asking natural wine shop employees for help

it seems as if everyday I open instagram to find another "hot take" MADE to piss me off. the takes that have been really irking me as of late have been about natural wine and how utterly disgusting it is.

first off, I disagree, but second of all, there's a larger conversation to be had!

"natural wine" is a catch-all term, but most professionals agree that it includes wine made in a low-intervention manner--using indigenous yeasts, zero additives/flavorings, usually very little new oak as to maintain the feeling of terroir, and with zero/minimal sulfur added. it also means the vines were farmed without pesticides, with many winemakers converting vines to organic and/or biodynamic farming. there is nuance in this conversation and this is a very simplified way of explaining it. some natural wine professionals will only drink/sell wines with zero added sulfur (also called 00 wines), but others (like myself) are less dogmatic.

I also know and readily admit SOME natural wines have flaws like VA, mouse, brett, reduction. and while brett and reduction don't bother me (in fact when done right I think they are delicious flaws:P), I'm not a big fan of VA and mouse is a major no no.

still, many natural winemakers who have struggled with these flaws have gotten them under control and are making stunning flawless wines. some are textural and pithy, some are clean and soft, even elegant. natural wine comes in all different profiles, colors, textures, and styles.

what I'm coming here to say is, if you think you don't like natural wine or decry that conventional wine is better, I will tell you that you are wrong. not in a mean way and not to make you feel bad, I want you to drink what you like, but I can also promise you that there is a natural wine (most likely multiple) that you will love. and I will never agree that wine made with pesticides and additives is a better product. if you shop at the farmers market for your produce, you should shop at a natural wine shop for your wine.

so at the end of this diatribe, I want to say, go support small natural wine shops and ask the employees for help! tell them what you like and what you don't. if you like wines that are classic, tell them that because, most likely, they have many options you will enjoy that are made well and taste delicious.