Welcome to Drink Natty Wines
I'm so happy you're here 🍷
WHERE TO BEGIN??
It was the second Friday of 1991 in Chicago, January the 11th to be exact - juuust kidding. Although given that my birthday is the 11th, the number eleven has always been special to me, hence the launch date of 11/11. And this is really exciting! Like really really hard to put in words thrilling it is that you’re a part of the Drink Natty Wines evolution and community. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for joining this journey with me. One that will hopefully take some guesswork and intimidation out of the world of wine, allowing you to really savor not only the wine, but the company surrounding you, the food on your plate, and most importantly yourself. Yes, you read that correctly. Savor yourself.
Natalie Pelletier, who is she?
At 5, I told my mom “I want to be an actress and waitress” and while I’d love to think of myself as someone who had the foresight that those careers could go hand in hand, I know it was because I loved performing, storytelling for an size audience (even if it was a 2 top), and that food made people happy…I also liked that at my favorite restaurant, the waitresses got to wear poodle skirts, and my five year old self loooved a costume (I still do to this day).
What I’m getting at is, it’s no surprise that when I discovered the world of wine, it fascinated me. Here was this - what I believe to be an art form, that has a story of place, space, time, family- so much heart goes into the product that many people get to experience through a multitude of senses. I was sold. It also was intimidating, but with the help of some amazing teachers, mentors, and restaurants where I worked along the way, I’ve been able to carve out my own corner in the wine space -
…all while auditioning, acting in commercials, indie movies, and TV shows. So yes, actress and waitress has turned into actress, wine professional, and writer.
And a littttle nitty gritty: 6 years ago I passed the Level 1 exam from the Court of Master Sommeliers, one of the two well known institutions in the wine space awarding folks (the other being WSET). I developed my skills further working on the floor at restaurants, really immersing myself, and, yes, by tasting lots of wine. While I by no means want to knock the CMS or WSET because they are incredible foundations and so many superstars in the field carry these accreditations - when I drink wine, I picture a person, or maybe a song, or a distinct childhood memory. Yes, of course it’s not always a mini-movie playing in my head, and can simply be the flavor of cherry, but I didn’t want to restrict my brain to the grids and “getting it right”. So I leaned into natural wines, which by CMS/WSET standards are not testable wines because they can, but don’t always do, break the mold of what a certain varietal or region should taste like.
Natural Wine, what is it?
This hot button phrase, unlike other hard and fast defined terms in the wine space, has no “dictionary definition” agreed upon all wine professionals. People all around the world think of it differently, therefore, it’s up to the individual what you consider natural. For me, putting my studying of Art History to some use, I look at it as a movement and ethos that growers and winemakers use while growing their grapes and crafting their wine. This includes, but is not limited to:
a wine that is low-intervention from vines to glass
no herbicides/pesticides are sprayed on the grapes: ideally organic or practicing organic - perhaps the farming is also biodynamic
the grapes are harvested by hand (or with minimal machinery),
there’s nothing added - like sugar, food coloring, commercial yeast etc.
and nothing removed
I am ok with a little bit of sulfites being added at bottling to preserve flavor, but some people are “zero-zero” or bust
the wines speak of the place (terroir) and year, and aren’t being manipulated to taste the exact same as the previous vintage
It’s a type of winemaking that is by no means “new”. Folks over in Europe, the smaller family growers, have been working this way for years. So, just like any art movement, a new generation of artists (in our case winemakers) felt called to using these techniques and creating their own spin on the style. Natural wine can be both fresh, zippy, and juicy, but also serious and brooding. There are plenty of natty wines that I’ve tasted and adored, and others that I don’t care to sip again. It comes back to my personal preference, while still holding a light and respect for those artists (winemakers) doing what they are called to do. You feel me?
New to Natty Wines? Where to buy:
In any given state, buying alcohol has its own set of rules. Coming from the northern suburbs of Chicago, I was able to buy any kind of alcohol (ok *not* natty wine) in a Walgreens. Then I get down to college at UNC-Chapel Hill, and find there are specific ABC stores to buy booze. And even in New York, grocery stores don’t sell wine. It’s all wacky, doesn’t make sense, is a pain in the ass, and are dumbly rules that are still around from prohibition….This is a long winded way of saying, shipping and buying wine throughout the states isn’t the easiest.
Luckily, I present you a shortlist of online natural wine hubs to get your drink on:
WHYYY?!
Like I said, wine can be intimidating! My aim is to take that away so you can really trust and grow your palette, feel empowered to taste wines with confidence- maybe you’ll turn into be the person who orders for the table- or maybe you’ll enjoy it that much more when you’re opening a bottle at home. Whatever the case I have the lofty hope that by savoring your wine for a few minutes that will permeate into other aspects of your day-to-day. We all deserve a little slow down in our fast-paced society, so let yourself get momentarily lost in a glass, and who knows where it might lead.
**the nip slip**
Now the last thing I’ll leave you with is the nip slip. A term that popped into my head while I was driving home a few months back and knew I needed to somehow incorporate it into the newsletter. My initials are NIP (Isabella being my middle name) and thus the cheeky post-script where I’ll pass along a non wine related something-or-other. This week:
If you are ever in a pinch for a clear bag for concerts, stadiums etc. THIS one from Target has been a lifesaver. Usually they have them in stock at stores, so not waiting on Amazon.
CHEERS!