Last year’s inaugural Natural Coast Wine Festival couldn’t have come at a more enlightening time for the “natural wine” movement, which adheres to the laudable tenets of eco-minded farming and low-intervention winemaking. After a decade or so of experimentation and hands-on education, the natty scene — which had been frequently knocked for making overly sour, funky, or otherwise flawed wines — is today crafting mostly clean and refreshing bottles that appeal to the palates of both Baby Boomers and Gen Z.
At least that’s the case on the Central Coast, the primary geographic range showcased by Natural Coast. The fest was created by Satellite S.B. founder Drew Cuddy and his longtime associate Lindsey Reed, who now works for Bell’s in Los Alamos and teaches the intro to wine class at UCSB. Last year’s other headline was that the festival was happening on the grounds of Satellite S.B.’s brand-new event space, the large indoor-mostly outdoor space on East Haley Street that Cuddy has christened The Factory.
The second Natural Coast Wine Festival returns to The Factory on April 20. I checked in with Cuddy to see what to expect in 2024, both from the fest and the venue.