Open wine bars in SP during the pandemic have more accessible labels and a relaxed atmosphere

Gone are the days when going out for wine was synonymous with facing serious restaurants with waiters in suits who offered, in technical terms, high-priced foreign labels. An experience that could be accompanied by a certain embarrassment when choosing a drink.

In recent months, a new crop of wine bars has emerged in São Paulo with informal service in cool environments. These are places that offer the drink at more affordable prices, with glasses starting at R$9.90, and letters that prioritize Brazilian, organic and low-intervention labels.

The new addresses abandon the cavernous atmosphere with low light and give way to open and cool spaces, with pastel tones in the decor and atmosphere of a living room. Most of the owners talk to the public to give beginners basic suggestions and explanations of the wine universe.

This initiative comes from chefs, sommeliers and wine lovers who were looking for specialized places with a relaxed atmosphere to have a drink without the final bill reaching hundreds of reais.

“It’s a path that emerged from the popularization of Brazilian wine and that tries to leave the elitism of the wine world”, explains Renata Figo, former maître d’ of Barú Mariqueria. Next to sommelière Lua Sampaio, she opened Flua, a bar installed in her own garage, in Vila Ipojuca, in the western region.

The movement was driven by the increase in wine consumption during the pandemic and by a more open consumer to try the drink, assess the owners of the establishments.

The opening of new locations to meet this demand is similar to what happened with cocktail bars years ago, assesses Bruno Bocchese. The publicist, who is in charge of Fel and has already commanded houses like Mandíbula and Cama de Gato, opened in September Paloma, a wine bar on the ground floor of Copan.

“We had a wave of craft breweries. Now, we are living this with wine, and with low intervention wines, cheaper”, says chef Dadis Vilas Boas, from Pingue, in operation for two months. “People are getting more acceptance.”

On the other hand, there are also initiatives from brands in the sector, such as Casa Chandon, in São Paulo, a temporary space that offers wine tasting, dinners signed by renowned chefs and shows, which ends this weekend.

Next, discover ten addresses that highlight the wines that opened in the city during the pandemic.

Altruísta Osteria and Enoteca

The enoteca offers approximately 450 wine labels, 150 of which are aged, served in a glass or bottle, which can also be taken home. The selection goes through countries like France, Argentina and Italy, which appears on the Italian-influenced menu, with pasta produced in the local cuisine. Among the orders, cavatelli is served with matrician sauce and crunchy octopus — it costs R$ 88. On Saturdays, there is free tasting of five types of wine.
Al. Campinas, 952, Jardins, western region, tel. (11) 3142-9962. Delivery via iFood and Rappi and WhatsApp (11) 3142-9962

Clos Bar a Vin & Bistrô

In front of the charming wine bar with a bistro feel is the first MasterChef champion, Elisa Fernandes, who prepares French dishes. The house, inaugurated at the end of August, has 140 labels of natural fermentation and low intervention, available in bottle or glass, with prices starting at R$25.
R. Girassol, 310, Vila Madalena, west region, tel. (11) 94188-0199 (WhatsApp)

Flua

The duo Renata Figo and Lua Sampaio serves natural and biodynamic wines, mostly from small producers, at the few tables of the bar installed in the garage of the house where they live. The labels, about 30, are periodically renewed, opened by a glass, which cost between R$20 and R$32, or bottle. Snacks to accompany the drink are also rotated, with an emphasis on cold cuts, cheese, artisanal sausages and house empanadas. On Mondays, the place offers a type of xepa, with bottles that have been opened but not completely sold — each one costs R$15.
R. Rodrigues de Campos Leite, 13, Vila Ipojuca, western region. Instagram @flua_ipojuca

Iaiá Cave à Manger

To quench your thirst, you can choose from a selection of national labels and from countries like Argentina, France, Portugal, Chile and Spain, and sip in the dimly lit lounge or in the backyard, with sofas spread out and high tables around a jabuticaba tree . Among the suggestions is the Single Vineyard (R$ 109 a bottle), a red wine produced in the region of Bento Gonçalves (MG) with syrah grapes, which can be accompanied by cheeses and preserves from the house’s emporium, such as mini chayote with gherkin and okra with pepper.
R. Iaiá, 44, Itaim Bibi, southern region, tel. (11) 3297-2163. Delivery via Rappi and iaia.accon.app

Miles Wine & Jazz Bar

In a laid-back setting, inspired by New Orleans jazz clubs, it serves 116 options of drinks by the bottle and six varieties by the glass. One of the suggestions is the Argentinean Canal Flores Reserva (R$189 a bottle), made with Malbec grapes, with touches of syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The menu features natural-fermented Neapolitan pizzas and appetizers such as tapas, and the soundtrack features jazz, soul and blues shows.
R. Antônio de Macedo Soares, 1373, Campo Belo, tel. (11) 5092-3270 and (11) 99308-2739 (WhatsApp). Delivery via Goomer, iFood, Rappi and Uber Eats

Paloma

Opened in September on the ground floor of Copan, the house is owned by the neighbor Fel. The service is simple and the menu is inspired by the bar. Around a pillar in the center of the hall of the building designed by Oscar Niemeyer is a shelf with about 40 wines. Selected by bartender Felipe Rara, the labels are from 2018 vintages and are constantly changing. They can be enjoyed in a bottle, a glass —there are three options each day, starting at R$37— or taken home. From the menu, the tip is the portion of manjubinha, which costs R$35.
Copan – Av. Ipiranga, 200, ground floor, central region. Instagram: @paloma__s

ping

Neither restaurant nor bar. Chef Dadis Vilas Boas welcomes guests in the living room and garden of the house, as if she were receiving friends. The menu for lunches and dinners, which take place on Fridays and Saturdays, includes five to six options of dishes to share, prepared according to seasonal ingredients and which give the leading role to vegetables. Prices vary between R$29 and R$36. Meals are washed down with wines selected by her and her sister, Andrea Vilas Boas Bourgogne, who prioritize Brazilian labels, followed by Argentine and Chilean ones. It is essential to make a reservation.
Reservations through Instagram: @pingue.here

Primitive

Merchant couple Rita Brandão and Eduardo Borges moved from Rio Grande do Sul to open, in Pinheiros, their own store specializing in natural wines, made with organic grapes and with little chemical intervention. In the list of approximately 300 labels, there are bottles from origins such as Argentina, France, Australia and the Czech Republic. But the highlight is the Brazilian wines, among them, those from the Rio Grande do Sul winery Atelier Tormentas, a pioneer in the production of natural wine in the country. A mix of emporiums and stores, you can take the bottles home or drink there, accompanied by a menu of food. From the South, the duo also brought a selection of 40 artisanal cheeses from the store they commanded in Porto Alegre. To harmonize, the tip is to order the cheese board, which includes different options, plus charcuterie and bread items, for R$ 61.
R. Ferreira de Araújo, 435, Pinheiros, western region, tel. (11) 93289-7348 (also WhatsApp). Delivery via phone and Instagram @primitivosaopaulo

Country Winery

This year, the Rio Grande do Sul producer opened its first store outside the South region, in the Pinheiros neighborhood. There are around 50 self-produced labels, with varieties of reds, whites and sparkling wines, among them, the award-winning Zanotto line. At the back of the space, it is possible to taste the labels in a glass or bottle, with snacks such as brusquetas and focaccia, as well as five options of cheese and sausages, a customary wine company.Of.
Pedroso de Morais, 1.047, Pinheiros, western region, tel. (11) 93947-3933 (WhatsApp)

Xene Wine Bar

Inspired by the bars he visited in London, businessman Leonardo Cinquini opened his own wine bar in a manor house in Pinheiros. Opened at the end of 2020, the house has an unpretentious atmosphere and informal service, where you can eat and drink with friends. The menu only serves wine, water and cheese boards and artisanal sausages, with cheaper prices. Bottles start at R$50 and glasses from R$9.90. Among the approximately one hundred labels offered, most are Italian, but there are also Brazilian and South American options.
R. Simão Álvares, 784, Pinheiros, western region. Instagram: @xene_vinhos