Do you want something fruit forward or, on the other end of the spectrum, earthy? Words like “clean” can also be helpful, especially on a natural wine list. “A really an old wine adage is, ‘Light body is like skim milk, full body is like cream,’” Campanale says. First, decide whether you want a white, red, rosé or orange, then move on to body. Organize your tasteĪll wines - natural, organic, biodynamic or otherwise - fall onto the same spectrums of flavor, acidity and body. It doesn’t have to be done out loud (when dining out himself, Campanale will often point to something on the menu rather than divulge his budget to the table), but it helps people help you. Know how much you want to spend, and don’t be afraid to let your sommelier or server know, too. Is it a kombucha-like funk you’re after? Or something reminiscent of a barnyard, perhaps? Make your budget known “I really personally don’t love it when people say, ‘I want the most effed-up wine you have,’” Campanale says. Just use your manners when describing it. It’s a word you might hear over and over again, but if you like funk, don’t be afraid to say so. Listen to the episode or read on for the tl dr: Funky isn’t a dirty word On the newest episode of our podcast, Eater’s Digest, hosts Amanda Kludt and Daniel Geneen aired out their natural wine insecurities with Campanale and learned a little something about the history of natural wine in the process. So how can we sidle up to the bar and order it with confidence, when the landscape is so massive and largely unregulated? And while all natural wines are organic in that they’re produced without chemicals, not all organic wines are natural. There’s no official classification for natural wines, but producers in the category avoid chemicals and other additives (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc.) in the growth, harvest, and processing of the grapes. “My taste tends to lean toward the prettier, cleaner wines, but sometimes I’m in the mood for something weird and funky.” “Some natural wines are on the cloudy, funky, weirder spectrum, and some are crystalline and pure and precise and clean,” Campanale explains. But while orange wines, and natural wines by extension, have gained a reputation for falling on the weirder end of the spectrum than conventionally made wines, natural wine isn’t one style. Orange wine (made from white grapes fermented on their skins, similarly to red wines) has become conflated with natural wine, and it often serves as the gateway glass to a taste that, for many, becomes an obsession: that weirder, “funkier” flavor. “I was having a meeting with my partner Dave over at LaLou and he said, ‘I need to cut this meeting short so I get my orange wine order in for tomorrow, because if we don’t have enough for the weekend, people are going to go crazy,’” Campanale says. Now, at his Prospect Heights hot spot Fausto, serving regional Italian fare, and LaLou, a buzzy new natural wine bar, orange wine outsells rosé. As stewards of the land, we emphasize producing organic and Biodynamic wine of the highest quality while caring for planet and palate alike.Back in 2007, Joe Campanale could barely give away the natural orange wine on the menu at his first restaurant, Dell’anima. Ninety percent of our land is held as unspoiled natural habitat with a diverse mix of native plants and animals. Our organic and Biodynamic farming methods encourage care for the soil, groundwater, and wildlife, promoting rich biodiversity in the vineyard. For over three decades we have been vanguards in crafting wine without added sulfites, a synthetic preservative added to most other wines (even wines made with organically grown grapes!) that can cause adverse allergic reactions in some people. Through minimal manipulation in the cellar, we allow the wines to express the authentic character of our soils and climate. At Frey Vineyards we combine the best of modern and traditional winemaking methods to showcase distinctive varietal flavors. We are a third-generation family-owned and operated winery located at the pristine headwaters of the Russian River in Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, California. America’s first organic and Biodynamic winery Producing award-winning vegan, gluten free wines with no added sulfites since 1980
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