Above: a natural wine dog at a natural winery in January.
The day after I posted about the new wave of wine education and perception (“I have seen the future of wine education and Their name is Luca”), I received the following press release (translation mine):
- “The ‘Wine of Memory’ is a wine from the heart. It melds together the values of connection and true hospitality,” says [the winemaker]. “I made it the way wine used to be made, the way my grandfather and father made it. They were faithful to the ancient farming traditions of the area… It’s a symbolic wine that seeks to evoke the values of a time in an era which seems to have few values available, a time when we struggle to give even something small to others.”
Only “111” bottles were produced, according to the release.
The timing was uncanny: I had just watched this brilliant reel by one of the leading voices of the new wine speak. I have translated Luca’s Socratic dialog below. It’s a conversation between “NATURAL” and “ITALIAN.”
NATURAL: I make wine the way that my grandfather used to make it.
ITALIAN: Spoiler alert: your grandfather didn’t know how to make wine.
NATURAL: He revived old vines that had been abandoned, a rare local variety that was practically extinct.
ITALIAN: It was Chardonnay.
NATURAL: He makes just a tiny amount.
ITALIAN: He signed up for a course on home winemaking and he uses grapes from Lidl [a supermarket chain].
NATURAL: He’s amazing. Just think, he still goes into the vineyard with bare feet.
ITALIAN: He smells kinda like shit.
NATURAL: It’s a partnership between these three grape growers who just love each other. They’re usually Umbrian.
ITALIAN: There was some bulk wine left over so we just threw it all together. And now it will ferment a second time… forever… forever… forever…
NATURAL: He only makes orange, ancestral wine. They are macerated for at least six months.
ITALIAN: Worst case scenario, you’ll use it to dress your salad. I really love salad.
Do you really want to drink a “symbolic wine”? Much too say but no space permitting. Stay tuned.
Jeremy Parzen 
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