An introduction to a life submerged in a quickly evaporating industry, and how to (hopefully) keep from drowning in it. Part One

The day after Halloween in 2015, my career in wine was off to a rocky start. It was my first day, and I was blisteringly hungover due to the vast quantities of Pabst my roommates and I had consumed the night previously at the bar located behind our apartment.

I had been hired as an assistant Wine Steward for a large retail chain. The title seemed glamorous to me: a former waitress, line cook, gas station manager. My days were to be spent pouring overflowing growlers for greedy, unsurprisingly grope-y, old men; and stocking shelves with unending bottles of mass produced, flabby chardonnays and oily, additive-packed cabs.

That first day I trailed my new boss through the store, holding back vomit, praying I would somehow make it through the day unscathed.

After 5 and a half years, a promotion, and thousands of bottles later- I find myself once again holding back vomit, praying I can make it out of my corner of the retail wine industry unscathed.

That isn’t to say that I’m not grateful for everything I’ve learned working in retail wine. My work ethic has only gotten stronger, my wine and beer knowledge has expanded drastically, and I can repeatedly throw 40-60 pounds and walk 10+ miles a day without an issue. But my expanded wine knowledge and research has led me to one conclusion:

Conventional wine is gasping it’s final breaths, and it’s time for me to jump ship.

As I’ve traversed the wine world and experienced it’s many downsides and pitfalls, in the past year and a half I’ve come to the conclusion that natural wine is the singular movement that may redeem wine as a whole. It stems from a place of sustainability and a brazenly punk rock DIY attitude that might yet be the antidote to the industry’s insatiable need to mass-produce their products to become recognized and respected.

Many describe it as a “movement,” but natural wine is just wine. Without the additives, preservatives, added sulfites, Mega Purple, etc. that can be found in just about any wine you grab off the shelf in a grocery store. Natural winemakers are often merrymaking virtuosos, experimenting with co-ferments and trying their hand at the latest techniques to supply their fans with new delectables to covet.

But leaving my comfortable and boring position in conventional wine is terrifying. Half a decade I’ve spent drinking and supplying the same wines to consumers that have no interest in branching into something new. And all I want is something fucking new.

So, this is it. I’ve updated my resume. I’m finally taking the time to review natural wines and taking my steps to cut the cord on conventional. And I wish I had the ability to tell my younger self to make the jump sooner.