JEAN PIERRE ROBINOT
Robinot is a capital-N Natural winemaker. The Loire valley vigneron — who works dutifully alongside his daughter, Juliette — has been unwavering in his commitment to organic farming, meticulous, unfiltered bottling, and sulfur-free production since he began making wine 2001. At the time, he’d been running a wildly successful wine bar in Paris (since the ‘80s), but it was only in the early aughts that he determined to return to his hometown to actually make wine (his first cuvée is named Cuvée TGV for the high-speed train he took back and forth between Paris and the Loire Valley). As something of a household name, he’s most adored for his fun, dry, ever so slightly effervescent pét nats. And while the man has been accused of running a rather charmingly chaotic operation, he certainly knows what he’s doing.
CHATEAU de Béru
Stationed in Burgundy — the heart of Chablis wine country — Château de Béru has been helmed by the Béru family for 400 years. And while the wines have long been highly regarded, they reached new (well-deserved) acclaim when Athénaïs, the family’s youngest daughter, took the reins in 2004. As a staunch advocate for female winemakers, sustainable farming, and, well, extremely good wine, she’s become something of a Burgundy icon — and over the course of the last decade, her bottles have only grown tastier and more sought-after.
BENJAMIN TAILLandier
After launching his career in a conventional winery, Benjamin Taillandier rebelled to partake in the natural wine revolution (brave!) after meeting Jean-Baptiste Sénat in the early aughts. By 2007, he’d launched a project of his own nearby in the Languedoc, and 15 years later, he’s expanded the plot to 16 Hectares of biodynamically, organically farmed land — all of which he works by hand (while managing to keep his beloved local bar, Cantine du Curé, afloat during the summer tourist season). And while plenty of typical wines in the region are pointedly concentrated and high-alcohol, Taillandier is far more interested in producing lighter, fresher stuff (vin de soif, if you will).
JEAN BAPTISTE et CHARLOTTE séNAT
Jean-Baptiste and Charlotte Sénat were ahead of the curve on the whole *natural wine* thing. They produced their very first vintages back in 1996, after moving back to their native land in the Languedoc region in ‘95. Stationed in the hills of Montagne Noire, the pair are firm believers in the impact of climate on viticulture practices (even over terroir). And in the years since that first vintage, they've become major pioneers in natural winemaking in the region…all while their own style has properly honed itself (read: matured). The wines are drawn exclusively from organically farmed, native grape varietals (Grenache, baby) without fining, filtering, or the addition of sulfur. And frankly, they’ve long been the epitome of “easy drinking.”
