Long Beach's Natural Wine Secret Worth Seeking
Zaferia ยท Long Beach ยท Natural Wine Bar ยท Visit Website โ
Reviewed June 23, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Buvons and the first thing you notice is the bottle wall โ a curated, rotating shelf of natural and low-intervention wines that doubles as both decor and retail shop. It's Euro wine bar in aesthetic, Zaferia in zip code, and the combination feels genuinely surprising in the best possible way. This is not a place that happened to add a wine list; wine is the entire point.
The list is compact โ deliberately so โ and every bottle earns its place. You'll find Frank Cornelissen's 'Susucaru' Rosato from Sicily sitting next to Gut Oggau's unmistakable illustrated labels from Burgenland, Austria, and Las Jaras Glou Glou repping California's natural wine scene with its easy-drinking, zero-pretense approach. Pet-nats and orange wines from small European producers rotate in regularly, and the emphasis on supporting Southern California minimal-intervention producers like J. Brix gives the list a local anchor that most natural wine bars skip entirely. The gaps are real โ no serious Burgundy, no aged bottles, nothing for the old-world depth seeker โ but that's not the game Buvons is playing.
Roughly 8 to 12 options by the glass at any given time, running $14 to $22, which is fair for the quality tier on offer. The chalkboard rotates, so what you saw on Instagram last week may already be gone โ that's a feature, not a bug. If you're not sure what to order, ask; the staff clearly knows and cares about what's on that board.
Las Jaras Glou Glou โ $60
Yes, it's a 100% markup over retail, and yes, it's still the most approachable entry point on the list. Light, gulpable, and genuinely fun โ exactly what the name promises. Order a glass before committing to a bottle.
Gut Oggau (Burgenland, Austria)
Most people walk past the distinctive illustrated labels without a second glance, which is a mistake. Gut Oggau makes biodynamic wines from old vines in Austria's Burgenland with real complexity and a house style unlike anything else on the wall. If you see one open, grab it.
Frank Cornelissen 'Susucaru' Rosato
At $75 a bottle, you're paying nearly double retail for a wine that's widely available and increasingly easy to find. It's a beautiful rosato and we'd never talk you out of drinking it โ just not here at this price when a glass of something less familiar costs half as much.
Gut Oggau (Burgenland, Austria) + Tinned fish and conservas with bread
The mineral, slightly oxidative character of a Gut Oggau white or orange wine cuts right through the salt and oil of good conservas. It's the kind of pairing that makes you wonder why you ever ate tinned fish any other way.
๐ฒ The Bottom Line
Buvons is the kind of place Long Beach didn't know it needed โ a serious natural wine program tucked into a neighborhood most people drive past. The markups sting a little, but the curation, the vibe, and the staff's genuine enthusiasm make it worth it. Send your adventurous friends here immediately.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.