Natural Wine in Berlin: The Scene That Quietly Took Over
Berlin’s nightlife reputation is built on electronic music and beer. The natural wine scene that has quietly established itself over the last five years gets almost no coverage by comparison, which suits the people in it perfectly.
Why natural wine in Berlin
The same demographic that drove the specialty coffee scene — creative workers, international residents, people with money and opinions — discovered natural wine around 2018–20 and a small number of bars and bottle shops built themselves around it. Unlike in Paris or London, where natural wine can carry significant pretension, the Berlin version tends to be lower-key about it. You are drinking interesting wine in a scruffy bar. That is the correct atmosphere.
Where to go
Vino Vino in Mitte at Torstraße 99 has been around long enough to be considered an institution now — natural and low-intervention wines, small plates, good atmosphere in a narrow room. The wine list changes with what they can source.
The bottle shops in Neukölln and Prenzlauer Berg that also function as wine bars — you buy a bottle, they open it for you, you pay a small corkage — are worth finding. Check the neighbourhood Facebook groups for current recommendations as the scene moves fast.
What it costs
A glass of natural wine in Berlin typically runs €6–10. A bottle from a good bottle shop to drink in the shop: €18–30. This is cheaper than equivalent quality in Paris or London, which is part of why the scene has grown.
