As industrialization spread across the globe, society really bungled up the way we eat, drink, and relax. It’s clear from Ancient Chinese burials and Mediterranean archeological dives that people have been all about intoxication since before we knew what gravity was. Compared to today’s selection, wine used to be a very different affair altogether. Its preparation in the days of amphorae and togas was not the pesticide laden and maxed out experience that we are used to. Wine was one of the chief sources of ancient alcohol, so it was cherished and carried out by skilled farmers and fermenters.
Now there is a revival of prewar — some would say even ancient — winemaking practices, and it’s coming up right alongside the downfall of cannabis prohibition. To understand the basics of “natty wine” is not a single-afternoon-at-a-vineyard affair, and similarly to cannabis connoisseurship, it takes time, reading, and taste testing.
Natural wine is a term that can be confusing to the uninitiated, it can seem to mean simply organic, but that’s just one tiny part of the puzzle. Like organically produced cannabis, it not only requires no chemicals in the cultivation, but careful hand harvesting and expert knowledge of suitable nature-derived sources of pest, fungus and virus control.
The wines are best described as “nothing added or taken away” in the bottle, and mimic techniques practiced throughout much of Europe pre added sulfates and mass production. Like the difference between a full flower cannabis live resin and a flavorless CBD isolate, these classifications can help you know exactly which products to choose.
Furlani Macerato Rosato and Romulan strain
Skin Contact High
Many of the most popular natural wines are downright Instagrammable, from their niche labels to a fascinating spectrum of colors, the trend is definitely driven in part by the drive to seek out colorful and unique things to drink to impress your friends and followers. But beyond that, these wines are often referred to as “glou-glou”, French for “drinkable” and an apt description of the tasty notes you’ll encounter. With cannabis’ recent and intense quality drive and sudden reach, people seek out limited drops, popular recommendations, and star ingredients just like with these special wines.
This is why orange, pink, and deep purplish red natty selections are sought after by followers of this winemaking movement, full of new discoveries in what had become a pretty droll category, especially for those not able to spend more than $30 on any given wine bottle. There’s a lot less of the inaccessible stuff that makes luxury bottles not any fun to an explorer. Once you’ve had Veuve or Moet, you know what it’s going to taste like when you buy it again. Oftentimes that doesn’t happen with natural wines, so much can change inside the bottle before it reaches your glass.
Prestigious cannabis is almost exactly the same, rare colors, uncommon terpenes, and super potency often drive what makes a particular harvest from individual cultivators so desirable. Like waiting around for the new Sherbinski’s flavor, grabbing one of the last bottles of Le Coste vineyards Le Primeur Pour les Filles is a special moment that wholly depends on how committed your local shop is to getting these types of products.
Furlani Macerato Rosado and Romulan
Flavors
Natural wines can be on the sweeter side or even get into super dry depths you thought were reserved for vermouth. Learning how they work with your meal, joint, or both will help you choose optimally. Restaurants are a better place for tasting– if you aren’t into the glass you don’t have 80 percent of a bottle to get through after, and many do tasting flights, a perfect crash course that can hone your skills.
Beginners will like how macerated Italian rosato will play with an herbaceous and piney indica like Northern Lights, the bubbliness is countered with heavier indica effects. Going with a fruit forward glou-glou French offering? Then avoid also picking an overly fruity cultivar or you’ll be forced to choose which you like more. Churchy orange wines, with their sharper tannins and complexity are a good grab for a cheesy or rich meal– the prevalence of Alsatian and Austrian orange wines does well with rich Raclette and citrusy sativas like Orange Cookies.
Reds that are bold and dry first would be the best time to roll out a berry heavy jack hybrid, they’ll play off each other especially if you are having a creamy vanilla dessert beforehand. On the white wine side, things can get really really funky, like bat guano fertilized Zwei NaturKinder, when its zippiness is paired with a punchy Cinex, it’s happy hour dynamite.
