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Photo: courtesy of Nine O'Clock Wines
Natural wines on display at Nine O'Clock Wines
Natural wine is having a moment in Pittsburgh right now. The style of vino can be
hard to describe, but it basically means that no additives were part of the wine-making process. Similar to other booze fermented with naturally occurring yeast, natural wine tends to have a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
The wines are popping up at bars and restaurants all over Pittsburgh, as well as bottle shops. With Pennsylvania
bars and restaurants closed to indoor dining until Jan. 4, 2021 in an effort to stem the coronavirus cases,
Pittsburgh City Paper has highlighted five places in Pittsburgh to purchase bottles of natural wine to-go.
This brand new natural wine club and bottle shop just opened up this past weekend. It was founded by Celine Roberts and Christie Kliewer, both of Bar Marco, and it’s run out of the Strip District restaurant.
“We see this as an opportunity to make wine more fun and approachable,” says Roberts, who is a
former CP staffer and food writer. “With our wine club and bottle shop, we hope to encourage our guests to ask questions and learn alongside us.”
Bottles available range from reds from Italy, to whites from Oregon, and wines made from the Spanish Albariño grapes.
Currently, customers at Nine O’Clock Wines are only able to purchase bottles of wine and a subscription to next month's wine club in-person. Sales are pick-up only, with no onsite consumption. Limit of four bottles per transaction. The shop is open Tue., Fri., and Sat. from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
The South Side wine shop offers a variety of wines, not just the natural kind. One natural wine they are currently advertising is an Orange Trebbiano wine from Italy and a Joseph Jewell Skin-Fermented Pinot Gris from California. Orange wine is also called skin-contact white wine, and is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed. The shop is open Sun.-Thu. from 3-10 p.m. and Fri.-Sat. from 3-11 p.m.
One of the most
popular wine bars in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Wine Mixer also offers natural wine for sale. They typically offer a few varieties of natural wine, and their staff have great suggestions for people who are not super knowledgeable about drinking wine. Currently available is vinsobres red from the French Rhone Valley, according to their website. The shop is open Fri. from 3-9:30 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. from 1-9:30 p.m.
Apteka - Bloomfield
During the pandemic, the popular vegan restaurant has partially
transitioned into a wine and bottle shop, and yes, it has a lot of natural wine, including orange wines, roses, and all the pure goodness. And customers can even try some of their homemade
kvass, which isn’t wine, but a non-alcoholic fermented bread beverage. Apteka’s bottle shop is open for in-store pickup Wed.-Thu. from 12-8 p.m. and Fri.-Sat. from 4-8 p.m.
Tina’s - Bloomfield
The Bloomfield bar has also transitioned a lot during the pandemic. In addition to running a donut and coffee cart at the farmers market,
Tina’s is also now a corner store and bar and they sell natural wine. And if you are looking for something even stronger, grab one of their bottled old fashioned cocktails, one of the best mixed in the city. Corner store open Thu.-Sat. from 12-8 p.m. and Sun. from 12-5 p.m.
