TRY THESE 3 NATURALS

Over the past decade or so, natural wine bars have proliferated around the Bay Area, clustered mainly in Oakland and San Francisco but slowly spreading to other communities in the region. Here are three wine bars to try that have opened within the past year in San Jose, San Anselmo and El Cerrito. So what is natural wine? “The best way to think about naturalness in wine is as an ideal: wine made from grapes with nothing added and nothing removed,” says Aaron Ayscough in “The World of Natural Wine: What it is,

Banter, El Cerrito

Banter feels undeniably hip. This year-old wine bar started by Claire Sullivan and Devin Hohler last April may look like an unassuming storefront from the outside. But step inside, and you're instantly transported back to a time-warped version of the '80s with vintage music posters, bold wallpaper and a community-sourced collection of VHS tapes and vinyl records. The back room offers a coin-operated pinball machine too.

The bar offers a rotating selection of natural wines, including a flight of three half-glasses for $22, which is a great way to sample several varieties. A selection of small plates — meat, cheese, hummus, anchovies ($14) — rounds out the menu.

WHAT TO TRY >> The Oest Wines “Ruckus” is a light sparkling red, and the French Guignier Beaujolais Villages Gamay is fruity and fragrant. A more controversial choice is the orange Artana Rkatsiteli from Georgia (“the country!” the menu notes) aimed at sippers undaunted by descriptors like “vegetal” and “funky.” Just want a little nosh? Pair it with a slab of Acme's “hella wet” levain bread ($5) served with salted Straus butter.

DETAILS >> Open from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 10368 San Pablo Ave. in El Cerrito; banterwine.com.

Goodtime Bar, San Jose

As it nears its first anniversary, Steven and Ann Huynh's wine bar is all about inclusion and accessibilty. Steven's Asian American upbringing didn't include much exposure to wine or to the etiquette and knowledge expectations he says often accompany a traditional wine tasting.

“Natural wine, for me, breaks down those barriers,” he says. “It doesn't really have a barrier to entry — you don't need to know anything about grapes or wine varietals. (You can) have a fun experience, where you can learn if you want or just drink a good product and enjoy your time out.”

They even have a Goodtime Bar Run Club, so you can get your exercise in first.

WHAT TO TRY >> Made with organic viognier grapes, the 2021 Les Parcelles Pétillantes Bouteillou from France's Les

Chemins de Bassac is sparkling and refreshing. Pair it with the arancini ($14), made with Japanese curry, kimchi mayonnaise and fontina cheese and topped with nasturtium leaves.

DETAILS >> Opens at 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Friday and 2 p.m. weekends at 30 Fountain Alley #160 in San Jose; goodtimebarsj.com.

Who Makes It, and Why it Matters” (Artisan, 2022). There are levels of “naturalness,” of course, but generally speaking, these wines have some or all of these characteristics: They're produced from organically-farmed grapes, fermented in native yeasts, contain no or very low levels of sulfites or other additives, and have not been fined or filtered. Here's where to taste them:

Voyage Bar, San Anselmo

The fireplace is glowing and the atmosphere buzzing on a recent Saturday night at this wine and low-ABV cocktail bar, which opened in December with a menu that specializes in natural wines with sophisticated food to match.

Wall-to-wall windows are a highlight inside the iconic Cheda Building, circa 1911. The building became San Anselmo's first movie theater in 1914 and later, a series of businesses — drugstores, a lounge, an office — before its final metamorphosis. Today, it's Voyage Bar, decked out with stylish reclaimed Douglas fir and redwood accents and vintage light fixtures.

The bar is run by David and Margaret Ruiz, who also own Fairfax's Stillwater, alongside Dylan Jones and Matty Conway. Bites are curated by Stillwater chef Cameron Meyers, whose hearty

grazing menu includes options like locally-sourced beef tartare ($17), confit pork belly ($24) and Bohemian Creamery cheese. The bar is also home to an analog vinyl music collection. There's live music on Wednesday evenings.

WHAT TO TRY >> The menu rotates, but the roasted root veggies dish ($15) is a satisfying plate to share. You and your companions may find yourselves debating the difference between Romesco and Romanesco — the dish comes with both. (Tip: Romesco is a Spanish tomatobased sauce. Romanesco is a geometrically funky cauliflower variant.) Try the COS “Nero di Lupo,” a biodynamic red from Sicily, which is mellow and light.

DETAILS >> Open from 5 to 10 p.m. daily except Tuesdays at 500 San Anselmo Ave. in San Anselmo; voyagebar.com.

KATE BRADSHAW — STAFF A flight of three half-glasses of wine ($22) is paired with a slab of Acme levain bread and butter at Banter, a natural wine bar in El Cerrito that has a distinctively hip vibe.

NHAT V. MEYER — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Co-owner Steven Huynh prides himself on the welcoming atmosphere at San Jose's Goodtime Bar, a laidback natural wine bar that's all about letting the good times roll.

KATE BRADSHAW — STAFF Wine and shared plates, like a roasted root vegetables dish — featuring both Romesco sauce and Romanesco cauliflower — are among the menu items at Voyage Bar in San Anselmo.

NHAT V. MEYER — STAFF Bar manager Daniel Martinez serves wine at San Jose's Goodtime Bar, which specializes in natural wine.