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This whole constellation of bars is promoting the fashion for natural wine from their spaces dedicated to this art of winemaking based on the minimum intervention of the product. But, before unfolding the route, what exactly is natural wine?
It is a slightly ambiguous concept, but the consensus is that a natural wine is one that has undergone as little chemical intervention as possible both in the vineyard and in the cellar, without filtering or fancy machinery, without added sulphites.
The natural wine craze began in France in the 1990s with a bacchanalian club that started opening unconventional organic wine bars all over Paris. Now the city has hundreds of them, and although there are far fewer in Madrid, it is a trend that is spreading, especially among the new generations and/or the capital’s artistic and creative communities.
GOTA
This bar dedicated to natural wine, from the creator of Acid Bakehouse, Fede Graciano, has become one of the most outstanding on the Madrid scene, both for its proposal, its design and its musical atmosphere.
From its wooden tables illuminated under dim lights, GOTA serves more than 200 references per bottle with 70% of international labels exported from other countries to treat diners, along with high quality dishes designed by its Italian chef Cadu; which evolve depending on the season. Some of the highlights are panzanella, ravioli or tuna crudo, all prepared in a traditional way.
Where can I find them? Calle de Prim, 5 (Barrio de Justicia).
FUN FUN
FUN FUN is established as a liquid ode to the national natural wine, which, since 2021, has been entertaining visitors who decide to enter its universe.
Inside its space, which evokes a cosy and eclectic living room full of art, its creator Antonella Burton, together with Bernardo Bongiovanni and Mariano Amor from La Santoría, display a large selection of natural wines with more than a dozen labels from small wineries structured around 5 categories: reds, whites, rosés, oranges (white grape wine whose must has been macerated without removing the skin) and bubbles.
Where to find us? Calle de Don Pedro, 20.
BATCH
In the Mercado de Vallehermoso market you can find this tasting-shop co-directed by Nacho García and Daniel Vare. Among its fermented wines, kimchis and chucruts, natural wines are its strong point.
Since December 2020, the duo has been democratising natural wines, which they offer together with the proposal of the Parisian-influenced chef Daniel Varea. Their seasonal and local products are thus diluted in the same pairing with organic and natural international wines from the Sierra de Madrid to Georgia, France or the Czech Republic.
Where can you find us? Calle de Vallehermoso, 36.
LA CANÍBAL
La Caníbal is another of Madrid’s bars where you can quench your thirst for natural wine. A vibrant space founded by Javier Vázquez who imbues it with a marked Galician stamp through grilled dishes, sandwiches or snacks to accompany his wines made by fermenting the grapes themselves.
La Caníbal’s wine selection includes some references of wines that are not sold openly to the public, but are made exclusively for places like this one, such as a tempranillo from Toledo by Julián Ruiz or a sauvignon blanc by Daniel Ramos, from Ávila.
Where can you find them? Calle de Argumosa, 28.
LA FISNA
This wine boutique, which also hosts wine tastings, has a simple menu of charcuterie and other delicacies such as roasted peppers with mackerel to accompany its tribute to wine culture with a strong focus on sherries, burgundies and champagnes from small producers, which are constantly changing.
In its display coexist some 600 bottles connected by a philosophy: the minimum intervention aimed at curious palates looking for something different in every sip.
Where is it located? Calle del Amparo, 91.
