(Bonappetit) - Natural wine: You’ve probably seen it on a menu or heard it shouted in a bar or maybe even downed a glass or three of the stuff at some point this year. It’s been everywhere. Chefs and bar owners can’t get enough of it, and neither can we. That’s why natural wine is 2017’s Drink of the Year. Let’s get to know it.

1. So, Yeah, What Exactly Is Natural Wine?

It’s a bit ambiguous, but the consensus is that a natural wine* is one with nothing added or taken away. This typically means no chemicals in the vineyard or cellar, no filtering or fancy machinery, and no added sulfites…

…But here’s what natural wine is really about: It’s Elvis. It’s the Sex Pistols. It’s N.W.A. It’s that thing your parents could never understand. Natural winemakers buck conventions and break regional rules. These wines have an undeniable energy that fills your belly and tickles your toes and sits in your soul. It’s not for awarding points. It’s for feeling—for feeling everything a winemaker put into it, for feeling where it takes you, and for feeling free to enjoy however you’d like.

2. Share a Glass, Make New Friends

”They say you shouldn’t drink alone, and they’re probably right. But I had just moved to Paris, and there are only so many espressos you can down before you start to crave more contact than, ’Sucre?’ ’Non, merci.’ And at a wine bar like La Buvette in Paris, you’re never really alone. A natural wine bar—whether it’s Ordinaire in Oakland or Sub Rosato in Richmond, VA—is a modern version of Cheers, with hand-harvested pinots instead of pints. And even if no one knows your name (yet), you might recognize some labels on the wall—a sign that you’re among friends. These bars act as meeting places for like-minded people (is this what happened before the internet?), where sharing is encouraged, whether it’s a glass of an intriguing Savagnin or tips for what to see in town. You can easily go from ’Wow, the nose on this is crazy!’ to ’Don’t miss this new bakery,’ with a chance of landing at ’We’re having a party on the roof on Friday, won’t you come?’ (This last one to be taken with discretion.) I don’t have to drink alone anymore, mostly because I have shown up solo so many times that onetime strangers have become friends. So now, wherever I land, the natural wine bar is my first stop.” —Belle Cushing