Natural News - March Edition
Alsace wine and newsletter beef brings us into Spring!
Acclaimed natural wine writer & journalist - Aaron Ayscough, announces a list of natural wine salons (wine fairs) happening this spring, Alsatian natural wine is back on UK shores with the Durrmann 2021 vintage now available, and former natural wine influencer - Marissa A. Ross sits down with Business Insider.
Ex-natural wine influencer & journalist Marissa A. Ross (MAR) calls out toxic masculinity in the natural wine scene. Business Insider
“Ross sees her story in part as another cautionary tale about the horrors of being a woman on the internet. From the beginning, she said, she faced hatred from all sides: first from the traditionalists who sneered at natural wine's rise, then from natural wine's new vanguard, which wrote her off as embarrassing and unserious. The fact she was a young woman who talked openly about sex and shared photos of herself in bikinis made her an easy target for online haters who turned her comments section into a cesspit of misogynistic abuse.”
Natural wine journalist turned vigneron Rachel Signer response. Substack
“I thought about the MAR interview the next morning, as I drank my flat white, nascent thoughts forming in my still-dreamy head—thoughts I didn’t like…
…I thought about how I introduced myself to MAR at La Dive Bouteille a few years back, and how she looked at me blankly.”
FYI - Rachel is one of my all-time favourite wine journalists, I’m a big fan of all her work and fun fact: Rachel gave me my first ever paid wine writing gig through Pipette Magazine a few years ago, and here I am, still writing, still inspired by the opportunity she gave me, you can now also find Rachel’s work here on substack -
Aaron Ayscough’s seasonal ‘Spring Natural Wine Salons’ roundup is now available. Substack
“As always, the tastings listed below are just the ones I have on my own radar. The list covers the months of March, April, and May 2023. The information is liable to evolve, so please be sure to check for updates before booking any travel. (Organizers: if I’ve left your event out, or gotten details wrong, please get in touch!)”
For me, Aaron Ayscough is the best natural wine journalist out there. He’s constantly visiting wineries and their winemakers across the European continent, his weekly updated natural wine newsletter has thousands of paid subscribers and he just has this super digestible way of speaking about wine which grasps your attention every time.
Legendary Alsatian winemaking family and one of my favourite producers ‘Durrmann’ release their 2021 vintage to the UK. Under The Bonnet Wines
Of all the varieties that were battered by mildew in Andlau in 2021, it was Pinot Noir that suffered the biggest losses.
Ever the optimist, @yanndurrmann still chalks the year up to a success:
"We were lucky, we were still able to make wines, some of our neighbours lost everything!"
For 2021, the Pinot Noir comprises all of Yann's parcels, rather than bottling as site-specific wines.
The resulting cuvée uses fruit from vines over clay and pink sandstone, alongside super low-yielding vines on a steep slope of schist.
Brilliant and precise, the wine bears no sign of the 2021 struggle. Leaner and brighter than recent years, it has a real sense of ease, despite difficulties in the vineyard!
Thanks to the guys at Duck Soup Soho for letting us take over the space for the morning whilst we poured new arrivals x
Lastly ;
Is fully available for all subscribers here on The Swill Wineletter.
Slan Abhaile 👋🏾