Edible Food Finds

Natural Wine at Bar Rollins

October 14, 2022

three people sit at a picnic table and drink wine

In the past decade, diners have begun placing more intention on what they use to fuel their bodies, and wine drinkers are no exception. While “natural wine” has been its own category for ages, demand has spiked recently, as consumers seek out healthier andmore eco-friendly options. Bottle lists and by-the-glass offerings are ceding more and more territory to natural wines, such as pét-nats and orange wines.

Chris Rollins—one half of the ownership behind low-key wine spot Bar Rollins—sees unlimited growth potential in the movement toward natural wines. Following a string of packed pop-ups around Charleston, Bar Rollins officially opened its doors in June 2022, and has experienced a strong, positive reception from the community.

“I’m not sure how some people find us,” Rollins says. Co-owned by Rollins and creative powerhouse Jess Vande Werken, Bar Rollins is nestled on an out-of-the-way side street in downtown Charleston’s East Side neighborhood. While it may look quaint and unassuming, the wine list at Bar Rollins is ultra-exclusive. Rollins hand picks small quantities of sustainably produced wines from small purveyors; many of his bottles aren’t found anywhere else in town.

“Wine is an agricultural product, so it’s naturally seasonal,” Rollins says. “Our wine list changes constantly, so something that you have and love this week will most likely be gone by next week.”

woman sits on couch near table with wine glasses

three employees pose next to large wine bottle

With its cozy interior and knowledgeable staff, Bar Rollins provides the perfect environment for natural-wine newbies and aficionados alike to get together and enjoy a few glasses.

Natural wine is a broad banner for wine varietals made with few or no additives, with many leaning on organic and biodynamic farming methods. The process for making natural wine hearkens back to the méthode ancestrale, or ancestral method, in which winemakers take a very hands-off approach and allow the wine to develop naturally. These low-intervention methods allow for high variance in taste and profile from one batch to the next, yielding incredibly unique, small-batch wines.

Although the impetus to open Bar Rollins was mainly about “pouring good wine and having fun,” there are certainly more complex components at play. Beyond simply having no additives, natural wines recognize the importance of biodiversity and lean heavily on biodynamic farming methods. The increased consumer interest in sustainability and eco-friendly production lines up with the trend toward making more purpose-driven choices with regard to what we’re putting in our bodies.

“This is how wine was always made,” Rollins says. “People are learning that global taste and commercialization aren’t necessarily a good thing.”

Visit Bar Rollins at 194 Jackson St. in Charleston Thursday–Monday, from 4–10pm.