"Herbal and bitter, this liter bottle is an old world wine lover’s vermouth."

“There’s a small part of the Txakolí region, of the three sub regions, that are doing things the old way–fermenting wine spontaneously with native yeasts, and bottling with a little residual sugar. So, the wine continues to ferment in the bottle, creating a little bit of a spritz. …This is a natural process. I think you’re starting to see a trend back towards the natural method of bottling with a little bit of CO2. To see some of these smaller producers really holding their ground, I think is super important to preserve the authenticity of the region.”

"Sip, savor and discover new flavors as you mingle with fellow wine lovers and creators. Dance the night away or simply sit back and enjoy the tunes while relishing the delightful wines."

"From Sevilla to Granada, passing through the Sherry Triangle, this wine and food adventure will take you to see the very best of Andalucía, home to many of the iconic cultural elements that make Spain so great."

Viniesta Trips are small group food and wine retreats that offer insider access to some of the heroes, rebels, pioneers and innovators of the Spanish natural wine movement. You'll meet the winemakers behind the projects, explore their vineyards, learn about their ancestral winemaking process, and share (many!) copas of their thirst-quenching wines. You'll enjoy farm-to-table cuisine, eat like a local, and gain unique cultural insight along the way. You’ll see some of the most dramatic scenery, often taking the road less traveled.

"Beyond its beaches and nightlife, Miami is steadily gaining the reputation of a culinary destination."

This Spanish spritz combines the ultra popular (and organic) vermouth with grapefruit juice and sparkles to create a unique summery sipper with a distinctly Iberian flavor profile.

"These wines are bottled specifically for when you need just a little more wine than your average 750-milliliter bottle — like when laid-back sharing among friends arises. So, be the hero of your next summer party and bring one of these stellar liter bottles."

For 20 years, natural wine has been dismissed as a fad or a fraud. Yet more people make it, more drink it and good bottles are easier to find.

"Ismael Gozalo Palomo runs Microbio Wines - a winery located around 900m high in the centre of Spain. Ismael looks after many ancient, pre-phylloxera vines - some nearly 300 years’ old. 85% are Verdejo; the remainder are Tempranillo, Merlot and Shiraz."

"It tastes delicious with an orange peel twist, and adds spice and vibrancy to a boulevardier cocktail."

Enter, Alvaro with Selections de la Viña! My friend and partner in crime. He's bringing the best of Spain's natural wines to the US right now, and he's the guide for this journey.

There was always wine at the table, and, you know, for the most part, it was classic wine, you know, classic estates. I'm sure it was great, but it never moved me. Like the first natural wines I started tasting moved me, you know, it’s like you’ve been bit by something like you're completely absorbed by it.

Güeyu Mar products only debuted in December, but they’re already garnering rave reviews...“How on earth could such a delicacy come from a can?”

We represent farmers who are limiting intervention, in many cases farming organically or biodynamically and without chemicals of any kind. All of our wines are fermented with native yeast.

"Simple Syrup in Crown Heights has the best selection of natural wines and this funky bottle of Clos Lentiscus is one of my favorites."

Sparkling rosé is always in season

"All I brought with me to the park was a book, a wine key, and a chilled bottle of Cacique Maravilla’s Pipeño País."

"It brought me back to just being able to stick my toes in the sand, feel the sun..."

“A bolder Sherry stands up pretty well,” says Kevin Beary, beverage director of the venue. He opts for manzanilla Sherry, a dry, saline style, preferably aged under a blanket of yeast called flor.

Bottles of Spanish natural wine from passionate, thoughtful importers, like José Pastor Selections and Selections de la Viña, are there. Vermouths from culty producers (Partida Creus!) are just as good sipped straight as they are with lemon juice and soda water. Whatever you choose, it will pair perfectly with those pintxos.

Will the area ever be a true hot spot at the level of Catalunya? Not sure, but the south will rise again. All it needs is a rollicking natural wine festival to plant its flag, and I know a couple of deserted buildings that are ripe for the taking.

And while the natural world remains an unexplored frontier for most wine drinkers in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, for Cunicelli it’s an opportunity to open his clientele’s eyes to a new way of drinking.

This translucent red is made of the trepat grape, which typically makes pale, airy reds. The Pomagrana, from the Conca de Barberà region in northeastern Spain, is light, herbal and fruity, as in, yes, pomegranates. This refreshing bottle will especially benefit from a light chill. (Selections de la Viña/Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, N.Y.)

Xarel-lo is a native grape that is primarily used to blend into Cava. Some pronounce it “Zuh-rel-lo” and others “Shah-rel-lo,” but just call Finca Parera’s “Sasso” Xarel-lo “delicious.” Imagine a Muscadet, acidic and light, had a baby with Sémillon, ripe and waxy, and you get Finca Parera’s “Sasso.” This all-wheel drive white wine can do it all, whether you’re day-drinking with the in-laws, roasting a chicken, or BYOBing on the sly with sushi. Bright but golden yellow, this wine smells like briny honeydew served on a bed of gardenias. It’s well-rounded with a medium body, heightened acidity, and a waxy, oily texture with flavors of honeysuckle, soft lemons, green apple, and mango. There are also notes of, in the words of Ron Burgundy, “Lanolin?”

The taste: Microbio’s “Nieva York” is like drinking a blend of grilled pineapple, ocean water, and papaya from a hollowed green melon with a fennel straw. Get yourself a bottle and a Hawaiian shirt, and boom, it’s a vacation in your living room.

For the braising heat of August, let’s look at another white wine that has earned a reputation as a summer quencher: albariño.

"Our grandfathers were doing it right, our fathers messed it up, now we’re fixing it," states de la Viña. "Natural wine has been around forever."

To be a natural winemaker in Spain is to "resurrect the culture of our abuelos," says Ramon Saavedra, who came from a family that always made small amounts of wine for their own consumption. Saavedra apprenticed at Andalucía's Barranco Oscuro, known for its natural tempranillo wines, before starting his own label, Cauzón.

Another natural wine, from that hotbed of natural wine production, Andalusia, in the south of Spain. This vibrant, juicy, savory garnacha (as grenache is rendered in Castilian) is the first I’ve had from there. It’s crisp, floral and herbal, with a refreshing touch of bitterness. Unusually for garnacha (and southern Spain), it’s just 12.5 percent alcohol. (Selections de la Viña/T. Elenteny Imports, New York)

Biodynamic, low-intervention and a growing focus on terroir have brought a new generation of wines to Spanish consumers.