Natural and classic wines
Natural and classic wines
・Considering the essence from the perspective of capital, technology, and ideas
In the world of wine, natural and classic wines are often in direct conflict with each other.
・Naturalism is an ideology
・Classic is tradition and technique
But this simplification does not fully describe reality.
The problem is more complex and intertwined with issues of capital, systems, and responsibility.
・Is it true that there is no definition for natural foods?
Natural wine has no legal definition in many countries
There is no system like AOC, nor is there a unified standard for organic certification.
However, the phrase "there is no definition" is a bit rough.
There is no institutional definition, but the technical characteristics exist
Low-Intervention Brewing
Native yeast fermentation
Minimizing additives
Low or no SO₂ added
Unfiltered and unfined
In other words, there is a concept but no standard
The problem is that this ambiguity translates into ambiguity in the evaluation criteria.
・The boundary between individuality and flaws
The inevitable part of the natural debate is
The question, "Is this a personality trait or a flaw?"
The scientific flaws are clear
Unintentional re-fermentation
Excess volatile acid
Yeast dominant growth
Oxidative deterioration
These are not ideas but physical phenomena
On the other hand, slight reduction, turbidity, and lot differences are sometimes called "individuality."
The important thing is,
The fluctuations that arise in the design are individuality,
The distinction is that abandoning a design results in a defect.
The moment when an idea turns into a religion
Naturalism is often associated with anti-industrial, anti-mass production, and anti-capitalist values.
The idea itself should not be rejected.
The problem is when quality discussion is absorbed into ideology.
Accepting instability as "natural"
Dismissing criticism as a "lack of understanding"
Disregarding numbers and analysis
This state is closer to faith than culture.
Ideology is important, but the moment ideology stops evaluating quality, it becomes religious.
・Capital issues
The reason why integration of ideas and technology is common in the high price range is clear
Capital is needed to tolerate low yields
There needs to be room to discard the lot
Thorough analysis and management also require costs.
The more capital there is,
Technology can support ideas
Conversely, if capital is scarce,
Ideology can easily become a tool to justify quality
Price is not just a market valuation;
It is also the foundation that supports the design
- Classical legitimacy
The strength of classic wines lies in their system and responsibility
reproducibility
aging design
Regional norms
Stable quality
SO₂ control and filtration are not interventions;
Technology to keep promises to consumers
Classical music is not about "the idea that humans control nature,"
"Technology to read natural fluctuations and take responsibility"
・Regional (terroir) issues
Naturalists often emphasize terroir
But terroir is not just about less intervention.
Regionality is
climate
soil
variety
Yield regulations
Brewing style
A historical context formed by the accumulation of
Classical music preserves its local character through systems
Naturalism reinterprets locality through personal expression
Both deal with regionality, but with different approaches
Is integration possible?
Natural and classical are not opposing concepts
There are two essential axes
Amount of intervention
Responsible design strength
Even with low intervention, high responsible design will lead to stability
High intervention can be mediocre if poorly designed
What is integration?
Supporting ideas with technology
Respecting nature while backing it up with numbers and design
There are certainly wines that achieve this.
・Essence
Naturalism is the idea of freedom
Classical music is about responsibility
But the essence is not conflict
A good wine is not about the amount of intervention,
A balance between involvement and responsibility
Not the freedom to refuse definition
Understanding the definition
If you have an idea, you need the technology and responsibility to support it, and by adding capital to that,
Thought becomes culture
...I'm tired of writing this 🛌