There he was, a kid on the Lyon Part Dieu platform, eating a bag of Lays Nature. That's when it hit me, in that pimply boys hands was the answer to all of these folk complaining about the failings of the word natural as pertains to wine.
Chips Nature. Crepes Nature. Yaourt Nature. One way to translate nature here is PLAIN.
Plain Yogurt Please.
It's beautiful. It's perfect. I love it.
Why?
You've probably been aware of the upmanship, the bickering amongst my colleagues, about the failings of the word natural? The word is easy to co-opt. It has no meaning. Anyone can claim, natural. Joe Dressner almost had the last word, and his manifesto was so brilliant it should be, but then there was that damned bag of crisps. Well, what about if the word plain is used?
For example, Torbreck has a flavor extension, their 'Natural Wine Project.' The copy, which is terribly odd, indicates that their are other wines are 'unnatural,' which might well be, but besides the point. What is the point; would they have called this unyeasted beast the Plain Wine Project.
(Why making a wine without acidification or yeast is such a big deal as if it a feat of winemaking, confounds me, but yes, never the less..)
There's plenty more natural wine projects from other 'brands' as they call them coming around the bend, in the same way that Lays and other potato chip companies have different flavors for the crisps.
But, who making fancy wants to put out a product that is 'plain.' Natural? Well sure, but..plain? It's beautifully unsexy and flak-jacket proof, hey, it's almost hipster-proof! In its translation is is sublimely uncool. No one will go, hey, is that wine PLAIN enough for you?
However, what the wine is, is clear.
The range of what is permissible is loose. As it should be. The people who want to make unadorned wine probably don't care--they'll find what they want to drink and be the market for a few fierce vignerons who are like-minded. The people who like the bells and whistles will be left trying to figure out how to ride the train with no ticket.
Bingo! Plain old wine. Or maybe better, unadorned?
Posted by: LCFwino | 10/06/2010 at 12:55 AM
I don't know, I like plain, as in Jane. More straightforward
Posted by: Alicefeiring | 10/06/2010 at 06:42 AM
It's funny. I do like "plain" potato chips but will also go for bar-be-que, or jalapeño, or some other flavored version from time to time. But I pretty much always like my wine "plain"; unless we're talking about vermouth, or Port, or Sherry, or Champagne, or the various vin doux naturels (okay, I'll let the unintended pun stand), or Barolo Chinato, or... oh, fuck it!
Posted by: Kevin Hamel | 10/06/2010 at 02:10 PM
How is the champagne you like not plain? Or the sherry not plain? But I do love smoked Chipotle Tabasco and vinegar & salt potato chips too, but that's why I like the word, it doesn't piss people off like, damn if they like natural wine does that mean I like unnatural?
But, point well taken.
Posted by: Alicefeiring | 10/06/2010 at 02:29 PM
Well, you know, adding sugar and yeast to the Champagne, brandy to the sherry...
Posted by: Kevin Hamel | 10/06/2010 at 02:34 PM
I am gently yanking your chain, Alice!
Posted by: Kevin Hamel | 10/06/2010 at 02:42 PM
I got that!
Posted by: Alicefeiring | 10/07/2010 at 08:42 AM
..YES!!!!
Simply as wine, 'plain'...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbFD0xQtjS4
And also another song 'normal', 'simply' or plain may be Redemption Song of Bob Marley.
Yes Alice whenever or whatever without sulfites(music too), but no, better... natural wine.
Laure
Posted by: Apps 55753818692 1247443345 07b18b334fc4c56ec6d8f2008f225a19 | 10/07/2010 at 02:30 PM
I just saw a box labeled simply "Organic Oatmeal and Flaxseed" at Whole Foods, which turned out to have 12g of added sugar per serving! That's three times the sugar most of the flavored oatmeal had. Oh, did I say sugar? I meant "organic cane juice." Is that what they use to chaptalize organic wine?
Posted by: Account Deleted | 10/08/2010 at 01:48 PM
as much as I want to stop thinking about _natural_ and what it means, I cannot, Alice! There's something so utterly Pasolinian about the boy and his pimples and the chips... I love it and I love what you've done here. I also love that it happened in the Lyon train station (for all the reasons you know and the gig that NN+ played in Lyon a few years ago).
But it also made me think of something else: the word _nature_ and _natural_ have slightly and subtly different meanings in Romance languages. Aaaaa... I feel a post coming...
Great post...
Posted by: dobianchi.com | 10/10/2010 at 05:32 PM
Dr. J, as soon as I saw Pasolini, I knew it had to be you...
Posted by: Alicefeiring | 10/11/2010 at 08:13 AM
What's in a name? Well apparently, a lot! It's all in the semantics and the nuances and connotations. 'Plain' as you say is a perfect descriptor, BUT .. it has negative connotations and so I imagine that a lot of natural wine drinkers and makers won't like it or use it. Similarly, 'natural' has positive connotation, which is why conventional wine drinkers and makers don't like it, ie because the implication is that conventional wines are UN-natural and somehow worse, not as good as, inferior to 'natural' wine.
I went through a phase a while back of being fustrated/angry/etc at the futility of this debate, but I'm contnet now, as I've realized that there IS no right answer! It's the journey, not the desination. As we endlessly talk about this issue we can discover and learn new aspects of the question, become more knowledagble and informed, and enjoy our wines even more :)
Posted by: Vinos Ambiz | 10/18/2010 at 06:37 AM
I like the label "plain" for my wine just fine. I make plain wine. That is a better translation of "vin nature." Hey, sometimes you feel like a nut...
Posted by: A Facebook User | 08/30/2013 at 05:01 PM
Me. Too.
Posted by: Alicefeiring | 08/30/2013 at 05:05 PM