Author Archive

When Wild World was born back in 2019 in Austin, we here at Raisin were thrilled to see a wine fair in the US completely devoted to natural wine and naturally fermented beverages. From Texas to New York, Wild World has always been one of a kind, supportive of the community that we champion here at Raisin, and proud to highlight true artisans of the vine.

With that being said, we’re extra excited to announce that we’re once again partnering with Wild World as they host their first festival since 2019 on Monday, November 1st 2021 at Strong Rope Brewery in Red Hook, Brooklyn!

WILD WORLD is back to welcome producers who are committed to fermenting beverages and foods with wild yeast and bacteria. It’s one hell of a good time, and unlike other natural wine and beer festivals, it’s also a fact-finding mission that seeks to debunk myths of “natural” fermentation where necessary and break down the barriers that have long divided beverage communities. This is your chance to taste a wide selection of natural wines, craft beer, cider, and mead from around the world, and attend panel discussions between key members of the industry.

Head to Wild World’s website, and get your tickets now: https://www.wildworldfestival.com/

Sophie came from the music world, and Anne-Laure from fashion. They both changed paths, to open a cool and festive place where they could enjoy alive wine and music together with friends… Fro. Paris Est was born!

Their journey started two summers ago, when the two got on their bikes and set out to meet several producers. Meeting winemakers in different regions was just how they made their selection for the shop, along with the help of Anne-Laure’s mother who happens to have some vines in Champagne.

Covid and money slowed down their search for a spot, but didn’t stop them! So Sophie and Anne-Laure originally began FRO. PARIS EST as a delivery service by bike covering Eastern Paris, and gradually expanded to the whole city. When they came across an old stamp shop in the 9th arrondissement in Paris (10 Rue de Maubeuge), they knew this would be the perfect place to turn into a home for their selection of records, magazines, and natural wines – all of their interests in one!

Their concept is to have a wine selection on the smaller side, and change up the references on the regular. They also aim to offer affordable prices to make their products accessible, for people to discover and enjoy natural wines. The shop is meant to be a meeting place, where Sophie and Anne-Laure hold events once a week: from magazine or record releases to wine tasting nights to dj sets, they do it all at FRO. ! Speaking of, on October 22nd and 23rd they will be hosting a mini festival to celebrate the fall and highlight some of the producers they work with amongst live music and delicious things to taste, don’t miss it!

Are you so passionate about natural wine that you go to bed dreaming about fermented grape juice without additives?

Do you know the world of natural winemakers and domaines? Are you a master communicator? Are you up for the challenge of selling subscriptions to establishments? We are looking for a native/fluent English speaking sales and marketing professional, to serve as a Jack-of-All Trades on the Raisin team. Check out the job description here: https://bit.ly/3v6mF1X

Do you know how many bars, wine shops, and restaurants are on the Raisin map around the world, with at least 30% natural wine to offer?

Want to take a guess at which country has the most places to drink natural wine? Have an idea of the top 5 cities for drinking natural wine?

Find out all the answers and more never before seen data from Raisin on our new page:

https://bit.ly/3v4Vep8

Thanks to Jules Maillard for the design!

Craving some Thai food while in Geneva? Soï Canteen (6 Rue du Prieuré) and little brother restaurant Suahoy (25 Rue Prévost-Martin) are now on the Raisin map. The owners make a great duo: Yuttakan is a Thai chef in love with French cuisine, and Sandrine is an Asian food and culture aficionado. They originally met in Plaza Athénée in Bangkok, and decided to spread the love for Thai street food in Geneva!

In 2017 they opened, Soï, meaning “street,” and reflects Thai street culture beautifully with its neon lights and authentic dishes: Kho Moo Yang, Kai Yang, and homemade herbal sausage Sai Ua to name a few. At first, they were selling beers to go with the food, but after a couple of encounters with natural wine, they found it to be the obvious choice to pair with the vibrant Thai flavors. From there, they spent a whole summer visiting winemakers and trying as much natural wine as they could to come up with a selection that would resemble the place and the cuisine.

This past September, they opened up their second restaurant, Suahoy, which means “hungry tiger” – a great way to describe how this enticing food makes us feel. Sandrine says, “Our intent was to create a journey across the different regions of Thailand and serve the food our grandmas would cook for us when we’re back home.” The atmosphere is inspired by a Thai temple celebration, with lots of color and touches of gold, and with an inviting atmosphere.

At both of these places, the concepts behind the wine and food are based on people, places, stories, and savoir-faire that is hard to beat. 🐯🍤

Introducing Pulp Wine, your local natural wine shop in Valby, Denmark 🇩🇰 !

Since November 2020, sommelier Russell Schaper-Kotter has been providing this Copenhagen neighborhood with pure and authentic wine, and they were thirsty for it.

Originally from Vancouver, Russell moved to Copenhagen knowing that the food and wine scene is where he belonged. After completing several certifications in the Court of Master Sommeliers, Russell discovered a completely different world of wine that changed his whole perspective:

“Dumbfounded, I almost stopped drinking conventional wine overnight. I found it literally challenging to swallow the idea that this ‘wine’ that I was so used to was adulterated with unsure additives that weren’t grape juice.”

From there, Russell went on to work at top Michelin star restaurants such as Relæ and Noma as he continued on his natural wine journey.

Now he’s running Pulp and sharing a tasty selection of low-intervention wines from a multitude of regions! Pulp is the first in this corner of Copenhagen on the Raisin map, so make sure to check it out.