Upper Midwesterners are a cautious lot and have been slow to embrace natural wine. Now they can take a deep dive into any of 150 red, white, pink and orange wines from that realm at Bar Brava. Co-owner Dan Evans and beverage director Jill Mott traveled exhaustively to compile the list, about half of which emanates from Spain. Not so much Rioja, but lesser-known regions such as Nieva (MicroBio Sin Nombre, $80) and Santiuste (five wines from Esmeralda Garcia, $60 to $66). Those wines make for great pairing with Nick Anderson’s Iberian-inspired dishes, such as patatas bravas with aioli and Catalan ramen with lump crab, picada and fresh herbs. The 15 by-the-glass offerings and flights rotate every few weeks, providing an opportunity for still-apprehensive Minnesotans to explore and experiment.
1914 N. Washington Ave. Minneapolis, MN
Wine Bar
612-208-1270
This story appears in the print issue of February 2020.
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