Can You Drink To Your Health
Todd White of Dry Farm Wines
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, and I may receive commissions for purchase made through the links in the post. However, these are products I highly recommend. I won’t list anything I haven’t tried and found personally useful.
If you enjoy good food, particularly when it’s accompanied with good wine, then this episode of #thedeliciousstory is for you. This week I talk with Todd White of Dry Farm Wines about the benefits of natural wine, his journey in creating a business that sources the organically-grown varietals, and how nourishing your body with intention can be good for your wellbeing, too.
At our house, wine goes hand-in-hand with the evening meal. We’ve spent years selecting, tasting and amassing a wine library of knowledge and preferences. And so, because I have an interest in wine, I was drawn to Dry Farm Wines when I discovered the world of sugar free, natural wines.
I’d not thought about sugar in wine before that, nor considered that there were organic versions of wine. I’d assumed, and perhaps you have too, that the production of wine is a natural process, so what could make “organic” or “not?
In the interview, Todd walks through the difference with a good dose of science and explains how the wine industry operates today. He then describes his personal voyage and the accident that lead to his interest in natural wine, and how he has turned curating these wines into a successful business venture.
At the heart of Dry Farm for Todd and his team are integral values that balance what they do. This is the core on which they build relationships with the growers who cultivate specifically for the organic wine market. And from there is the wine, where each selection must meet a rigorous criterion to be certified as a part of their catalog.
SUGAR AND ALCOHOL
The subject of alcohol and wine is an interesting one, particularly as it relates to health. I like to think of wine as “healthful,” but it does contain alcohol, which is not particularly healthful. Scientists periodically dispense studies which seem to suggest moderate drinking is acceptable and perhaps even “healthy,” but I like to hold onto that notion.
However, per an article over at the Mayo Clinic, the distinction of moderate consumption is based solely on underlying health. A person with certain conditions, for example, can’t imbibe “moderately” when compared to a healthy one. Some conditions do not permit alcohol consumption at all.
So, alcohol is always a consideration when drinking wine, but it was the sugar content I’d not thought about that captured my attention. Todd delves into the role of sugar found in most of the commercial wines on the market, how it becomes part of the wine, and why it’s an issue for those trying to live a healthy lifestyle.
Todd provides a robust explanation of how the sugar and higher alcohol content make the wine we drink generally more dangerous when consumed over time. I could almost hear my pancreas screaming, given I have more than thirty years of hearty commercial wine consumption under my belt.
Todd described his personal choices of diet, meditation, and conscious consumption in a way that seemed both daunting and admirable, but with a rational that anyone who takes a long view of their life would want. For those like me,
I’m all about baby steps after what feels like a lifetime of impossible reversals. As I listened to Todd, and maybe you’ll think this also, I wondered, could the simple action of drinking a healthier wine be the cornerstone to other healthy choices?
THE DISTINCTION OF YEAST
You may feel a need to put goggles on and pull out a Bunsen burner when Todd explains the science of yeast in Dry Farm Wines. You can listen and let him do the heavy lifting of walking you through the natural yeast found on the grape versus the cultured yeast pumped into nearly all the commercial wine we drink.
And it is that yeast that plays such an important role in the sugar and alcohol content as well. The article over at Wine Folly provides a concise explanation of natural yeast versus cultured and comes with illustrations, too.
Clearly, Todd loves talking about how a Dry Farm wine differs, and sees it as a pure and healthy alternative. As you listen, see if you don’t get the sense that he is a passionate crusader for what he offers, not because it is a “product,” but because Dry Farm embraces a lifestyle he advocates. Todd nearly waxes poetic as he details the story of the growth and fermentation process of the wines he and his team select to endorse.
When I drink a glass of wine, I like to imagine some farmer devoted to his land, a proud craftsman for what he makes. But nearly all the wine available at the market are actually more manufactured in a process which has been industrialized to make for a consistent product available in mass.
In contrast, Dry Farm Wines do meet with my ideal of this earthy and natural culture where hands and hearts are a part of every bottle. Todd likens it to the difference between a corporate organic food you select at a grocery store versus something you purchase at a market directly from the farmer who grew it. There is connection that is more important than a mere transaction.
And as we all come more to terms with the fragility of the planet each day, the operative word “dry” involved in the cultivation of Dry Farm Wines is important, too. Again, Todd can go on at length, but shares a short and understandable detail of how water is carefully used in the growth process.
FEED YOUR HUNGER FOR CONNECTION
We finish the interview with Todd sharing his memorable meal story, which is lovely. The details hail to times when we’ve enjoyed the social time of a good meal. It’s a special event carefully planned where the food is good, the wine is flowing, and the conversation and friendships are authentic and rich.
You can almost taste the brined chicken and chilled seasoned asparagus Todd describes. But more nourishing is the moment to savor and linger. Why do we breathe in and out each day if not for the delightful moments of connection that make it all worth it?
CLEARING THE AIR
I reached out to Dry Farm Wines for an interview and was both shocked and thrilled to garner some of Todd’s time to share his story and mission. I add here that I’ve not tried these wines but plan to change that immediately, so we have now joined as a subscriber and ordered our first shipment!
As I said earlier in this post, my husband David and I know a good thing or two about wine and have amassed a savvy wine palette with the wine bottles to prove it. We will conduct a tasting of Dry Farm Wines and share our experience with you in a future post.
Sherry and Alexandra Borzo together in Lima, Peru
Sherry is the founder of Storied Gifts a personal publishing service of family and company histories. She and her team help clients curate and craft their stories into books. When not writing or interviewing, Sherry spends loads of time with her grandchildren and lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
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