Q&A: Unboxing Natural Wine With Celia Barber of Imperfetta

What is your background? How did you get into wine?

Like many people in wine, I started via restaurants. I always had restaurant jobs serving and hosting starting in my early twenties, then grew into management roles. My husband, at the time, was a chef and we fell into natural front-of-house and back-of-house roles when we moved to LA. It was there that I was introduced to natural wine and it was kind of an 'ah-ha' moment - we used organic ingredients on our menu, why not wine!? I got to meet the growers and winemakers and felt very welcome in the community, these were the people and products I felt good about supporting.

Can you talk about the planning and work it took to start a wine shop in Seattle? 

I mean, in many ways it's been 20 years in the making because it's a culmination of everything I've learned in the course of that time. I really wanted the shop to feel un-fussy and simple because one of my motives in opening Imperfetta was to make drinking wine approachable, unpretentious and give people an entry point wherever they're at in their exploration. So, there wasn't an intensive design process like there was with the other restaurants I've opened; also, retail is just less complicated than restaurants. I pulled together some savings, asked friends and family for small personal loans, and just started filing for an LLC, business license, liquor license and scoured Seattle for a small space. This was still Covid times, so there was a LOT of uncertainty in the world and I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew, so each decision was made by reflecting on whether or not I could do things by myself - everything from business hours, wine club, marketing, events, accounting structure, website design all had to be within my wheelhouse. 

I love the idea of using food to celebrate imperfections and embrace the authenticity of nature. What is it about wine that is so connected to the natural environment and speaks to this philosophy? 

I mean...what about wine doesn't speak to that connection!? When you are drinking a bottle of wine (of the low-intervention, organic, natural ilk) you are tasting the culmination of nature's season and the expertise of a winemaker who artfully guides the harvest to a beautiful, drinkable, place. Each year (vintage) is different and I find that to be the exciting part of wine-enjoyment, not the same-sameness of trying to control nature. 

I am always impressed by how much you know about each wine in the store. Can you talk about your process of sourcing and learning about wines and the winemakers?

I've been working with many of these wines for years, but I'm always discovering and learning more.  I turn to my wine community for conversation, inspiration and bouncing information around. Like most industries, there is a distribution channel for the products (exporters, importers, regional distributors, sales reps) so there is a lot of tasting, researching, asking questions and information gathering. I love going to another restaurant or shop and seeing other buyer's choices, traveling to other cities/countries for a change of perspective. We live in the age of Google, so that can get you pretty far if you know what you're looking for.

What is the small business and food community like in Seattle? How do you find ways to support each other and collaborate?

If you can, being a regular patron to a small business is the simplest way for anyone to support, and word-of-mouth promotion helps a ton because you're sending good customers their way. Social media is a great tool for promoting, and has that element of discovery, but if you are cross-promoting you also have to consider your own business' marketing strategies so as not to confuse your customers or the algorithms. I have a page on my website called Faves & Friends where I drop links to places I've been (and like), most are natural wine-adjacent. 

What is something you wish more people knew about wine?

As far as the whole 'natural wine' thing goes, there is a misconception about what it is and what it isn't. A lot of people think all natural wine is funky and weird (it is not) and a lot of that comes from not understanding the basics of how wine is made, or the practices and process that differentiates natural wine from commercial/conventional wine. 

I wish people would stop thinking about wine as being so precious, or as a status symbol. I would like people to know that there is a broad spectrum and they should seek out what they like, ask questions and taste lots to find out what you're into. 

What is an ideal type of food experience for you? (dinner at a fine dining restaurant, casual picnic in the park….you can be as specific or general as possible)

Oye - that's hard. I LOVE food, dining, new experiences and flavors - and of course it's all a vehicle for bringing people tohgether. I'm kinda 'over' fine-dining in general (if someone offered me a free meal at Pujol or something, I wouldn't turn it down, haha!), but I don't seek it out anymore. I love casual, nutritious, fresh, regional cuisine - whether that's served on a paper plate or antique china. I love food that's made from the heart and has loads of spirit, very much how I like my wine. 

What are PNW 3 food recommendations?

Well, I was born/raised in Portland, so I'll give a shout out to one of my favorite spots Luce, on E Burnside. It is a tender little Italian joint that is honest, has a fantastic wine list and I wish it was in my own neighborhood - I'd be there every day. 

In Seattle, I find myself sitting at the counter of Delancey Pizza a lot. I love wood-fired pizza and they have lots of other seasonal-rotating menu items. Staff has a heart of gold!

If you can swing a drive up north, Taylor Shellfish Farm is super fun - coupled with a little hike at Larrabee State Park and a stop at Bow Hill Blueberry Farm. It's a sweet little adventure.