Orlando Wine Blog’s first “Edible Orlando” column spotlights Central Florida’s natural wine scene

Starting this month, I’ll be writing a regular wine column for Edible Orlando, Central Florida’s quarterly magazine covering local food and drink.

When Managing Editor Pam Brandon told me about this issue’s theme, “Happy Healthy 2019,” she said she’d understand if I couldn’t fit wine under that umbrella. But I immediately thought it could be a great fit for a piece on natural wine (read it here!).

I couldn’t have chosen a more polarizing topic for my first column, but it was also timely, with more and more local establishments jumping on the natty wine train.

Not long after I started work on the piece, I was shocked and thrilled to see a natural wine display at Tim’s Wine Market in Orlando. I knew immediately that owner Tim Varan, a longtime natural wine skeptic, would have to be part of the column.

I also wanted to talk with Matt Uva, the guy in charge of the natty wine-dominated selection at the soon-to-open Curate Art + Wine in the Milk District.

You’ll read both of their perspectives in the piece.

I’ll admit it was a challenge to explain natural wine and the debate over it in my allotted 750 words. Hopefully, people on all sides of the issue will see their views fairly reflected here.