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Could Natural Wine Ever Be Appropriated by The Far-Right?
It wouldn’t be the first— just look at raw milk
Whilst the sun dipped in the sky over a stunning vineyard, my husband and I sat down with a natural winemaker in Germany to discuss his winemaking philosophy.
We heard what you normally hear from winemakers on the natural side of things. No synthetic chemicals in the vineyard or winery. Spontaneously fermented juice. No fining, filtration or added sulphites.
Much of his winemaking, he told us, is by feel and instinct. He works biodynamically but doesn’t trust the certification bodies enough to become certified himself. He deeply cares about the environment.
So here I am, sat with a winemaker who doesn’t trust Big Wine. Someone who would never dream of using chemicals in their products. Someone who is making what could be considered a healthier version of wine. A “cleaner” version.
Here is my question for you. Knowing what I’ve told you about this winemaker, is he a left-leaning liberal environmentalist — a “crunchy” — or could he be politically aligned with movements like Make America Healthy Again?
And why is it so hard to tell the difference?