Where to Drink the Best Natural Wine in Copenhagen

What is natural wine, or naturvin, and why do Danes love it so much? As a city famed for its beer traditions, Copenhagen isn’t somewhere you’d expect to find a thriving wine scene. But while the French revere classic Bordeauxes and Italians praise Tuscan reds, Danes have a special penchant for natural wines.

Natural wine producers don’t work with industrial pesticides or preservatives. Instead, they use environmentally sensitive cultivation methods and native yeasts during fermentation. Experts say this practice creates wines closely reflecting the climate and ecology of individual vineyards.

In Denmark, members of the New Nordic culinary movement were some of the first to bring natural wines to the public’s attention. Chefs offering dishes with sustainable, seasonal ingredients sought beverages with similar properties, and found natural wine to be the perfect accompaniment.

Copenhagen’s natural wine scene is now one of the most dynamic in Europe. These are the best spots in the city to enjoy a glass or bottle of natural wine (naturvin):

Den Vandrette

Rosforth & Rosforth, one of Denmark’s oldest natural wine importers, owns Den Vandrette, a bar and restaurant located close to Nyhavn’s seaward entrance.

“Sune Rosforth started importing natural wines in the early 90s,” explains Anders Duedam, Den Vandrette’s manager. “He’s half French and originally sourced his wines from the Loire valley. This bar has only ever been about natural wines.”

With links to producers all over the world, Den Vandrette’s wine selection is often eclectic. “We import a lot of wine from Georgia,” says Anders. “The country is really important within natural wine these days, and I think we, with Sune Rosforth, have been a big part of that.”

These wines also influence the restaurant’s cuisine: “Two weeks ago we did a whole Georgian week – full Georgian wine list, full Georgian menu,” Anders adds.

Den Vandrette’s day-to-day menu features a range of small sharing dishes. “We’re pretty fish and vegetable-focused,” Anders says. “But we have a new head chef, Dave Harrison, who worked at Au Passage in Paris for six years. He likes to do homemade charcuterie, using whole animals and game as much as possible.”

Something to drink:

1. Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane: “GoGo” 2017; Kakheti, Georgia; Rkatsiteli and Saperavi
75 DKK per glass, 375 per bottle

2. Laureano: “terme de guiu” 2017; Catalonia, Spain; Macabeo, Granache blanca
90 DKK per glass, 450 per bottle

3. Belloti: Rosso Étoile du Raisin 2007, Piemonte, Italy; Barbera
150 per glass; 750 per bottle

Den Vandrette

Havnegade 53A
1058 København K

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat 4:00 – 11:00 pm
Sun Closed
 

Ved Stranden 10

Ved Stranden 10, an elegant wine bar that overlooks Christiansborg Palace, was one of the first to fully embrace natural wines in Copenhagen.

“When we opened in 2009, the wines we enjoyed happened to be made with a sense of responsibility for the environment and weren’t full of chemicals and preservatives,” explains manager Maurice Chapman. “Today, each of the wines we have here conveys a sense of time and place; when they were harvested and from where.”

With one of the city’s most extensive cellars, Maurice works closely with his guests to satisfy their needs. “We have 1700 references but no wine list,” he says. “So it requires quite a lot on our part to decipher what our guest are after.”

He continues, “we’re happy to give as many options as it takes to find something that’s agreeable, and the longer one works here, the better one gets at saying, “Ah! I know just what you want.”

Ved Stranden 10 also offers a range of French-influenced dishes, including charcuterie, cheeses, and their famous croque monsieur.

Something to drink:

1. White Ecke; Niederösterreich, Austria; Welschriesling, Röter Veltliner
75 DKK per glass, 375 DKK per bottle

2. Cuvée 910; Macon, France; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay
135 DKK per glass, 675 DKK per bottle

3. Sønne; Steierland, Austria; Sauvignon Blanc
145 DKK per glass, 695 DKK per bottle

Ved Stranden 10

Ved Stranden 10
1061 København K

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 10:00 pm
Sun Closed
 

Pompette

Before co-founding Pompette, Martin Ho spent ten years working with natural wines and their producers across Europe and the US. On returning to Copenhagen, he was surprised by the high cost.

“In France, most good natural winemakers sell their bottles for around five to fifteen euros,” he says, “but by the time they were reaching consumers in Denmark, I found they weren’t accessibly priced anymore. My partner and I wanted Pompette to be a place that made natural wines available to everyone, the way the winemakers intended.”

When Martin opened Pompette with his business partner Jesper Emil Norrie last year, they listed wines at 50 kroner per glass. “At 50 kroner, anyone can come on board,” Martin says.

He continues: “With fair markups and brutally honest pricing, we’re not making a crazy profit. But who cares when almost anyone can come and enjoy it. Price should never be a barrier for trying natural wine.”

Guests at Pompette can also buy bottles to take home and snack on a range of appetizers, including cheeses and charcuterie, a concept inspired by France’s “cave” wine stores.

Something to drink:

1. Janko Stekar: Sivi Pinot 2017; Goriska Brda, Slovenia; Pinot Gris
50 DKK per glass, 260 DKK per bottle

2. Weingut Brand: Riesling Free 2018; Pfalz, Germany; Riesling
50 DKK per glass, 272 DKK per bottle

3. Anna & Martin Arndorfer: Pompette Orange 2017; Kamptal, Austria; Gelber Muskateller, Muller-Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner
50 DKK per glass, 316 DKK per bottle

Pompette

Møllegade 3
2200 København N

Opening Hours:
Everyday 2:00 pm – midnight
 

Vinsupernatural

After working for several years in fashion and design, Jonathan Soriano established Vinsupernatural, a bottle shop combined with a lifestyle store and deli, with his business partners Joachim Friis & Lars Christensen in January 2019.

“This place is a concept store that’s rooted in natural wines; we’re using the wines to open up other spaces and new ideas,” he explains.

“Here, we identify ourselves more as customers, as aficionados who are working with wines. In other stores, they’ll inform you about the terroir, the history, the grapes. We’re the guys who’ll ask: ‘What’s your favorite junk food?’ ‘What do you like to do when you don’t drink wine?’ We’re more focused on life – this is basically our 360,” Jonathan says.

Besides its numerous side projects, including pop-up events and product launches, Vinsupernatural holds an enviable wine collection.

“We’re a great entry-level place; we have so many people who are new to natural wines coming here,” Jonathan says. “But we also have many people who are down with natural wines coming here, because we have a selection that others don’t.”

Something to drink:

1. Dom. des Sarradels; France; Roussillon, Grenache; 125 DKK per bottle

2. Peach of Mind; Ardeche, France; Syrah, Viognier; 200 DKK per bottle

3. Skeveldra; France; Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc; 310 DKK per bottle

Vinsupernaturel

Gl. Kongevej 37
1610 København V

Opening Hours:
Mon 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Tues & Weds 2:00 – 5:30 pm
Thurs & Fri 2:00 – 7:00 pm
Sat 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Sun Closed
 

Manfreds

Manfreds, which opened on Jægersborggade in 2010, was one of the initial restaurants to integrate natural wines within its food menu, an approach extending from its “farm to table” ethos.

“When we opened, Christian Puglisi [Manfred’s owner] wanted to serve as much organic food as possible to guests,” explains Isacco Bartolini, the restaurant’s beverage director. “And later, after the Relæ Community acquired its own organic farm, it was equally important to focus on wines that were free from industrial manipulation – that reflected the terroir, the soil where they were harvested.”

The process of pairing natural wines with dishes in Manfreds, the sister restaurant (and across-the-streeet neighbour) to Michelin-starred Relæ, is unique to each guest.

“At Manfreds, we have a tasting menu that you can combine with ‘the sommelier’s choice’, which is a set of three different wines by the glass,” Isacco explains. “But if you order à la carte, it’s more common that we’ll direct you to wines that simply follow the flow of your dining experience.”

“Compared with Relæ, where you receive a glass of wine with each dish, it’s a bit more relaxed and freestyle,” he adds. If you don’t feel like a full meal, you can take a seat at the bar and enjoy a glass or two.

Something to drink:

1. Etienne Courtois: Cuvée des Etourneaux 2014; Solonge, France; Gamay; 125 DKK per glass, 625 DKK per bottle

2. Jean Yves Peron: Cotillon des Dames 2013; Savoy, France; Jacquere; 775 DKK per bottle

3. Colombaia: Vigna Nuova 2016, Colle Val d’Elsa, Italy; Sangiovese; 85 DKK per glass, 425 DKK per bottle

Manfreds

Jægersborggade 40
2200 København N

Opening Hours:
Everyday 12:00 – 3:30 pm (lunch)
5:00 – 10:00 pm (dinner)
 

Ancestrale

Johann Duedahl Jacobsen, Ancestrale’s co-owner, came across natural wines during the latter days of his formal education as a chef and waiter.

“I was trained ‘classically,’ and I’ve tried almost anything you can think of – all the big-name wines in the most peculiar vintages,” he says. “But just as I was about to finish my apprenticeships, I tasted some wines made without herbicides or pesticides, made with indigenous yeast. They stood out to me, and I’ve loved them ever since.”

Later founding Ancestrale in Vesterbro, Johann stresses the wide-ranging merits of natural wines to his guests via his selection.

“We want to emphasize the quality in wines made via biodynamic practices,” he says. “All of our wines are organic or biodynamic, and we see a future within sustainable approaches to farming and agriculture. It’s what we find interesting in our personal lives and everyday work, and it makes sense for us to promote these values through our small business.”

The wine bar also offers five small dishes, which can be bought singularly for 95 kroner or together for 375 kroner.

Something to drink:

1. Weingut Brand; Pfalz, Germany; Pinot Blanc
400 DKK per bottle

2. Matassa: Marguerite; Côtes Catalanes, France; Muscat, Viognier, Macabeu
600 DKK per bottle

3. Sextant: Monthélie premier cru; Burgundy, France; Pinot Noir
800 DKK per bottle

Ancestrale

Oehlenschlægersgade 12
1663 København V

Opening Hours:
Mon – Thurs 16:00 – 23:00
Fri & Sat 16:00 – 24:00
Sun Closed
 

Mother Wine

David Biffani co-founded Mother Wine alongside his successful Italian restaurant, Mother, in 2009, during the early years of Copenhagen’s gastronomic revolution.

“What we liked about natural wines was that they offered something new and different each year,” he explains. “Natural wines aren’t supposed to please the market but reflect their environment; we took a similar approach with our food.”

Mother Wine stocks natural, organic and biodynamic bottles from Italy. David and his business partner Nick Pound were among the first to bring these products to Denmark.

“We started importing wines from day one of opening,” he says, “but at the time, the producers in Italy were quite timid.”

“The first contract we secured was with Lorano, a producer in the Marche region. After trying their wines, we realized the flavors were changing with every sip, and that’s when we knew we wanted this experience every time,” David recalls.

While Mother Wine holds some exclusive brands, David’s philosophy focuses on accessibility: “We’re trying to put natural wine within the everyday context because we think everybody deserves something good to drink,” he says.

Something to drink:

1. Piccolo Bacco dei Quaroni; Lombardy, Italy; Pinot Nero; 75DKK per glass (restaurant price)
110 DKK per bottle (shop price)

2. Lorano 2014; Marche, Italy; Sangiovese; 95 DKK per glass (restaurant price)
220 DKK per bottle (shop price)

3. Habemus 2012; Lazio, Italy; Granache, Sirah, Carignan
430 DKK per bottle (shop price)

Mother Wine

Gammel Mønt 33
1117 København K

Wine Bar Opening Hours:
Mon – Thurs 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Fri – Sat 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun Closed

Mother

Høkerboderne 9
1712 København V

Restaurant Opening Hours:
Everyday 11:00 – 1:00 am

Honorable mentions

This isn’t all! The natural wine scene is continuously growing here in Copenahgen. We also highly recommend Barabba, Paris 90, Gaarden & Gaden and Apollo Bar. And of course, there’s always more to come!

Want more wine in Copenhagen? Check out our recommendations for the best wine bars. Not into wine? Try these beer or cocktail bars instead!