Cul Sec

Cul Sec is an alcohol-free alternative to wine, built around a maceration of wild herbs, wine grapes, and fermentations. Production takes place at the Voedselstation, a collectively founded food production facility described as a "factory without a boss" for circular food producers, where beverages are made under the Fruitslagers operation. Fruitslagers collaborates with a network of agricultural businesses spread across the Netherlands to restore landscapes on different soil types.^[1]

Emile Corre is a founder of Cul Sec.^[1]

Cul Sec positions itself as a natural wine alternative, working with organic wine farmers and herb growers to achieve mineral, funky, barn-like, and volcanic flavor tones. Its grapes are biological, and additional flavors are drawn from a food forest. The wider Fruitslagers operation collaborates with a network of agricultural businesses across the Netherlands to restore landscapes on different soil types, and produces at the Voedselstation, a collectively founded facility described as a "factory without a boss" for circular food producers.^[1],[2]

Cul Sec's lineup comprises four non-alcoholic wine alternatives, all in 750ml format and all below 0.5% ABV, classified along wine-style lines: Balade Minérale (Blanc), Rouge en Voiture (Rouge), L'étable Fumé (Orange), and Souris sous la Rhubarbe (Rosé). The range is identified as the Cul Sec Cuvée 2025.^[1]

Cul Sec's beverages are built as a maceration of wild herbs, wine grapes, and fermentations. The Cuvée 2025 range balances ripe oxidized and unripe wine grapes to deliver fresh acids and tannins.^[1]

Maceration & fermentation. The core construction combines maceration of wild herbs and wine grapes with fermentations. The grape component pairs ripe oxidized fruit with unripe fruit to build fresh acids and tannins, a structure stated for the Cuvée 2025 range as a whole.^[1]

Grape base. Organic, biological wine grapes serve as a core ingredient across the range. Cul Sec sources these by working with organic wine farmers.^[1]

Foraged botanicals. Wild herbs sourced through foraging are used as ingredients across the non-alcoholic wine alternatives. Cul Sec also draws flavors from a food forest, and works with herb growers alongside its foraged material.^[1],[2]

Cul Sec aims for mineral, funky, barn-like, and volcanic flavor tones across its range. The Cuvée 2025 is described as a balance of ripe oxidized and unripe wine grapes, full of fresh acids and tannins.^[1]