Natural wine, by most accounts, has roots in the 1980s, when experimental winemakers in France’s Beaujolais region, like Marcel Lapierre, were inspired by the work of Jules Chauvet, a chemist who studied low intervention viticulture. Made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes, with little to no intervention during production, these beverages defy conventional winery practices, which often rely on chemical manipulation, additives, fining and filtration to produce a desired taste. Now, what started as a passion project for a few wine geeks has set into motion an international countercultural movement driven by local flavors and mutual obsession.
And around it, a D.I.Y. space has flourished. Along with pop-up tastings and international fairs, there are also a handful of zines that aim to make natural wine as fun to read and talk about as it is to drink.
For the curious newcomer
The Wine Zine
The Wine Zine is something of a lifestyle magazine for natural wine lovers. So far, its issues have included articles about natural wine’s relationship to labor, the pleasure of shower wine and the choose-your-own-adventure-like drinking experience at Lil’ Deb’s Oasis in Hudson, N.Y.
“I never want The Wine Zine to sound dogmatic, pretentious or protective of information,” Katherine Clary, 32, said. She is the editor and co-creator of the zine, and collaborated with her friend Amy Kanagaki on its first two issues. Their mission was to make a fanzine that included nontraditional writers and diverse voices, and to become an inclusive resource for anyone interested in natural wine.
“I want the old-guard wine professionals to pick it up and be entertained,” Ms. Clary said, “and I especially want the complete amateur wine drinkers to pick it up and learn something or feel like they found their people.”
The Wine Zine is available online for $10-$12 and in select shops in New York, California, Oregon, Illinois, London and Australia.
For the bookworm
Pipette
This 90-plus-page compendium features human stories that focus on the technical and historical aspects of natural wine, from essays about what it’s like to work as a harvest intern to profiles on some of the world’s most exciting producers. Pipette is truly about the art of natural winemaking, something its editor, Rachel Signer, 35, felt there was an appetite for.
“I was dying to share these stories, and there was really no place where you could write about these people unless you wanted to start your own blog,” Ms. Signer said.
She says she also wanted to disprove the narrative of natural winemakers as careless, and to show how scientific and experimental some producers are.
“I wanted people to understand how thoughtful natural winemaking is,” Ms. Signer said.
Pipette is available online for $30 and in select shops in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.
For the traveler
Glou Glou
With its clever name (French for “glug-glug”) and eye-catching covers, Glou Glou has serious coffee-table appeal. But its creator, Jenn Green sees it as more of a travel companion. In its three issues, Ms. Green focuses on winemakers in a specific locale, beginning with California, then Mexico.
“I wanted to show how all of these things took root in a place that I was completely unfamiliar with,” Ms. Green, 31, said. “I wanted people to learn that place along with me.”
She is Glou Glou’s main contributor, but she sees her subjects as the real guides, helping wine lovers understand the sense of place behind what’s in their glass. Next, she plans to focus on the fresh voices of natural wine in New York.
Glou Glou is available online for $14 and in select shops across the U.S. and in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Greece and Mexico.
For the analog lover
Wine Shots
This Bay Area-based zine from Kara Fowler and Connor Geraghty is printed at FedEx. Many of its articles are written under pseudonyms like Salacious B. Crumb or Rich Burgöndy. One issue includes musings on keeping “natural wine weird.” It also has a section from Ms. Fowler’s D.J. friend about Italian disco songs he likes. (The issue included a mix CD of those songs, too, which Ms. Fowler admits she burned before realizing many people no longer have disc drives.)
And in each of its four issues, you’ll find a centerfold photo shot by Ms. Fowler, of her friend and fellow natural wine fan Nick Griffin, posing either fully or seminude.
“I think that goes back to the lifestyle aspect,” Ms. Fowler, 29, explained. “Just being completely super unserious and enjoying natural wine. Knowing about natural wine and taking it seriously, but not having to make it precious.”
At its core, Wine Shots is a reflection of how natural wine has affected the Bay Area community, including many people Ms. Fowler met while working at the Oakland, Calif., wine shop Ordinaire.
“We want it to be accessible in terms of the ideas,” she said, “but we’re definitely focusing on our hometown community.”
Wine Shots is available for $6 in select shops in New York, California, Vermont, Illinois, Spain and through Instagram.
