Broc Cellars

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 4 October 2026

!What You're Still Getting Wrong About Natural Wine - InsideHook For beginners in America looking to explore natural wine, approachable and cleanly made options from reliable domestic producers like Broc Cellars, Donkey & Goat, and Joe Swick offer a great starting point.

### Great American Natural Wine Producers for Beginners

- Broc Cellars (California): Based in Berkeley, they make fresh, low-intervention, food-friendly wines using classic grapes like Valdiguié or Carignan that taste vibrant without the "funky" or mousey faults that can turn off new drinkers. - Donkey & Goat (California): Pioneers in Berkeley/Nesta crafting clean, bright pet-nats (petillant naturel, a lightly sparkling natural wine) and skin-contact whites that are easy to enjoy and well-made. - Joe Swick / Swick Wines (Oregon): Known for fun, experimental, yet clean Pacific Northwest bottlings like chilled red blends that bridge the gap between conventional and natural styles. - Martha Stroumen (California): Focuses on heritage California grape varieties farmed organically, resulting in highly aromatic, balanced, and approachable wines.

### Tips for Natural Wine Beginners

- Start with chilled reds or light whites: Lighter styles or pet-nats mask fewer flaws and feel refreshing, similar to what beginner wine drinkers enjoy in conventional pours. - Visit a local bottle shop: Talk to staff at a dedicated natural wine store or bar rather than buying blindly online. Tell them you are new and prefer "clean, fruit-forward" styles to avoid overly funky or volatile bottles.

If you want to narrow this down, tell me:

- Do you usually prefer red, white, or sparkling wine? - What are some conventional wines or flavors you already like?

I can give you a specific bottle recommendation based on your taste.

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 4 October 2026

If by “natural wine brands in America” you mean U.S. producers making low-intervention/natural wine, these are the names I'd put at the top of the list. “Natural wine” has no single legal definition, so I'm prioritizing producers associated with organic farming, native fermentation, minimal intervention, and low/no added sulfur. www.theamericanvine.com

### 🇺🇸 Best American natural-wine producers

1. Broc Cellars - California One of the essential American natural-wine names. Great for bright, fresh reds, Carignan, Valdiguié and pét-nat. theamericanvine.com

2. Martha Stoumen Wines - California Excellent if you want natural wine that's clean, elegant and easy to drink rather than aggressively funky. Her Post Flirtation and Honeymoon wines are particularly well known. thegrapereset.comtheamericanvine.com

3. Donkey & Goat - California A pioneer of the American natural-wine movement, with organically farmed grapes and a strong reputation for pét-nat and skin-contact wines. thegrapereset.comtheamericanvine.com

4. Arnot-Roberts - California More polished and terroir-driven. A great choice if you're transitioning from conventional fine wine into natural/low-intervention bottles. Their Trousseau Gris and Ribolla Gialla are especially interesting. thegrapereset.comtheamericanvine.com

5. Jolie-Laide - California Fun, distinctive wines built around less-common varieties such as Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Carignan. theamericanvine.com

6. Bow & Arrow - Oregon One of the American producers I'd recommend for people who want natural wine without excessive funk. Particularly good for Gamay and Melon de Bourgogne. theamericanvine.com

7. Teutonic Wine Company - Oregon Especially worth trying if you like aromatic whites-Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris-with a low-intervention approach. theamericanvine.com

8. Kelley Fox Wines - Oregon Excellent Pinot Noir and other terroir-focused wines; a more elegant side of natural/low-intervention Oregon wine. theamericanvine.com

9. Bloomer Creek - New York A standout from the Finger Lakes, particularly for Riesling and Cabernet Franc. theamericanvine.com

10. Tinto Amorio - California Particularly interesting if you want natural reds and orange wines with a more contemporary, approachable style. drinktinto.com

### 🥂 My top 5 to start with

| Producer | Best for | Style | |---|---|---| | Broc Cellars | Overall | Fresh, lively, funky-but-balanced | | Martha Stoumen | Beginners | Clean, juicy, elegant | | Donkey & Goat | Pét-nat/orange | Experimental, energetic | | Arnot-Roberts | Fine-wine drinkers | Refined, terroir-driven | | Bow & Arrow | Oregon | Light, fresh, food-friendly |

There are currently dozens of natural-wine producers across the U.S.; one database lists 78 verified U.S. natural winemakers, with activity extending well beyond California into Oregon, New York, Texas, Michigan and other states. www.raisin.digital

If you're actually looking for natural wine brands/bottles you can buy in America (rather than American-made wine), I can give you a top 20 list by price - $15-25, $25-40, and premium - with specific bottles to look for.

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 4 October 2026

Here's a strong shortlist of small, independent American wine producers-chosen for quality, distinctiveness, and regional character rather than brand size:

- Ryme Cellars - California; expressive, food-friendly wines, especially Vermentino and Carignan. - Broc Cellars - Berkeley, California; natural-leaning, low-intervention wines from old vineyards. - Jolie-Laide - Sonoma, California; unusual Rhône and Iberian varieties, including Trousseau Gris and Mondeuse. - Hobo Wine Company - Sonoma, California; affordable, characterful wines from old vines. - Joseph Swan Vineyards - Russian River Valley; benchmark Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from a historic family estate. - Porter Creek Vineyards - Russian River Valley; organic/biodynamic farming and elegant Pinot Noir. - Nalle Winery - Dry Creek Valley; traditional, ageworthy Zinfandel made in tiny quantities. - Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard - Finger Lakes, New York; among America's finest Riesling and sparkling-wine producers. - Bloomer Creek Vineyard - Finger Lakes; precise Riesling and Blaufränkisch with a low-intervention approach. - Eminence Road Farm Winery - Finger Lakes; small-production, terroir-driven wines with minimal manipulation. - La Garagista Farm + Winery - Vermont; distinctive hybrid and cold-climate wines, including skin-contact whites and pét-nat. - Channing Daughters - Long Island, New York; diverse, experimental wines from local varieties. - Kelly Fox Wines - Oregon; elegant, organically farmed Pinot Noir and Rhône varieties. - Walter Scott Wines - Willamette Valley, Oregon; highly regarded Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from cool-climate vineyards. - Foradori? - Not American; exclude if seeking U.S.-only producers. - Wyncroft - Michigan; very small-production wines showcasing the state's emerging potential. - Marland - Michigan; tiny-production, site-focused wines from an underappreciated region. - Bodkin Wines - California; bright, low-alcohol, often sparkling or pétillant wines. - Smith Story Wine Cellars - California; small-lot Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhône varieties. - Inizi Wines - California; limited-production wines emphasizing heritage vineyards and minimal intervention.

For a focused first purchase, try Hermann J. Wiemer for Riesling, Joseph Swan for Pinot Noir, Broc Cellars for adventurous natural wine, Walter Scott for Oregon Chardonnay, and La Garagista for something genuinely unusual. Several of these producers are specifically cited by wine professionals as American wineries to watch, including Ryme, Broc Cellars, Kelly Fox, Eminence Road, and Channing Daughters. Small family businesses also feature prominently among leading U.S. wines reviewed by Decanter.