Sketch by Jay Artale @rovingsketcher
N atural w ines @ Passion... knowledge and finally the perfect location. Here´s the story of how this Natural Wine Bar in Cabanas came about
W
e meet Olaf and Veronica, entrepreneurs, sharing a passion for natural wines, good beer, quality food, good company and a happy life. The pair have put Cabanas on the map, with people coming from far to get their fix of natural wine. Olaf and Veronica stand by their concept of natural chemical free wines. Like many, we assumed this meant organic wines, grapes grown without the use of pesticides and other harmful additives. We were wrong... Olaf and Veronica are part of a movement that is growing to support winemakers producing wine using simple or traditional methods. In the simplest form, natural wine can be described as 'nothing added, nothing taken away.' While there is no uniform definition of natural wine, it refers to wine produced without the
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use of pesticides or herbicides and with few or no additives. Natural wines are produced on a small scale using traditional rather than industrial techniques and fermented with native yeast. In its purest form, natural wine is unadulterated fermented grape juice with no additives in the winemaking process. We are shown a diagram in the shop, it clearly indicates how many chemical additives are in conventional, organic and biodynamic wines, and the level of sulphites they contain compared to natural wine. We are very surprised at the difference and can clearly see how much better for the body it is to drink natural wine. I can already think of a number of people who will be getting a bottle gifted to them as they enjoy a glass or few and they are very much into remaining and staying healthy. Olaf and Veronica are very generous and offer us a glass to taste and enjoy with them together. We appreciate a glass of rosé PetNat, which has the most delightful and
entertaining little bubble to it, fizzing gently on our tongue, a refreshing dry and not too tart wine, perfect for a hot summer day. On their adorable, intimate terrace, we learn more about Olaf, Veronica, their concept and how they ended up in this tiny part of the world that is their paradise. 2019 is where it all begins, the start of the lockdown was nearing. Veronica's father, a pensioner, tasked his untameable Italian daughter with finding a place in the East of the Algarve for him to retire to. Veronica, having never been to this area before, set out to explore. First stop Faro, where she met Olaf from Germany, the two quickly became friends and remained in contact with each other despite travelling in different directions. Olaf was off to Lisbon while Veronica checked the East to find a home for her father. Quickly she found and fell in love with Cabanas, there was, however, just one thing missing from this paradise… natural wine. Thank heavens for
www.eastalgarvemag.com
