Natural or Flawed?
Always let your own pallet be the compass on your journey through the fascinating world of wine. What excites us about wine is the vast variety of styles, expressions of terroir, and choices. Variety is the spice of life!
Integrity in Wine
Winemaking techniques and methods are constantly evolving, bringing with them a range of ever-changing buzz words. To us, what matters the most is the integrity of the growers and wineries in their approach to life and to the entire production process that starts in their vineyards. It is an uncompromising commitment to working the land sustainably and to not cutting corners when crafting their wines. Our growers are proud of their heritage and their terroir.
All of them have the single-minded goal of delivering exquisite wines that represent the best their land can procure, sharing a sense of humility, seeing themselves as being in service to the wine and their land. It is their responsibility to sustain the vineyards for the generations that follow them.
What is Natural?
One of the afore mentioned buzz words is “Natural”. It is supposed to evoke the idea of being good for us and the environment. There are several problems with that notion. It starts with the fact that are no clearly defined guidelines as to what constitutes a natural wine. At first, the proponents talked about “no intervention winemaking”, quickly realizing that some intervention is required. Left unattended, must has the tendency of turning into vinegar through the fermentation process. This explains the fact many of the natural wines have the characteristics of apple cider or apple cider vinegar.
Our growers all know share the belief that the quality of the wine is first determined in the vineyards, without the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. This is followed by a gentle, low intervention winemaking process, only intervening if and. When required. As consumers we. Have the right to expect a wine that is without fault. Many of the “Natural Winemakers” expect us to accept and even embrace these faults. Finally – not everything that is natural is good for us. Nature can cause disasters and carries many dangers. We are all for supporting growers that have a clear vision of how to best preserve the environment, whether it is subscribing to organic, biodynamic or other environmentally concerned programs with clearly defined guidelines. We agree that there is no space in wine for flavour enhancing additives. Integrity matters!
How to approach wines
Tasting wine is a highly subjective exercise. We all have unique pallets, likes and dislikes. At the end of any tasting session the questions that matters are “Do I like this wine, or don’t I like it”? There is no right or wrong. Nobody can dictate you the answer – only your pallet and your preferences. It is our responsibility to provide wines that are a true reflection of their birthplace and the vision of the grower, without smoke and mirrors. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the five main elements that determine the overall wine experience – acidity, alcohol, fruitiness/ sweetness, tannins, and body. When these elements are in harmony, chances are that you will have an enjoyable experience. When I decide to get a wine that I did not have before, I look at the following details on the label:
Does it include the statement “Produced and Bottled By”. This means that the wine has been bottled at the grower’s estate, using their own grapes.Confident Commitment
Name of the producer, region of production, and grape variety/ varieties.
The alcohol percentage will give us helpful hints to the overall taste profile. The drier the wine the higher the alcohol content. Dry wines usually start at about 11.5%, normally white wines. With higher alcohol content, wines tend to become fuller bodied due to the higher level of residual sugar at the time of harvest.
Whether light-, medium, or full-bodied – the components need to be in harmony. Then you can let your mood, the occasion, and your personal preference pass the final judgment.
When available, consult the websites of the wineries and importers for more information that might guide you in the decision-making process. The website www.enotri.com contains detailed information of all the wines that have been curated following the Roots Matter philosophy.
Confident Commitment
Always let your own pallet be the compass on your journey through the fascinating world of wine. What excites us about wine is the vast variety of styles, expressions of terroir, and choices. Variety is the spice of life! For me it has been an exciting journey of discovery that has been going on for five decades, and there is still a lot more to discover. Get to know your pallet and your preferences, while keeping an open mind for new discoveries. You never know what pleasures are waiting around the corner. We are confident in our selection process and are committed to its underlying principles. This commitment is expressed by the Enotri Roots Matter seal.