Seattle is quickly becoming a natural wine hot spot in the US! With their own wine production across Washington state creating some great low-intervention stuff and a history of biodynamic farming, wine-drinking population will likely continue to trend more and more towards our favorite style of wines.
Bonus Interview with a Local!
We love getting firsthand knowledge from locals whenever we can! When our dear friend, natural wine enthusiast, and food writer Aimee Rizzo (@thefizzandthefunk on Insta or check out her website thefizzandthefunk.com) offered to help us out we just had to take her up on it!
Scroll to the bottom of the page for that interview, where we ask Aimee the important stuff, like "If Seattle were a natural wine label, what would it look like?"
Mapped: The Seattle Natural Wine Scene
RESTAURANTS:
Damn the Weather– 116 1st Ave South, Seattle, WA 98104
Here are all the restaurants that we know, so far, that are serving either a list that is only natural wines, or have a significant amount of them on the list to choose from! Make sure to ask your somm or waiter for the recommendation on which are in fact natural.
The Masonry Fremont– 730 N 34th Street, Seattle, WA 98103
Roomy, contemporary parlor offering wood-fired pizzas, meatballs & craft beers, plus outside seats. Dine-in and takeaway
The Whale Wins - 3506 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA 98103
Eatery with a wood-fired oven turning out European & NW dishes in a white-&-blue cottagelike room. Dine-in, takeaway and delivery
Westward - 2501 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
Mediterranean fare with seafood slant served in nautical-style digs with patio views over the lake. Dine-in and takeaway
Damn the Weather– 116 1st Ave South, Seattle, WA 98104
Upscale gastropub offering craft cocktails & a changing menu of American fare in wood-&-brick digs. Dine-in and takeaway
Bistro Shirlee - 3600 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105
Sunny, contemporary French-leaning bistro with pastries, share plates & an extensive wine list.
- Temporarily closed due to COVID
Barnacle - 4743 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Snug, Moroccan-tiled bar serves apéritifs, amari & wine along with New American small plates.
The Walrus and the Carpenter - 4743 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Oysters & other seafood plus American plates & specialty cocktails in a small, simple space. Dine-in and takeaway
Baker's - 6408 32nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Polished pocket-sized neighborhood bar focused on classic cocktails & hearty PNW small plates. Dine-in and takeaway
How to Cook a Wolf - 2208 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Wood-paneled eatery by chef Ethan Stowell specializing in sophisticated Italian-Mediterranean fare. Dine-in, takeaway and delivery
Delancey - 1415 NW 70th St, Seattle, WA 98117
Intimate & trendy restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas decorated with seasonal toppings. Takeaway only
Champagne Diner - 945 Elliott Ave W #201, Seattle, WA 98119
Retro-chic nook serving elevated diner classics for brunch and dinner plus craft cocktails. Dine-in and takeaway
Vinnie's - 2505 2nd Ave Suite 103 Seattle, WA 98121 (also a wine shop)
Chill, pocket-sized raw seafood bar specializing in local fare & a well-curated natural wine list. Dine-in and takeaway
Willmotts Ghost - 2100 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
A menu specializing in Roman cuisine & pizza in a modern setting with natural light & pastel decor. Dine-in, curbside pickup and delivery
L’Oursin– 1315 E Jefferson Street, Seattle, WA 98122
Bright, quaint space with sustainable seafood, natural wine & French-inspired dishes. Dine-in only
Bateau - 1040 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122
Sustainable cuts from a local farm headline a classy, contemporary steakhouse from Renee Erickson. Dine-in and curbside pickup
Boat Bar - 1060 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122
Renee Erickson spot showcasing local oysters, inspired bites & libations in a splashy room.
The Table - 2715 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406
Contemporary bistro featuring locally sourced New American fare in a convivial, cozy setting. Dine-in and takeaway
Homer - 3013 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Cozy restaurant serving small & big plates of locally-inspired Mediterranean dishes & cocktails. Dine-in and curbside pickup
Blotto - 1830 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
This former pop-up is now a full-fledged pizzeria on 12th Ave. on Capitol Hill, and while you can take bottles home with you, you can also sip your wine with your spicy cheese pie. I recommend that. Dine-in. Takeout.
Milk Drunk - 2805 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
This sister spot to Homer/palace of fried chicken sandwiches and soft serve also sells bottles of natural wine, in case you wanted bubbles with your crispy dredged thigh (spoiler: you do).
Harry’s Fine Foods - 601 Bellevue Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
While it’s tempting to nurse one of Harry’s excellent negronis with their equally-as-excellent burger, you could try a natural wine from their list. This corner spot on Capitol Hill looks like an antique parlor where you’re not allowed to touch anything - in a good way. Dine-in, Takeout, No delivery.
Harry’s Beach House - 2676 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Harry’s West Seattle location on Alki has a bottle shop as well as natural glass pours that you can enjoy, also with their excellent burger. The theme here is that Harry’s has a great burger. Dine-in, Curbside pickup, No-contact delivery.
Eight Row - 7102 Woodlawn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
While not everything at this farm-to-table spot on Green Lake is natural, you’ll still find a good selection here - and really tasty DIY tacos for two. Dine-in, Curbside pickup, Delivery.
WINE BARS:
If you're looking to take some natural wine home with you, we've found some places to hit up! Some of these below are actually both a bar and a store! Here you can find the most popular places to buy natural wine in Seattle.
Underbelly - 119 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 (also a wine shop)
Limited indoor seating
Poindexter Coffee & Mountaineering Club - 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Rustic-chic rooftop lounge with a seafood-focused menu, craft cocktails & expansive city views. Dine-in, curbside pickup and delivery
Ebb and Company - 3404 NE 55th St, Seattle, WA 98105
Curbside pickup only
Left Bank– 8526 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108 (also a wine shop)
The oldest, smallest, natural wine shop + bar in South Park, Seattle. In-store shopping, Curbside pickup.
Deep Dive - 620 Lenora St, Seattle, WA 98121
Cocktails & upscale European bar snacks in a posh, vintage-chic hideaway with a speakeasy vibe.
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Temporarily closed due to COVID
Bottlehouse - 1416 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 (also a wine shop)
Hand-picked wines, microbrews, artisan cheeses & cured meats served in a cozy house with a deck. Dine-in and curbside pickup
La Dive - 721 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Cheery natural wine specialist with frozen drinks & inventive snacks plus a psychedelic mural. Dine in and Takeaway only
Burien Press - 423 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166 (also a wine shop)
Relaxed, timber-lined coffeehouse serving specialty drinks alongside baked goods & bites. Curbside pickup only
Moonshot Coffee - 9622 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Moonshot Coffee is a speciality coffee shop located in White Center. Takeaway, No dine-in, and No delivery.
Foundry Vineyards - 524 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
This Pioneer Square tasting room which doubles as a quirky home goods store offers bottles and glass pours of Foundry Vineyard’s Pet Project wines, which are all (fantastic) pét-nats.
Light Sleeper - 1424 11th Ave Suite D, Seattle, WA 98122
Located in Chophouse Row on Capitol Hill, Light Sleeper is a natural wine bar that serves snacks and pizza both inside and out on the courtyard.
WINE SHOPS:Rae Vino - 321 NE 72nd Street, Seattle, WA 98115
Natural Wine Shop/Club. 1% of sales donated to 1% for the Planet, an environmental nonprofit based in Burlington, VT. Good friends of the MYSA universe!
In-store shopping, curbside pickup and delivery.
DeLaurenti Food & Wine - 1435 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Italian food & wine shop selling cheeses, meats & imported groceries plus a cafe for light bites. Delivery or pickup
Vif wine|coffee– 4401 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 (also a wine bar)
Light-filled cafe matching New American bites with some sustainably produced coffee & wines. Dine-in and takeaway
Molly's Bottle Shop - (Woman Owned) - West seattle location is now open
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6406 32nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
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3278c california ave sw seattle, wa, 98116
Wide Eyed Wines - 1424 11th Ave Suite C, Seattle, WA 98122
Featuring sustainably grown, small production wines from around the world. In-store shopping, curbside pickup and delivery.
Petite Soif- 3309A Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Cozy, quaint cafe pairing sustainably produced wine with creative New American bites. Dine-in and takeaway
Champion Wine Cellars - 8503 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 (They are in the process of moving locations - this will become their old address)
The oldest independent wine shop in the city also happens to have a great selection of natural wines - and it’s also where you’ll likely find the most local, Washington-made stuff.
Mr. West Café - 720 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101 AND 2685 NE University Village St, Seattle, WA 98105
Both the Downtown and University Village locations of this café and wine bar stocks a hodgepodge of low- and no-intervention wine to-go, from biodynamic Cabernet Franc to fizzy pink mini-bottles of natural rosé. Dine-in, Curbside pickup, Delivery.
Imperfetta - 118 NW Canal St suite A, Seattle, WA 98107
Along the Burke-Gilman trail is Imperfetta, a space selling bottles of natural wine and hosting the occasional chef pop-up and/or tasting.
Other:
We've been hearing more and more about wine pop-ups across the globe and we've found one so far in Seattle below!
Juice Club - No Address! It's an event.
Plants & Animals - No Address! They are delivering orders directly to doors all over the Seattle region every Friday! "An online Seattle delivery service that carries the greatest selection. These shops deserve some recognition for how well they’ve taken care of me!" - Mellya V.
Glinda - Online-only operation focusing on wine clubs and deliveries.
VNO Natural Wine Club -This delivery-only wine club ships monthly natural bottles in groups of three or six - along with an option to gift someone very lucky a one-time shipment of three bottles.
Kinfood - online only, delivering to seattle and east side! They deliver curated boxes of local goods in Seattle: The Farm Box & Cook-Along, The Pantry Box, and a Weekly Wine Club
We haven't actually visited Seattle yet, so if you have other suggestions for us to add in please leave a comment and we will continually update this page with recommendations! Our hope is to get out there in the next year or so as there are some producers we're really excited to check out!
A Local's Take on the Seattle Natural Wine Scene
Also, we want to take a moment to give a HUGE thank you to our local contributor, Aimee Rizzo! We had the opportunity to interview her and really dive into the Seattle Natural Wine Scene:
QUESTIONS with Aimee Rizzo:
Where's your favorite place to sip natural wine in Seattle right now?
Left Bank will always be my first love. It feels like a chill buddy’s renovated basement, filled with decibels from spinning vinyls and really good wine poured by an approachable owner who knows his stuff. I always encourage anyone looking to try natural wine to try it there first. And not just because you can bring in double cheeseburgers from Loretta’s across the street to pair with your chilled red. But that’s a nice bonus.
Where are you finding the best bottles for purchase?
There are so many different places to grab bottles in Seattle, and the cool thing is that you’ll probably never see two spots sporting a similar selection. But that can also be an inconvenience if you’re looking for something specific. Say you really need a one-stop shop (I usually do), DeLaurenti is absolutely the best. Need one of each of Las Jaras’ new releases? They’ve got it. Old Westminster cans? More than you can shake a stick at. Four magnums of Pash Rash? Done. Hand-sliced prosciutto di San Daniele and Calabro buffalo mozzarella to go with it all? Yeah, they have that too. Part Italian grocery, part natural wine emporium, all incredible.
How is the natural wine scene growing and changing in your experience in Seattle?
Not only are more new spots popping up that exclusively serve and sell natural wine, but we’re also beginning to see establishments that have been around for a while start to get bitten by the bug - from restaurants including a couple of natural glass pours on an otherwise-conventional wine list to supermarkets (OK, Whole Foods) stocking low-intervention bottles on the shelves. In the Seatown of yesteryear, finding natural wine was kind of like spotting Russell Wilson on the street (seriously, where is he all the time?!). Now, there’s a viable option in almost every neighborhood. Still no sign of Russell, though.
We're talking about Washington here, so what about favorite winemakers in the area?
This might be a biased answer because I’m partial to the fizz, but Jay Anderson’s Pet Project is slurpin’ stupendous. As the name suggests, he exclusively produces pét-nat (with a piquette here and there), and they’re all off the charts. His vibrant chenin blanc bubbles taste like sticky pear curd topped with freshly-grated lime zest, with this crusty sourdough slap across the face. One gulp makes a cheese board full of Trader Joe’s nonsense from the back of your fridge feel like a freaking Parisian fromage platter.
Most surprising place you've found natural wine in Seattle?
Plants & Animals - which, plot twist, is not a physical place at all. While I love a good bottle-perusing session, there’s been this takeover of online-only operations, which is really neat. And Plants & Animals has a massive inventory, an easy ordering process, and they deliver the juice right to your front door. I see no flaws.
If Seattle were a natural wine label, what would it look like?
Picture this: a scrappy piece of crumpled, ground espresso-dusted loose leaf paper taped to the side of the bottle with thick black marker reading, “Please just shut up already about the rain.” Living here is really not like the tsunami scene from “The Day After Tomorrow.” I promise.
What style of natural wine would Seattle be?
Seattleites do a lot of hiking here, and also smoke a ton of weed - both activities that require guzzling water afterward. Thus, Seattle would be a big, thirst-quenching, cottonmouth-alleviating bottle of spritzy piquette, a.k.a. wine coolers made with our trusty hydrating comrade, H2O.
What would the theme song of the natty wine world in Seattle be?
Oh, there’s no contest. It’d be “One Way Or Another” by Blondie. Because truly, one way or another, natural wine in Seattle is gonna find you, and it’s gonna get you (get you get you get you).
You can find Aimee on Instagram at @thefizzandthefunk and at her website The Fizz & The Funk!
Teku Tavern, a craft beer bar and bottle shop in South Lake Union has started to carry natural wines. Not all of their selection is natural but there’s a good chunk that is!