These Shops are Home to America's Best Selection of Natural French Wine

Diversey Wines - Chicago 

Located in the city’s bustling Logan Square neighborhood, Diversey Wines brings the best of organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines to the masses. Diversey’s founders believe that natural wines ‘hold the power to affirm a profound sense of shared humanity, our connectedness to nature, and our deepest desires for a better world’ -- in short, the shop’s hand-curated selection features small producers who care for both the earth and the future of its people. 

Diversey offers a $50/month wine club membership, which includes a box of two wines, written descriptions, and pairing suggestions each month. Wine club pickups take place on the first Sunday of each month, and members receive 10% of all purchases made at Diversey. The shop also hosts producer-focused tastings every Sunday for $10 a pop. Natural wine fans, if you’re looking to find like-minded wine drinkers in the Chicago area, this place is a solid start.  

3023 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647  

Sauvage - Phoenix 

Sauvage may be small, but its selection -- and proprietor-- are fierce. Founded by Chris Lingua, this 160-square foot shop boasts 40 selections of specially selected natural wines at all time, featured in the $15, $20, $25, and $30 price points, many of which hail from France’s top growing regions. The highlight of a trip to Sauvage is undoubtedly chatting with Chris, who is eager to explain the reasons for his selections and the stories behind the bottles/producers.  

Sauvage’s 80+ selections rotate daily and feature a variety of grape varieties and French regions. For those looking to imbibe regularly, Chris offers a ‘Wine Well Membership.’ For just $30 a month, members receive the chance to purchase rare and exclusive wines, as well as receive 10% off every in-store purchase made at Sauvage. Free tastings of new arrivals also take place in-store every week, perfect for sampling before committing. Forget the big box retailers -- this local hidden gem is where it’s at.  

901 N 1st St #109, Phoenix, AZ 85016  

Lou Wine Shop - Los Angeles 

Lou Wine Shop really needs no introduction. This natural wine mecca located in Los Feliz has been a long-standing staple in the natural wine community. The eponymous shop’s name comes from founder Lou Amdur, who is a firm believer that organic, biodynamic, and natural practices in the cellar are the key to making honest and soil-reflective wines. The shop’s French-heavy selection places a strong emphasis on the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, and Jura, though bottles from all French wine producing regions are available. 

Curious to taste before you buy? You’re in luck. Every Friday (6PM - 8PM ) and Saturday (4PM - 7PM), Lou Wine shop hosts thematic tastings, generally featuring a winemaker or importer, that showcase a specific style of wine, producer, or place. For those looking to dive deeper into the world of Lou’s favorites, the shop also offers a monthly wine club membership that highlights his top current picks. The shop is atypically organized by various sections, including BBQ, Party, and Netflix & Chill.  

1911 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Wine Therapy - New York City 

New York City has no shortage of natural French wines, though this little family-owned wine shop in Nolita may just be the city’s best kept secret. Founded by French native Jeanbaptiste Humbert, Wine Therapy focuses on minimalist wines produced around the world, and because of his heritage, his patrimony for France (and its wines) is evident in his curation. Humbert recalls his parents making the switch from conventional to natural wines way before it was trendy, which made a heavy impact on his wine drinking philosophy.  

“I think the natural French wine scène has more or less made natural wines so popular,” says Humbert. “The old historical producers like Mosse, Catherine Bréton, Gramenon etc. definitely gave a boost and notoriety to the movement.” Humbert reveals that he is always excited to drink natural wines from the Loire, Ardèche, and the Jura. “We just received more of Chahut et Prodiges’ killer Pinot Noir called ‘Black Beat,’ and from Ardèche, we’ve got the new wines from Gregory Guilhaume that are super delicious and inexpensive.” Humbert also calls out his recent enthusiasm for Valentin Morel, who he believes could become the next ‘superstar’ of the Jura.  

171 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012

Ordinaire Wine - Oakland (Bay Area) 

This Bay area wine bar/wine shop hybrid is an institution in America’s natural wine scene. Since opening in 2013, Ordinaire has shot to natural wine retail fame, thanks to its well-curated and diverse selection of organic, biodynamic, and minimal intervention wines. In addition to booze, Ordinaire also sells a selection of cheeses, charcuterie, and tinned fish, all of which is available for pickup or local delivery. Like others, Ordinaire also has an eponymous wine club, though the staff proposes three levels of memberships : Ordinaire ($50/month for two bottles), Extraordinaire ($75/month for two bottles), and Grand Ordinaire ($125/month for four bottles). 

Alex Fondren, co-founder of natural wine importer Offshore Wines sings Ordinaire’s praises. “It’s funny that the most quintessential Parisian-inspired wine shop actually exists in Oakland and not Paris,” she laughs. Although Fondren does business with Ordinaire, she also genuinely enjoys frequenting the establishment for non-work purposes. “I love going there as a customer just for my own edification, because they always have the ‘who’s who’ of natty French wines,” she says .”Plus their staff really knows these producers - like, actually knows them.” Fondren notes that this is a big reason why Ordinaire gets first dibs on tight allocations, such as wines from Domaine Dandelion and Charles Dufour’s ‘Bulles de Comptoir.’ “Their wine club is like a monthly publication of the need-to-know new releases in the natural wine world,” she says, citing that the majority of their selections tend to come from France. 

3354 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610

Sunrise Bottle Shop - Austin 

They say to never judge a book by its cover, and in the case of Sunrise Bottle Shop, the statement rings truer than ever. Although this casual gas station mini-mart may not look like much from the outside, the meticulously curated selection of French natural wines found on the inside rival some of the nation’s top wine shop shelves. Natural wine lovers looking for the insider scoop, you’ve been warned -- this place is the real deal. 

The shop’s proprietor, Sam Rozani (known around town as ‘Sunrise Sam’) has an affinity for natural wines from the Loire Valley, particularly those from Brendan Tracey, Catherine and Pierre Bréton, and more. With over 700 handpicked selections now adorning this unassuming gas-station shop’s shelves, Sunrise Bottle Shop has become a destination retail location for natural French wine lovers across the country. Looking to plan your next wine-focused road trip itinerary? Be sure to include this eccentric natural wine haven as a top stop.  

1809 W Anderson Ln, Austin, TX 78757  

Henry & Son - Minneapolis 

Natural French wine in the heart of the midwest? You bet. Founded by Gretchen Skedsvold and Mark Henry, this humble Minneapolis wine shop has become a natural wine destination for those in the northern Midwest. Skedsvold credits her discovery of natural wine to a Paris trip she took with her husband back in 2009. “I stumbled into the wine shop Crus et Decouvertes while waiting for a table at L'Ecailler du Bistrot across the street. Coralie Delecheneau from La Grange Tiphaine was in the back of the shop pouring some of her wines. We talked with her a bit and tasted her wines, [which] were so delightful and unlike anything we'd ever tasted (including her pét-nat, which was a totally new discovery for both of us),” she recalls.  

Skedsvold notes that after her encounter with Coralie, the ‘run-of-the-mill’ wines she was used to drinking just weren’t enough, comparing her experience to the likes of eating half-ripe grocery store tomatoes after tasting a home-grown fruit freshly picked from a garden. “The French natural wine scene has a particularly irreverent punk-rock vibe that my husband and I are drawn to,” explains Skedsvold. Henry & Son has a vast collection of natural French selections available, particularly from lesser-known regions. Skedsvold frequently finds herself drawn to wines from Alsace, the Auvergne, and Lorraine, as well as the more obvious picks of the Loire, Jura, and Beaujolais. “I'm super excited about the growing natural movements in Champagne and Burgundy as well!” she exclaims.  

1220 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405