Putes Feministes

Nose: Lychee, peach, elderflower

Palate: Floral, touch of bitterness from the skins, good acidity, exotic, exotic fruit

“Here’s our plan; to throw delicious bottles at the face of the patriarchy. We want to create a safe space for feminism on labels.” (Fleur Godart, Vin et Volailles) This is a wine that certainly achieves that aim, as well as being one of the most forward-thinking orange wines we’ve come across.

This bottle, whose name translates to ‘Feminist Whores’ is Produced by Vin et Volailles, an all-woman team lead by Fleur Godart, Louise Los, Marine Philomen Roux and Lisa Le Postec who come from very diverse, but complementary employment backgrounds - from cooking and oenology to tattooing and theatre. The idea is to be a voice in the ongoing discussion over natural wine and feminism. With the help from friends in the winemaking industry, the aim is to produce a series of cuvees that offer a feminist perspective on certain issues in winemaking.

This particular bottle, produced with the help of Julien Albertus of Domaine Kumpf & Meyer, focuses on the use of the women’s bodies by male winemakers for their labels. Too often women’s bodies are used as an instrument to help sell wine, here it’s about empowerment, choice and control.

With such an important message on the outside of the bottle, it might be easy to overlook the wine that floats behind the glass. However it is truly extraordinary - Gewürztraminer and Muscat macerated on the skins for ten days, which creates a hugely aromatic nose of apricots orange peel, rose petals and lychee. The palate bursts with exotic fruit, a hint of peaches and perfectly balanced acidity. It's the kind of wine that will carry you away to your own private version of paradise, perhaps a sun-gold beach somewhere. It's complex, exotic and big-time glugable.