42: Sustainable Viticulture and Natural Wine with Emily Harman

This week I’m speaking with the very cool Emily Harman, a sommelier and wine consultant. Emily is the independent owner of VinaLupa, a sommelier consultancy which she began in 2015 by working with restaurants and hotels in London England, advising them on aspects relating to wine and providing training to food and beverage teams. Since then, the business has grown and expanded, now reaching across a number of countries and markets in the UK, Germany, and USA. She is also one of the hosts and creators of JUICE podcast, an entertaining and accessible podcast in which Emily and her co-host Guen Douglas share stories, knowledge, and banter on their favourite bottles of wine.

Today we explore the topic of natural wines and sustainability with a bit more depth – she kindly explains what the term “natural wine” encompasses, some of the challenges and benefits to these modes of production, and the integral role of farming and landscape. She also explores what makes our current era such a fascinating and fun time to be a wine consultant, and the ways wine culture is shifting for the better. For those of you listening who may be a bit daunted by the subject, Emily is wonderful at breaking down the hurdles of language and the broadness of the topic in a clear and fun way!

Resources:

• VinaLupa
• JUICE Podcast
• Instagram: @vinalupa
• Twitter: @emilyharman