Rations and Intoxicants: Natural Wine Tasting Notes
Ratatuja Bianco Frizzante 2018
Carolina Gatti, 750ml, 11.5%, $23.95
Carolina Gatti is a small family run vineyard in Veneto, a region of northern Italy. Besides grapes, they also raise corn and hay to feed their animals whose manure enrichens the soil. They use only the indigenous yeast of the grape skin in their fermentation process and let nature take its course in the cellar.
Ratatuja is a sparkling natural wine made from a blend of several grape varietals—Glera, Pinot Bianco, Verduzzo, Chardonnay, Tocai—hence resembling the famous French dish of stewed vegetables, ratatouille. Ratatuja is an intense golden color due to prolonged skin contact and has an incredible depth of exotic fruit, salinity, and piecrust. This is a badass wine that stands on its own, but would also pair nicely with quail, grouse, or wild turkey.
Splash Pet Nat 2018
Château Barouillet, 750ml, 10%, $25.95
Château Barouillet is becoming a poster child for the natural wine scene. The entire estate has been organic since 2013 and currently grows 14 grape varieties. They intend to keep planting old varieties until they are the first in the area with every traditional variety.
Pet nat is the abbreviated form of pétillant naturel which literally means, “naturally sparkling.” Before the Champagne-style of winemaking, pet nat was how French farmers produced sparkling wine. This white pet nat from Château Barouillet is made from 100% Semillion grapes grown organically in Bergerac, France, near Bordeaux. It tastes alive and fresh, displaying notes of lychee, pineapple, and sour apple. The palate is crisp and zippy. Quaff it down with oysters and fried fish.
Love White 2018
Broc Cellars, 750ml, 11.5%, $23.95
All the wines at Broc Cellars, a vineyard in the Madera foothills of California, are made using spontaneous fermentation, which brings out the natural expressions of their grapes. Love White 2018 is a white wine made from a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul grape. The result is a supple, light-bodied white wine that is pale yellow with notes of pear and apricot. It has a spunky acidity that pairs well with young, milky cheeses or delicate, white fish such as halibut, lingcod, or yelloweye. A few bottles would be a welcomed addition to any Alaskan fish camp.
La Boutanche Gamay 2018
Olivier Minot, 750 ml, 12.5%, $23.95
Olivier Minot is an organic French winemaker who makes wines using native yeast and spontaneous fermentation. His wines are unfiltered with no added sulfites. La Boutanche Gamay is a red wine made from grapes grown in the Beaujolais region of France. This light bodied red wine displays notes of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with a slight earthiness. La Boutanche Gamay is a versatile wine meant for sharing. Put together a wild game feast, invite your closest friends, and drink with vigor.
Frisant Rosso 2018
Il Farneto, 750ml, 11.5%, $24.95
Il Farneto is a tiny estate (less than 20 acres) located in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Founded by Marco Bertoni in the 1990’s, the estate is farmed using organic, biodynamic, and low intervention methods. Frisant Rosso is a red wine made in the pet nat style from organic and biodynamic grapes. Ruby-red in color with aromas of berries and clover it tastes like cherry soda refined for an adult palate (think, not sweet)—fresh acidity, tight fizz, crisp, and refreshing. Emilia-Romagna is a region famous for its rich culinary tradition and Frisant Rosso should be enjoyed with the two dishes the region is most known for, Tortellini di Modena and Lasagne alla Bolognese. I recommend replacing the beef and pork traditionally used in these dishes with venison to compliment the wine’s “funk.”
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