Where the heck is natural wine going, REALLY?!

I'm about to go on a rant, so grab some tea.

Alright I’ve been having this conversation recently with myself (and also with friends, but mostly mulling it over in my head): where the heck is natural wine going, REALLY!? Will it be hyped, watered down, commodified, and run through the full marketing gamut until it gets spit back out as a basic-ass trend from our youth? (The way dubstep and avocado toast did.)

We are currently living on the cusp of the natural wine moment. The industry is growing rapidly, there’s more demand than ever, and more education about the topic. Every weekend there’s another wine event, a new brand, a new celebrity championing the industry for the masses. And obviously, there is still a lot of work that can still be done in the wine industry both in production practices and on the consumption side; but natural wine in 2022 is a very different conversation than it was in 2019 or 2020.

As I’ve watched this happen over the last couple of years, I’ve also seen the rise of hype brands in wine. These brands that are not exactly producers or wine makers in the traditional sense, but brands who see an opportunity from a branding or business aspect to expand their portfolio, the way they did with kombucha and other craft products. The idea of brands or marketers getting their hands on natural wine makes me cringe a bit on the inside, because it will undoubtedly have the commodification effect we’re afraid of: saturated market, diluted quality, thus weakening the industry as a whole—but I have to check myself and ask: is this me gatekeeping!? Don’t I want everyone to have access to wine? *Carrie Bradshaw voice*

The ethos of Más Vino Please has always been to bring good wine to the people in any way I can and help the industry get out of the conventional and elitist hole it’s found itself in. The more natural wine, the better! More access! More eyes on BIPOC producers! The de-snobbification of wine in general!

But idk, I can’t help but feel like I’m not wrongggg (my most redeeming Aries quality). The natural wine space is in a moment where there are a lot of new customers being introduced to wines that might not be the best reflection of an industry that’s already trying to fight an uphill battle and prove its legitimacy. Most of the wines that are pushing the industry forward in terms of popularity, are usually wines with a lot of hype. Aesthetically, they are very cool. They use words like “orange wine” and “funky” as brand pillars, very Supreme-esque. They get on the who’s who of wine lists in LA and NYC and Paris. Very much streetwear but for wine. Said wines (in my opinion) fall pretty flat compared to other lesser-hyped wines in the industry. And look, if you spend 70% of your budget on branding and marketing but you’re ALSO bringing a product to the table that kicks ass and elevates the general wine experience, then GO OFF! I love that for them. Honestly, at the end of the day, the wines will speak for themselves. But consumers are easily swindled, especially when they don’t have anything else to compare it to.

It makes me a little annoyed (okay, a lot) that while the natural wine industry rises, so do medicore brands — making them the poster children of the movement, when all they did was invest 10 grand into a brand, bought some barrels and slapped a label on it. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I feel like it boxes out producers and makers who don’t have the same resources or “star power” that others have.

Some of the best wines I’ve had come from tiny operations in the middle of rural AF California or Texas, or Eastern Europe, with grapes their grandparents planted. But they don’t have eyes on them. They don’t have someone to run their social or design a sick label, they’re just making things with their hands because that’s what they know and that’s what they love and it’s fucking delicious.

I guess it also comes down to the consumer educating themselves on the industry, producers and other general topics that might influence purchasing decisions and set a standard for producers. Everything is smoke and mirrors at a certain point. That’s capitalism I suppose.

So yeah, that’s what I’ve been thinking about lol. How about you?

**These are just passing thoughts and opinions btw. I definitely think there is room for every one in this industry, I try to support everyone (as long as you’re not problematic or blatantly disrespectful)… but yeah. Just make good wine for good people and enjoy life. nothing matters. And consumers: learn to love wines because you love them, not because they're hyped. /rant.

Cheers, nothing matters.