The Line Between Natural Wine and Fault—A Tasting Conundrum
Consider this your morning briefing: Last night’s wine tasting left me in a pickle—was it a natural wine or just… off? A small-producer skin-contact white from northern Italy, mostly Friulano with a splash of Malvasia, delivered a scent profile that defied expectations. The first pour was a storm of cider-like aromas—bruised apple, orange peel, and a whisper of kombucha. After 15 minutes in a red wine glass, it settled into citrus peel and dried apricot, with a texture so grippy it felt like tea leaves in your mouth. Not unpleasant, but undeniably different from the polished whites we’re used to.…