• Home
  • Case Special
  • Tastings
  • About
  SOUTHERN DURHAM'S EVERYDAY SOMMELIER

Hope Valley
Wine & Beverage

Weekly Saturday Tasting

5/17/2023

 

Minimal Intervention Wines
a.k.a. "Natural" Wines

Picture
Saturday, May 20th
1:00 - 3:00

‘Minimal intervention’ is (to us) a better way to describe the recent movement in wine, known variously as ‘natural’ wine, ‘lo-fi’ wine, ‘raw wine’ and various other epithets. This umbrella can include sub-trends such as pét-nat, orange or amber wines, and embraces non-conventional viticultural philosophies such as organics and biodynamics. Today more than ever, we are all aware of the health consequences of what we eat and drink, as well as the air we breathe, the water we swim in, and so forth. The health of the environment, as well as our own selves, is a concern reflected every day in the news media, and in our consciousness. There is no question that organically produced wines are in demand.

There are some basic tenets which most wines that fit into this theory tend to follow:
~ Grapes are typically grown by small-scale, independent producers
~ Grapes are hand-harvested from sustainable, organic, or biodynamic vineyards.
~ Wine is fermented by native yeasts, using the yeasts naturally present on the grape skins or in the winery, and not inoculating the wine with specifically cultivated yeast strains.
~ No additives are included in fermentation
~ Little or no sulfites are added

Outside of loose guidelines like those above, there is no official or regulated definition of "natural" wine. For us here at Hope Valley Wine and Beverage we tend to lean towards ones that are made by winemakers pragmatic enough to know that minimal additions of certain natural additives can improve the taste, clarity, and shelf stability of many wines. We like wines that will have bottle consistency, where you know that a second bottle of a wine you enjoyed last week will taste the same this week. Certainly the same wine from different years will show differences between vintages, but we find that some wines from the hardcore "raw wine" movement can taste vastly different from bottle to bottle. That's why we prefer the idea of Minimal Intervention Winemaking, where the winemaker mostly just lets nature run its course, but can gently nudge and guide as needed. We've selected four wines to taste this weekend that fit within this ethos, and look forward to sampling them with you.

Clos de la Briderie 'Pureté de Silex' Brut
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Crémant de Loire, France, NV


Les Athlètes du Vin Sauvignon Blanc
Touraine, Loire Valley, 2021

Birichino Vin Gris Rosé
Grenache, Carignane, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Rolle
California, 2022


Skull Wines Red Wine
Zinfandel, Syrah, Mission, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicant Bouschet
California, 2021



Comments are closed.

    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

COntact Us

​(919) 403-5200
hopevalleywine@gmail.com​

Hours

Closed Mondays
Tuesdays: 10:00 - 7:00
Wednesdays: 10:00 - 7:00
Thursdays: 10:00 - 7:00
Fridays: 10:00 - 7:00
Saturdays: 10:00 - 5:00
Closed Sundays

Location

Hope Valley Wine & Beverage
​Woodcroft Shopping Center​
4711 Hope Valley Road, Suite 4E

Durham North Carolina, 27707
Copyright © 2016
  • Home
  • Case Special
  • Tastings
  • About