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Oct 21
reading time 5 min

7 Places in Milan to Drink Natural Wine

by Federica Soleo

The topic of natural wine is HOT in Italy. Though there may be an entrenched culture of conventional wines in the country that produces more than any other, Italy’s major urban centers are starting to catch up to the natural wine movement. Rome and Florence both have burgeoning scenes, but it’s Milan that offers really exciting options, especially when you look beyond the wine bar format. 

 

It was 2005 when I started studying and working in Milan’s world of wine in Milan. Speaking of organic wine was rare, and the term “natural” was hardly used by anyone. If you did, the sentence, more often than not, followed along these lines: “Ew, natural wine stinks.”

 

In reality, they just didn’t know the facts; we can say that a wine is natural when the farmer/producer:

 

  • DOES produce only a few bottles and only with the grapes of their own vineyards
  • DOESN’T use chemicals in the vineyard or in the cellar
  • DOES use indigenous yeasts, present on the skins of grapes for fermentation
  • DOESN’T use acidity correctors or selected yeasts
  • DOES use low doses (sometimes no dose!) of added sulfur (that “annoying” substance that many believe creates the famous hangover headache, but that in reality is naturally produced by the wine)

 

Did you know that the natural evolution of grape must, if left without a temperature control and completely at the mercy of itself, is vinegar? Therefore, to produce a good natural wine, paradoxically, human intervention in the cellar is fundamental, necessary, and obligatory–reduced to a minimum, however, if the grapes are harvested from healthy vineyards, in good shape, at the right ripeness, and without mold or defects.

 

Natural wines are therefore artisanal, emotional wines, and, above all, they are never the same. Edoardo Valentini, a great and mythical wine producer in Abruzzo, inspired by the Greek philosopher Socrates, said: “I look and let Mother Nature take its course: everything already exists, you just have to let it emerge.”

 

Here, seven places–wine bars, restaurants, and shops–in Milan where you can taste superlative examples of this emergence:

A breakfast tray with pancakes, syrup, jam, coffee on a rumpled white-sheeted hotel bed; visible hotel logos in soft light. A breakfast tray with pancakes, syrup, and berries sits on a white bed; Hotel d’Inghilterra Roma logo appears on the right.
 

VINOIR

Owners Gianluca and Maddalena make it onto the podium for they were one of the first in Milan to open a place that gave voice to small artisan and natural wine producers and banned the “great” names of wine world. On one of the Navigli canals since 2012, Vinoir is chic as can be: white walls and wooden furniture lend themselves well to the bright and airy space. As it’s a bit farther down the canal than most tourists make it, you’ll find many locals, who come here for the rare, fantastically-curated wine list and top-notch, modern small plates to pair. 

 

TERROIR

At this gourmet grocery store, you’ll find everything from local fruits and vegetables to artisan chocolates, teas, and cheeses–and, of course, natural wine. Each bottle is the result of careful and meticulous research by proprietor Gabriele Ornati, who opened the place in 2018. You’ll come for the wine, but walk out with a whole bag of goodies and a pastry from the case up front for good measure.

 

MESTÉ

In Milanese, “mesté” means “trade”, and it’s Italy’s craftsmanship that Marco, in the kitchen, and Daniele, who studied oenology and mans the dining room, celebrate through their raw materials and wines. There are few seats in the small, colorful Mesté, but, in the summer, they open up a lovely outdoor area–a must when the weather is nice. Touches of vintage furniture–including a fully-functional, 1960s wall-mounted telephone–make it a real gem. 

 

RØST

Here, sommelier Enrico Murru, hailing from Veneto, collaborates with chef Lucia Gaspari, also Venetian, who’s seasoned in Copenhagen kitchens. Together, they helm RØST, a distinctive Milanese restaurant nestled in the lively Porta Venezia district. Despite its Nordic-inspired name, the restaurant boasts an undeniably Italian menu. The couple’s winning formula includes shareable gourmet tapas, a limited seating arrangement, and a meticulously curated selection of natural wines. With just over a year since its opening, RØST has made a mark with Lucia’s original, sustainable dishes featuring forgotten ingredients; don’t miss the signature mondeghili!

 

MOTELOMBROSO

Along the Naviglio Pavese, this “large pink house at the bottom of a slope” beckons just outside the city center. Owners Matteo and Alessandra have created an oasis, surrounded by a lush garden and adorned with unique furnishings, including ancient Japanese black bamboo and a majestic wall mirror that magnifies the space. The true gem resides within the pink house—a restaurant conceived within an iron and glass structure. The luminous Green House, adorned with Carrara marble tables, leather design armchairs, and velvet sofas, exudes elegance with abundant greenery and dangling kokedama plants. Upstairs, the wine room, curated by Matteo, showcases bottles from small artisans producing natural wines, offering a reserved space available for rental.

 

E / n Enoteca Naturale

In the Casa Emergency building near the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, E / n Enoteca Naturale has a fantastic range of natural wines, hand selected by Rocco, who, with the owners, has built a lively wine bar that has become a place of reference for the city. The beautiful garden is a godsend during the hotter months.

 

Rovello18

For one of the best dinners or lunches in the city with an experimental wine list, head to Rovello18 in the chic Brera neighborhood. The upscale eatery offers a great selection of artisan wines, though they also feature more conventional labels for those who don’t subscribe to the natural philosophy. Combine this with traditional cuisine in a Parisian-style bistro setting, and you’ve got a dream meal.

 

Honorable mentions for even more natural wine: Trattoria Trippa Milano, Pastamadre, and Enoteca Vino, all in the Porta Romana area. C. Socialist and Immorale in Porta Venezia, ONEST in Città Studi, and Tipografia Alimentare in the Gorla-Viale Monza–all small and indispensable places where you can drink and eat in a simple and artisanal way.

Elegant restaurant interior with blue walls, vintage mirrors, posters, white-tableclothed tables, and a bar visible through an open doorway. Elegant restaurant with blue walls, gold mirrors, red chairs, white tablecloths; posters and logos visible. Stylish adjoining room.

VINOIR

TERROIR

MESTÉ

RØST

MOTELOMBROSO

E / n Enoteca Naturale

Rovello18