mean no make up? Or just tinted moisturizer and mascara?
Maybe it means never shaving. Or never dying your hair.
Or staying away from botox and filler, but getting regular microneedling facials? 

To be clear, this is not about judging people for their choices.

I’ve had my hair highlighted and chemically straightened. I’ve plucked grays (guilty), and I’ll probably dye them one day. I don’t usually wear makeup (but that’s mostly laziness.) I’ve done laser hair removal, and yes, I’ve had Botox: in my armpits (anxiety sweat), my scalp (migraines), and my forehead once (anti-aging). No shame.

When I was a server in L.A., I came across a study that found waitresses wearing red lipstick got significantly more tips from men than those who wore no lipstick at all. The lipstick has zero effect on female diners. 

I know. Shocking. 

Then there’s this study from sociologists Jacklyn Wong and Andrew Penner: women who were “well-groomed” (hair, makeup, nails) earned more than those who weren’t. In case you’re wondering, grooming didn’t affect men’s pay. 

I wonder what the math is on that.
Does the extra income cover the cost of all that grooming?

(Side note: In a recent Call Her Daddy interview, Kim Kardashian said her glam budget could be a million dollars a year. So yeah. Let’s stop comparing our looks to celebs who spend more on glam than we make in a year).

It’s like everyone wants to look like they’re in their 20s.
13-year-olds skip the awkward phase and go straight to Sephora, and 53-year-olds inject neurotoxins and filler to avoid wrinkles.

Again, I’m not against getting work done (though I do think we should ask questions if you’re anti-vax but pro-Botox…).

But just like we can be intentional about what’s in our wine or skincare, we can also be intentional about how we want to age and why.

Is it because research shows you’ll be paid more in red lipstick?
Because a celebrity who doesn’t know how much milk costs says their product will make you “flawless”?
Or because it genuinely makes you feel good and confident?

Whatever your choice, I support it.
As long as it’s yours.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a microneedling appointment to book and a pet nat calling my name.

See you next week!

P.S. Speaking of low intervention wines…
I’m featuring all organic, all women-made Italian wines at my next NYC event in December!
Get all the details and RSVP here. Use code WWW15 for $15 off GA tickets.

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