Great points Alice. Yes, clearly the natural wine movement's influence is far-reaching. One can tell from all the rumblings coming from conventional producers now, who are being questioned about their farming and yeast practices. I have heard them speak, many are annoyed that these questions are now being asked. This shift in attitude is mostly due to consumers and trade learning that there is another path, one not strewn with additives, chemicals or 'paint by numbers' winemaking. And just as Alice predicted, we are already starting to see the big wine companies spin off their own 'natural' selections. We, the lovers of natural wine are truly the 1% of the wine world, but the 99% is changing because of us. Cheers, Amy

Kudos for your patience & perseverance Alice. This writer sounds like most people when they first encounter wines (natural or not) that are outside their comfort zone. They have no flavor context for this new experience and some recoil in shock, retreating to what they know and understand. Goes back to my Wonderbread vs fresh Sourdough baguette analogy. If you grow up eating the former, you think that bread crusts are supposed to be soft and sweet. Otherwise, it must be bad bread. Cheers, Amy

Well at least your Ex did not only drink red wine, that would have been a deal breaker for sure:) Yes we are all alone and strange, which makes it even more beautiful when we find someone else to be alone & strange with...and I always delight in someone with an opposite reaction to a wine,a flavor or an aroma that I did not think about before

First off, thanks to Cathy for sharing her insights. Agreed, it does seem that most of the 'bag of tricks' are pulled out in the cellar because of sloppy grapegrowing....but some winemakers seem to douse with S02 and acid as just a knee-jerk reaction. Sloppy grapegrowing in CA can also mean letting the grapes hang too long, therefore killing pH balance....not to mention those high alcohol levels. I enjoy many wines , some made with So2, some not. But I have to say that I have mad respect for winemakers who can pull off a stellar wine with no additions. They have to get everything right, no room for mistakes. Cheers Amy

I tasted the Arnot & Roberts trousseau recently and found it interesting as well. It is exciting to see this new wave of CA winemaking that eschews unnecessary manipulations. And I agree, CA field blends, both red and white, are a niche to watch....and enjoy. Cheers, Amy