In recent years Barcelona has been filled with bars, but not normal bars, but with a certain inclination towards the natural. Minimum intervention wines have gained ground in the new wine bar openings that are mainly concentrated in two neighborhoods: Born and Gràcia. In this text we select some of the most interesting in the city.
Pioneers in Barcelona in the importation of natural wines, Benoît Valée and Núria Rodríguez opened this house in Born in 2006, when this type of wine still had more detractors than followers. He, a winemaker, trained alongside great masters of the “sulfite-free” movement such as Didier Barral or Jean-François Coutelou, and she, a viola teacher; At L’Ànima del Vi they accompany the jewels they keep in their cellar, from wine-growing regions around the world, with cheeses, sausages and French dishes.
The Colombo brothers, also in charge of the Venetian Xemei, have turned this bar into a place of international pilgrimage. One of the reasons why many specialists decide to visit it is its extensive menu, with more than 300 references and a very wide price range. They pair them with a simple and lightly cooked cuisine, in which there is no shortage of oysters, scallops, or mojama. Reservations are mandatory, because finding a place is not easy.
When Argentinians Cristian Viera and Paula Mathews opened this Gràcia location in the middle of the pandemic, they did not imagine that it would be the color orange, which would end up differentiating them from other wine bars. They did not marry only breezed wines, but they have become a small paradise for orange lovers. Their bet, which is in crescendo, already has more than 40 references. In addition, they offer good tapas and dishes with seasonal ingredients.
Alejandra Delfino and Stefano Fraternali have been promoting the consumption of sulfite-free wines for years with two lines of work, their Garage Bar, which opened in 2017, and the organization of the Vella Terra fair, dedicated to making visible the work of independent natural wine producers. In this establishment you will find the most outstanding novelties that are presented annually at the fair, based in Barcelona and Madrid, about 150 wine references that can also be purchased to take away, since they also function as a store. The bottles they serve are accompanied by a menu full of dishes allied with the Slow Food movement.
The Natural Wine Company, the distributor of Nacho Alegre and Alfredo López born during the pandemic as a wine club, a couple of weeks ago opened a location in El Born with the English chef Fran Boxer. They are off to a strong start, as they have raised the blinds with some 200 wine references on the menu. They are accompanied by a simple gastronomic proposal designed hand in hand with Rooftop Smokehouse in which there is no shortage of smoked mackerel pâté, anchovy gildas or trout with horseradish cream.
Natural wines in bulk? Here you will find a good selection, served from the eight taps they have, which continually change references. Behind the project, three partners: the publicist Kike Vila, the exporter of biodynamic, organic and natural wines Moon Wine; and Humanvins, Catalan distributor of natural wines. With a casual and scoundrel aesthetic, this tavern acts above all as a Moon Wine showroom.
Very popular in Poblenou, this place is owned by the Argentine Antonella Tignanelli, also known for recreating themed banquets with her creative Food Rituals project. Since it opened less than a year ago, it offers more than 40 references of natural wines and a culinary proposal in which it prioritizes plant products above all. The atmosphere is very hipster and the decoration is ground-breaking, with tiles and a record player included. It also has a small terrace
After succeeding in Italy with seven natural wine stores, between Mestre and Portenone, the brothers Lorenzo and Alberto Cazzador landed less than a year ago with this store in Born. Its wine list by the glass is quite dynamic, which makes it a perfect place to discover new references coming especially from Catalonia, Italy and France. Its kitchen does not have a smoke outlet, so its proposal is quite limited. We recommend their beans with pecorino, the historical sustenance of the farmers of southern Italy.
The Italian Gianluca Raimondi, who is also in charge of La Graciosa, dreamed of a second wine bar in which gastronomy could have more presence. For this reason, less than a year ago he opened Bar El Pepino, which has about 40 very interesting references that continually change. The menu of dishes, made with seasonal products, is also always in constant movement. On our last visit, we were especially surprised by the homemade anchovies with vinaigrette and a wild sea bass curiously accompanied with tiger’s milk and parmesan, basil, chili and pesto.
Away from the tourist circuit, in Sant Andreu, Fernández Cereijo opened this minimalist bar decorated with statues seven years ago that little by little has become a reference for lovers of minimal intervention wines. In it he offers simple but tasty dishes, made with a maximum of three ingredients, since the kitchen also has no smoke outlet. From mimosa eggs with wasabi to chicken rillettes, or their famous and curious sandwiches, among which the one with perol sausage and kimchi or the fricandó and pickled cabbage stand out. The wine list also hides quite unknown treasures.
Cafe, wine bar and brunch. Lulu’s concept
Although this tiny establishment in Poblesec has only three tables, it does keep a wide selection of natural wines in its cellar, especially from small Italian wineries. Zaza Cuina i Vi, which opened just two years ago, is the creation of fellow Italians Carlotta Rossi and Davide Carreri, who are committed to accompanying their liquid proposal with Venetian cuisine. The portions are not very generous, but they are interesting. Among them, we found the mortadella tortellini with parmigiano foam to be exquisite.
They call it a wine bar, although it reminds us more of a restaurant. The new establishment of chef Matteo Bertozzi, also in charge of My Fucking Restaurant, has 150 references perfectly organized in a digital menu in which you can even consult the technical sheet of each wine. The winery, which can be visited by going down the stairs, is a spectacle, as are some of its dishes, among which the octopus ‘a feira’ with potato gnocchi and Sichuan sauce or the wagyu steak tartare with horseradish stand out. , watercress and piparra.