Talking to a true farmer , in a pole-barn-style tasting room , I had my first rustic experience in wine . We ventured to another winery where we were greeted on a beautiful rock patio with flights of wine and charcuterie , cheeses , and fruits . Our table was basically in their garden at sunset , with a jazz band playing in the background . At that moment I said to myself , “ I can nerd out with a salt-of-the-earth farmer , AND eat and drink like a king , within the spectrum of the wine world ? I ’ m sold !” And that ’ s where my wine journey begins .
Devium Wine
Fast forward 20 something years later , and I find myself helping at Devium and Sleight of Hand wineries during bottling and palletizing of their wine . I was able to sit down , ( well , standing up in the production facility ), with a few treats in my glass , as I again pepper another winemaker with my questions of curiosity and childlike enthusiasm .
My goal was to see where Keith Johnson stands on the direction of the Pacific Northwest wine scene . If you don ’ t know Keith , he is the production winemaker at Sleight of Hand Cellars and owner / winemaker , with his beloved , at Devium Wine in Walla Walla , Washington . He is definitely one of those agents of change with a very specific philosophy of winemaking — and he is an important part of a group of young winemakers embracing a new style ( or maybe an old style ) of wine making that ’ s pushing the PNW wine scene forward . I would say , and I am guessing Keith would agree , that his Devium wines fall under the “ natural wine ” category . I think the other wineries that I will highlight here may or may not ascribe to that label , but they do use many of the tenets defined in natural winemaking , which are , according to the “ Oxford Companion to Wine ,” as follows .
Natural Wine
According to latest edition of “ The Oxford Companion to Wine .”
• Grapes are typically grown by smallscale , independent producers .
• Grapes are hand-picked from sustainable , organic , or biodynamic vineyards .
• Wine is fermented with no added yeast ( i . e . native yeasts ).
• No additives are included in fermentation ( yeast nutrients , etc .).
• Little or no sulfites are added .
Of course , as some people are unaware , there truly is no regulating definition for natural wine or rules that must be followed to label a wine as “ natural .” I believe the term has been co-opted by many not following any of these tenets .
“ Natural wine ” has been controversial in the established wine community from the start . But I think that ’ s been because there are no regulatory factors to putting “ natural ” on a wine label . Much like “ reserve ” or “ winemaker ’ s select ,” you have to rely on the winery to have a bit of truth in advertising what they are presenting to you . There have been many “ natural ” wineries that have wild bottle variations and flaws in their wines . But I think the techniques as described in the “ Oxford Companion to Wine ” have driven other winemakers to look at those techniques more individually and find inspiration for something new in them . I will go more into some of these techniques , as I reveal the different bottlings I ’ ve selected to feature and why what makes these wines new and exciting .
To me this new burgeoning wine scene all comes down to “ minimal interventionism .” So , what the hell does that mean ? Simply , it means taking what grows in the vineyard and minimally impacting those grapes from there to your bottle — being conscious of how you are treating the land and being mindful of your impact on
“ To me this new burgeoning wine scene all comes
down to minimal interventionism .”
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