The unsavoury, sexist side of France's natural wine sector
By Julie Reux
The world of natural wine – which is made with little or no chemicals – has a reputation for breaking the normal rules in order to produce a more ethical drink. However, there appears to be another, hidden, side to this small community of wine producers and sellers, following the emergence of numerous accusations of sexism. Though as Julie Reux reports, the claims appear to have had little impact on some people's attitudes within the sector. And now feminist activists and victims say they feel under pressure to keep quiet.
Since September 2022 the world of natural wine in France has officially been feminist and inclusive. That was when the sector's new Syndicat de Défense des Vins Naturels - it has 261 members - adopted a motion affirming that “natural wine is about values, about a genuine ethical code which is not simply technical but involves absolutely all of its ecosystem”.
