The ethos and layout at Contento is “accessible for all,” including the wheelchair-accessible bar and the wide aisles. It’s inspired by beverage director and co-owner Yannick Benjamin, who recovered from a car accident, rejiggered a tray onto his wheelchair, and kept working as a sommelier. His wine list at Contento highlights wines that have a social impact, which showcases women, BIPOC, indigenous, and sustainability-driven winemakers. His partner, Oscar Lorenzzi, created a food menu that combines his Peruvian roots with the French techniques gleaned from working at Marseille and Nice Matin. 

Anfora, sibling to Italian pasta staple, L’Artusi, has featured a biodynamic and natural wine selection since it opened in 2010. The lineup is perhaps even more indebted to France than it was, with a vertical of Joly, listings from the likes of Henri Milan, and a whole clutch of natural Beaujolais. Current natural wine obsession Gut Oggau is also in the mix. In a place that is both a West Village watering hole and a darkly chic lounge, there is a long list of wines available by the glass.

When a restaurant dictates “Wine should be fucking fun,” the edict must be followed through. Co-owner Ariel Arce does just that with hosted dinner parties — four courses of food and wine pairings led by the chosen host for the night (usually a sommelier or winemaker or distributor) — in a rug-laden space designed to evoke a friend’s living room. Arce also throws in weekly themed tastings that delve into wine-producing regions like Liguria, Italy or Madrid, Spain. The wines — and their complementary foods — change constantly so there’s always that element of surprise. Check the calendar for monthly updates.

This sibling to Gem that’s around the corner from the restaurant from Flynn McGarry (the guy who opened a tasting menu spot in 2018, when he was 19) specializes in low-intervention winemakers and small dishes like gouda with pears or lamb tartare with greens. But yes, you can go even more minimalist with an order of bread and butter or a larger plate such as mackerel with rhubarb ponzu. The wine menu is a rotating selection of by-the-glass and bottles, and like a neighborhood bar, is walk-in only.

The Ten Bells has always been successful at being three places at once: a neighborhood choice lit by candlelight, a go-to late-night spot, and a natural wine shrine for those in the know. It was an early proponent of the style, and thus many sommeliers end up here to drink it. Brooklynites may want to visit the Bushwick location.

If Champagne guns shooting $70-plus wine into your mouth underneath a disco ball sounds like your thing, then Sauced could be your nighttime move. This Williamsburg wine bar opened in January 2020 and really hit its stride later in the pandemic, now as one of the area’s most essential party spots. The wine list here lacks pretension often synonymous with wine culture in the city, but that doesn’t come at the cost of a well-curated natural wine list that can back up the flirty fun of being here.

Run by Cerise Zelenetz, a restaurant illustrator, Cherry on Top, which opened last summer, is not one of those cavernous, dark wine bars — instead known for its sprawling rooftop bar. Downstairs the — yes, cherry red — room is more intimate, well-suited for dates. But the upstairs has a decidedly Bushwick feel, perfect for birthday parties or other group occasions, no matter if you’re sipping by glass or bottle.

Back in 2019, restaurateur Henry Rich (behind June) converted Fort Greene wood-fired restaurant Metta into a wine bar that he claims aims to achieve a zero-waste model. Whether that can be proved aside, at Rhodora there’s plenty to love: find a wine list that varies from Loire to Sicily with shared plates like parsley-anchovy toast or pork rillettes. The corner location offers plenty of outdoor tables in the warmer months, ideal for people-watching, and kicking back after a stroll in nearby Fort Greene Park. The wine bar often hosts food pop-ups announced on its Instagram page.

Wine and cheese compete for the spotlight at Casellula. So hallelujah for cheese pairings that run the gamut from mild to “super, duper, crazy, stinky” artisan cheeses and 100-plus wines that include robust reds and crisp whites. The trademarked Pig’s Ass sandwich — with melty Emmental and cheddar cheeses and chipotle aioli — is another hit here.  

Co-owners Erika Lesser and Katie Richey brought natural wines in an approachable setting to Ditmas Park when they opened lauded wine bar, King Mother, in late 2019. From varietal descriptions like “floral, fresh & pretty, like spring in NYC!” to its fondue that brings together groups of friends in a circle to dunk breads and vegetables in a molten combination of chardonnay-laced raclette, cheddar, and American cheeses, the spot emanates hip and convivial vibes.

This Greenpoint spot offers well-made cocktails, natural wine, and craft beers on tap to complement an unfussy food menu with dishes like burrata, bean toast, or chicken with peppers and onions. It’s the kind of place where you want to tell the bartender what you like to drink and they’ll find something that hits the right notes.