Whats the name of your local shop? You can DM if you want, but if Las Jaras is a / your local shop it looks like they've got some good stuff for sure

I agree with you on the Italian wines, even though I have a lot of Italian favorites, esp Italian more traditional reds (apart from a couple of very classic wines) aren't always hittin. But there's lots of good Italian wines to me, esp white, pet nats / frizzante, orange wines & lighter reds

The only one I've had before out of the wines you posted is the Cirelli La Collina, and I agree they aren't the most exciting wines. I do think they pass as natural though, or at least *close enough* lol. The second one (Thevenet) I don't know, but gamays almost always hit if they're grown and made naturally

The (problematic / confusing) thing is, «natural» isn't a category or a certification, whereas organic and biodynamic are certifications; And out of the two, biodynamic is the closest to a «natural» wine. An organic certification still allows for a bunch of stuff that a more natural focused producer would never do.

Natural wine is, amongst other things:

- no added yeast, no added sugar, nothing added in the cellar except for (maybe) a tiny, tiny dose of sulfur (WAY less than in any conventional wine). And often no sulfur at all
- No pesticides in the vineyard
- No watering in the vineyard

Basically no human interference; You plant the grapes and let nature run its course. No interference in the vineyard, and no / low interference in the cellar

If you're interested, there's a good book on the subject by Isabelle Legeron called «Natural Wine»

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Wine-introduction-biodynamic-naturally/dp/1782494839/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3C7OIWV0U4Y4L&dchild=1&keywords=isabelle+legeron+natural&qid=1603838777&sprefix=isabelle+lege%2Caps%2C283&sr=8-2


Just realized this all sucks as an answer to your question lol. Some of my favorite labels:

Ganevat, Robinot (reds not whites), Tissot, Lammidia, Domaine des Cavarodes, No Control, Jean Yves Peron, Matassa (here & there), and Radikon for sure




>I've never been a wine drinker -- hardly any white, and two
>or three bottles of random $15 Cotes du Rhone per year -- but
>have really started getting into more focused selections after
>I found a quality local wine store.
>
>my problem so far is that natural wine is still niche in my
>area, while also being all-encompassing. anybody from anywhere
>can be making natural wine, so you really need to know exactly
>what you want or have expert guidance on the spot*.
>
>ones I've tried in the last month:
>
>Las Jaras Glou Glou 2019 (Red blend, California)
>https://lasjaraswines.com/products/glou-glou
>
>-- this shit is delicious. a little background carbonation
>with lots of fruit.
>
>Charly Thevenet Grain and Granite 2017 (Regnie, Beaujolais)
>https://winelibrary.com/wines/gamay/2017-charly-thevenet-regnie-grain-granit-117782
>
>-- so this is why I need help finding natural wines. nothing
>about this wine is labeled natural, but I guess if you know
>anything about French wines his dad was one of the OGs of
>reviving the natural wine movement. I just asked to try a good
>Beaujolais cru and was recommended this one. even though it
>was the most I've ever paid for a bottle ($37! I've spent high
>amounts on whisky but never wine), it still impressed the hell
>out of me.
>
>Cirelli La Collina Biologica Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
>(Montepulciano, Italy)
>https://caravino.net/2019/06/23/cirelli-la-collina-biologica-cerasuolo-dabruzzo-doc-2017/
>
>-- this was in the same section as several pet-nat wines so I
>added it. it was fine, but I haven't tried a lot of Italian
>wines that I've loved. this is where it gets confusing for me,
>because it's labeled organic but may not necessarily be made
>in the natural style.
>
>*I don't think Total Wine is that helpful, at least not the
>one nearest me. every time I ask for any suggestions and give
>them a price point and my bottle preferences, I get some
>off-the-wall rec that just conveniently has a 12-case display
>on the main floor.