Birdie’s (photo by Jana Birchum)
The natural wine trend is booming in Austin and there are plenty of options around town to explore this in-vogue style. Don’t miss these hot spots for low-intervention vino.
LoLo
Austin’s self-styled first bar primarily dedicated to natural wine opened in 2019 and is lauded for its wine selection. Enjoy a cheese plate or some tinned fish with your favorite wine on the huge outdoor patio.
1504 E. Sixth, lolo.wine
Golden Hour
A welcome addition to the far reaches of south Austin, Golden Hour offers small plates to accompany the thoughtfully curated selection of natural wines available by the glass or bottle.
7731 Menchaca Rd., goldenhouratx.com
The Violet Crown
A specialty coffeehouse, natural wine bar, and bottle shop in Brentwood, owned and operated by Grant Richardson and his husband, Chris Nagelhout. The vibes are immaculate in this sleek, modern, lightly masculine space, and the wine selection very clearly reflects the owners’ deep knowledge of and passion for natural wines.
7100 Woodrow St. #100, thevioletcrownatx.com
Sunrise Mini Mart
You might be surprised to see a Citgo station on this list, but owner Sam Rozani has leveled up this convenience store to be the destination for natural wines, craft beers, and ciders for Crestview denizens.
1809 W. Anderson, sunrisebottleshop.com
Bufalina & Bufalina Due
The original Bufalina pioneered the natural wine scene in Austin, and its recently opened revival in East Austin pays equally close attention to quality bottles of natural wine from all over the world that pair beautifully with Bufalina’s Neapolitan pizzas. Bufalina Due, in Brentwood, allows North Austinites to easily get ahold of excellent natural wine (and excellent pizza).
2215 E. Cesar Chavez & 6555 Burnet Rd., bufalinapizza.com
Nixta Taqueria
This hugely celebrated and endlessly inventive taqueria in East Austin chose to zero in on natural wine because, according to co-owner Sara Mardanbigi, “we put a lot of importance on the sourcing of our corn, so we thought it was necessary to do the same with wine.” Nixta also hosts a recurring wine club called Xolovino, which pairs natural wines with international dishes and educational chats.
2512 E. 12th, nixtataqueria.com
Birdie’s
With its major emphasis on menu seasonality, Birdie’s – a wine bar and walk-in-only restaurant in East Austin – is an ideal spot for an ever-changing and eclectic natural wine list that emphasizes small producers. If you’re looking for a very “keep Austin weird” wine menu, you’ll find it here.
2944-A E. 12th, birdiesaustin.com
Underdog
This brand-new spot on South First Street pairs a sommelier-designed natural wine list with a menu of Korean-influenced dishes that complement the unique flavors of the natural wines. The on-site wine shop is also natural-wine-dominant, so you can easily grab a bottle to enjoy at home.
1600 S. First, underdog-atx.com
Lenoir
Farm-to-table restaurants are an ideological match for natural wines, and Lenoir on South First Street leans into that harmonious relationship, serving New American dishes made with locally grown produce and locally raised meats alongside a European-heavy list of low-intervention wines.
1807 S. First, lenoirrestaurant.com
Aviary Wine & Kitchen
At the wine-nerd-approved South Lamar bar and restaurant known as Aviary, natural wine isn’t the sole focus, but because there are natural wines aplenty on the list and the bar staff is both knowledgeable and very hospitable, they can guide you toward an ideal natural wine for your palate.
2110 S. Lamar, aviarywinekitchen.com
Rosie’s Wine Bar
A cozy and petite Clarksville bar with Parisian-cafe vibes, Rosie’s serves a Spanish- and Portuguese-accented food menu and a wine list with big Mediterranean energy (and a few departures for the Pacific Northwest, California, and South Africa) and lots of low-intervention bottles.
1130 W. Sixth, rosiesaustin.com
Flo’s Wine Bar & Bottle Shop
The recently opened Flo’s in Tarrytown is equal parts wine bar, wine shop, and pizza destination, and it handles all of these tasks with aplomb. The list isn’t exclusively natural, but the bottle shop and the by-the-glass list both have plenty of natural selections.
3111 W. 35th, floswinebar.com
Cork & Screw
Conventional wines and natural wines are both well-represented at this East Austin bottle shop and tasting bar, but the vinophiles in charge of Cork & Screw clearly have a fondness for the natural stuff, as proven by the intriguing bottles available for purchase and for on-site enjoyment.
2907 E. 12th, corkandscrewatx.com
Salt & Time Wine Shop
Salt & Time in East Austin is an appealing one-stop shop, as you’ll find some of Austin’s best cuts of meat and best bottles of wine right next door to each other. The wine buyers specialize in low-intervention wines, and if you need a food-friendly bottle to pair with a beautiful steak or rack of lamb, they’ve got you covered.
1912 E. Seventh, saltandtime.com