TASTE
A Natural Selection
New Sacramento wine bars highlight the Capital Region ’ s natural winemakers
BY Jennifer Fergesen
Bartender Kyle Kaylor pours a glass of wine for a patron at Ro Sham Beaux , a bar at the forefront of the Capital Region ’ s natural wine scene .
PHOTOS BY Fred Greaves
At Ro Sham Beaux , a Midtown Sacramento natural wine bar that opened in January , the shelves are stocked with a chorus line of bottles from around the world — but only a handful are available by the glass each day . Patrons sitting at the faux terrazzo bartop ( made of recycled furniture chips ) pair their glasses with Barcelona-influenced small bites like tinned octopus , bocadillo sandwiches and aerated cheddar foam inspired in equal parts by the molecular gastronomy restaurant El Bulli and Cheez Whiz . The design also takes cues from Barcelona : The fossil-esque floor tiles are a replica of those at Antoni Gaudí ’ s Casa Milà . The wine list , however , is up to 75 percent local , depending on what piques wine buyer and business partner Addam Reagan ’ s interest at the time . On the shelves , bottles from Fair Play , Clarksburg and north Yuba County share space with European vintages . “ What I like about natural wine is that it ’ s kind of back in the hands of the people ; anyone can understand it ,” says Reagan . “ It ’ s not supposed to be a mystery , it ’ s supposed to be about enjoyment .”
Natural wine is a movement inspired by wine ’ s pre-industrial roots with tenets that include using organic grapes , avoiding additives and fermenting with native yeast instead of purchased strains . The movement is believed to have begun in France in the 1960s , caught on around Europe in the following decades and began trending in large cities in the United States around 2010 . But the wave took longer to reach the
34 comstocksmag . com | September 2021