The Hipster-ification of Natural Wine: Why It’s Going to Save The Wine World

         In the fifth episode of season two of Aziz Ansari’s peak-hipster, pseudo-introspective, travel-lusty (and occasionally brilliant) ode to New York single life, Master of None, he and his Italian friend/love interest sneak into the kitchen during a hip and celeb-studded dinner party to sample some leftover bottles. Ansari’s character implores his date- “try this wine, it’s amazing!” To her dismay, it “tastes like feet.” An exchange with the celebrity-chef host ensues where they discuss the merits of this funky, “barnyard-y” orange wine, which sees Ansari playfully chide his peers. He defends the wine and insists they’re both “crazy,” for not getting down with this dirty juice.

         Ansari’s own real-life love for wine and food and all things authentico is scattered liberally throughout the entire series, as he and his friend Arnold (played by comedian Eric Wareheim) feast around Modena and the Italian countryside, munching on incredibly tempting plates of pasta at neighborhood bistros and Michelin-starred joints alike, gleefully clinking glasses and making proto-tic toks for friends at home. That Ansari and Wareheim center their experiences with local, natural, old-school food and wine in the program should come as no surprise; Ansari has been spotted attending some of the natural wine world’s most premier tastings, such as RAW wine expo in NYC, and in 2017 Wareheim teamed up with winemaker Joel Burt to produce “Las Jaras” wines from small organic vineyards in and around Mendocino, California. And the product is legit---we happily carry their Glou Glou and Slipper Sippers Nouveau in the shop. Moreover, folks come in looking for it, whether due to their love of all things Tim and Eric (the latter’s indie-comedy surrealist cult hit) or word-of-mouth recommendations about just how good the stuff tastes.

         For natural wine shop owners, trendy people with a platform bringing attention to light-bodied, fun, naturally-produced and sustainably sourced wines is a welcome boost. Whether it be through spotlights in Food & Wine with the Parks & Rec former cast, or via wine tastings with natural wine legend Frank Cornelissen on YouTube with hip-hop and Vice Munchies star Action Bronson (known for his “F#$k, That’s Delicious series), word has been getting out, and a trend, once nascent and hidden in wine bars like The Ten Bells and Vin Ordinaire, is fully mainstream: Natural Wine Is Cool. Natural wine is hip. Natural wine is youthful. Natural wine is what trend setters, cultural icons, tastemakers, and lifestyle experts (of the NYC/MTL/LA-hipster-foodie-punk-indie brand) are drinking. But the question must be asked; is the natural wine trend a bubble, a fad, an affectation that’ll go the way of trucker hats and ironic mustaches? Are we at Peak Natural Wine?

         The answer seems to be...no. At least, not yet. There’s certainly a dark side to the trend, as brands try to glom onto the “natural” label and claim their portion of sales in this brave new world of winemaking. (See our last blog post for more on that. And expect more to come regarding direct-to-consumer sales and multi-level marketing of “Clean” wine.) But the trend has cache for a reason, due, in part,  to the  well-documented rise in consumption of wine among millennials. But as far as market trends go, it seems the beverage industry at large is still struggling to understand how the White Claw generation could just as easily go for an unfiltered nerello mascalese from Sicily. The ineffable quality which natural wine captures is one which the wine world has been attempting to convey or eschewing completely for a long time; approachability. Whereas before, wines that were “approachable” were often those which had a price tag to match- they were “blush wines” from California or sweet reds like Riunite, wines like Barefoot or Flip Flop, with a marketing machine behind them to get them into the hands of grocery store shoppers. Quality was foregone for bulk production, value, and an assumed audience who didn’t care about who made their wine, only that it was easy enough to drink and easier still on the wallet. But millennials now would tell you, they don’t want to drink their mom’s liter pinot grigio. It just isn’t good, and it especially isn’t cool.

         The foodie and slow-food trend has increased interest in sustainability and ethically-sourced foods; a new generation demands products with not only transparency, but also a tongue-in-cheek or audacious sense of FUN. Where traditional premium wine makers and wines may be prohibitively expensive, catering to collectors and cellar-stockers, natural wines often have near-immediate consumption in mind. These wines are meant to be enjoyed, shared communally, spoken about due to their interesting flavors, production, and people, rather than snobbishly blind-tasted as a party trick among oenophiles who know a “good year” from a bad. These wines encourage exploration and honest interpretation. It’s just as welcome to say a wine tastes too much like feet for your enjoyment as it is to lose your mind over how funky and unexpected a bottle may be. Natural wine has accomplished the unthinkable; making rare, off-piste, often unusual wines from far-flung regions (Czech wine, anyone?) at prices ranging from $10-$100 all equally desirable, all legitimate, all welcoming and heavily sought-after and enjoyed by a demographic who only a few years ago would have never considered browsing the shelves of a small wine boutique a rad and chill afternoon activity.

         So; is it a trend? Everything indicates that rather than a blip on the radar, the natural-wine boost is a complete revolution Young people, people of color, women, and never-before-winemakers are getting trained, educated, and experienced enough to purchase land or grapes and start slingin’ their own bottles. Wunderkinds like the Brand Brothers and women like Joy Kull of La Villana or Martha Stoumen are all finding widespread success and popularity. ZAFA wines are highlighted alongside Arianna Occhipinti’s on the Instagram reel of drink guru (and 90’s baby) Alex Delany, and more and more people feel like they have license- heck, they have a right to belong, shape, and re-invent the wine world, as both producers and consumers. As more diverse voices enter the scene, wine will become more interesting, delicious, ethically-produced, ecologically-focused, and accessible for all. A world of new amaros, bitters, cocktails, bubbles, and bottlings await the thirsty. Just as the micro-brew trend transformed the beer world, so too will the stuffy and pricey world of wine be reformed. Don’t get us wrong- Champagne will always be Champagne (and thank goodness for it), but more and more so, the growers and producers who deserve the cred are going to get it. Expensive plonk without the bona-fides, produced by underpaid labor and with harmful practices, are going to go by the wayside. The earth is changing, climates are shifting, water is scarcer, wildfires burn- but I believe the children are the future---give them wine and let them lead the way.

 *Cork acknowledges and stands with those who have accused the aforementioned, Ansari, Bronson, and Delany, of abusing their privilege, misconduct and sexist/racist language in the past. That shit ain’t right.. This blog post mentions them to highlight their enduring cultural standing and influence re: natural wine.