so many thoughts.... When I covered food and beverages for Mother Nature Network for over a decade, it was the conservatives who wanted nothing to do with natural, organic, making sure kids got healthy foods. (I could write a whole chapter in a book about the comments I got whenever covering Michelle Obama's Let's Move and White House Garden).
"Crunchy" was an insult hurled at me. This new crunchy, conservative, religious mindset certainly was not something I would have predicted in the 2010s and while it's surprising, surprising and crazy things are happening so fast right now that no, it's not "completely crazy" to think that a "famous, wellness-obsessed Tradwife with strong right-wing political views could turn up on social media extolling the virtues of natural wine"
This is interesting isn't it, that it's sort of come out of left-field (as it were!) in the last few years. I would never have predicted it either during my 2010s in my wine store and bar. We just have to wait and see what happens I suppose.
It really depends on the country. You mentioned Germany in 2015–a decade later, I think in this part of the world organic farming, raw milk, natural wine etc. is still overwhelmingly associated with Querdenken (“lateral” thinkers). Who are basically far left but have “unapproved” positions from the mainstream left, such as opposing war and supporting bodily autonomy. So I see it more as a matter of principles than a political movement. Maybe white nationalists started chugging raw milk but they don’t have a principled lifestyle with any of these other alternative components. Anyway wine is rightly or wrongly seen as an elite drink in much of the world. Not in Portugal where it’s part and parcel with daily life. But in the Anglosphere I don’t think rightists would adopt something so elitist.
Yes I thought about the elite part of it, especially as you say in other countries like the US or UK. The reason I didn't include it in the end is because I thought about the conservatives who *are* elitist - or at the very least, wealthy and status-driven. I thought for instance about the tradwife movement and how that only exists because of so, so much money in the background. And the wellness side of the right, which is very status-driven. I just wonder if it just takes someone from that wealthy, status-y side of the right to extol the virtues of natural wine and boom, it's a thing.
Perhaps it's a different question. We've had a very left leaning culture in most places for a generation and we're now seeing a newer cultural right starting to take over. Natural wine is blameless in this, the political weather vane is moving regardless of its existence or popularity.
In these culture wars anything can be claimed by any political party. All we can do is ignore them and continue to live by our own values. Slovenia has some lovely orange wines.
This is a chilling thought! In my experience touring natural wineries, the vintners are usually hippies that want to respect the earth and reject squeezing out every drop for the most profit.
As a leftist that does not describe myself as a liberal, I've definitely been surprised by alt-right subscribers to my newsletter (Silky Crunch).
so many thoughts.... When I covered food and beverages for Mother Nature Network for over a decade, it was the conservatives who wanted nothing to do with natural, organic, making sure kids got healthy foods. (I could write a whole chapter in a book about the comments I got whenever covering Michelle Obama's Let's Move and White House Garden).
"Crunchy" was an insult hurled at me. This new crunchy, conservative, religious mindset certainly was not something I would have predicted in the 2010s and while it's surprising, surprising and crazy things are happening so fast right now that no, it's not "completely crazy" to think that a "famous, wellness-obsessed Tradwife with strong right-wing political views could turn up on social media extolling the virtues of natural wine"
This is interesting isn't it, that it's sort of come out of left-field (as it were!) in the last few years. I would never have predicted it either during my 2010s in my wine store and bar. We just have to wait and see what happens I suppose.
It really depends on the country. You mentioned Germany in 2015–a decade later, I think in this part of the world organic farming, raw milk, natural wine etc. is still overwhelmingly associated with Querdenken (“lateral” thinkers). Who are basically far left but have “unapproved” positions from the mainstream left, such as opposing war and supporting bodily autonomy. So I see it more as a matter of principles than a political movement. Maybe white nationalists started chugging raw milk but they don’t have a principled lifestyle with any of these other alternative components. Anyway wine is rightly or wrongly seen as an elite drink in much of the world. Not in Portugal where it’s part and parcel with daily life. But in the Anglosphere I don’t think rightists would adopt something so elitist.
Yes I thought about the elite part of it, especially as you say in other countries like the US or UK. The reason I didn't include it in the end is because I thought about the conservatives who *are* elitist - or at the very least, wealthy and status-driven. I thought for instance about the tradwife movement and how that only exists because of so, so much money in the background. And the wellness side of the right, which is very status-driven. I just wonder if it just takes someone from that wealthy, status-y side of the right to extol the virtues of natural wine and boom, it's a thing.
Lots to think about - I appreciate your thoughts.
Perhaps it's a different question. We've had a very left leaning culture in most places for a generation and we're now seeing a newer cultural right starting to take over. Natural wine is blameless in this, the political weather vane is moving regardless of its existence or popularity.
In these culture wars anything can be claimed by any political party. All we can do is ignore them and continue to live by our own values. Slovenia has some lovely orange wines.
Wise words
This is a chilling thought! In my experience touring natural wineries, the vintners are usually hippies that want to respect the earth and reject squeezing out every drop for the most profit.
As a leftist that does not describe myself as a liberal, I've definitely been surprised by alt-right subscribers to my newsletter (Silky Crunch).
Yes that's been my experience with much of the natural wine movement too!