Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
Brooke Sweeten and Justin Warner stand behind the bar of BB's Natural wine bar, a natural wine bar they opened in downtown Rapid City earlier this summer.
Tinned baby eels are one of several eclectic snacks offered at BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City.
A selection of a few of the wines offered at BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City.
Justin Warner pours a bottle of natural wine, label facing the guest — a piece of wine etiquette "wine geeks" will appreciate about BB's Natural wine bar.
A natural aesthetic drawing from colors like raspberry and marigold decorate BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City, drawing inspiration from the owners' own home.
Threads of raspberry, marigold and teal weave together the natural aesthetic of the recently opened BB’s Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City — a wine bar offering an assortment of natural wines and international snacks for everyone from the wine novice to the cultured connoisseur.
Owners Justin Warner and Brooke Sweeten opened the shop in mid-June on Saint Joseph Street, and while the term “natural” may be foreign to the average wine drinker, it’s quite simple, they explained: just the grapes.
On the farming side, they explained, everything is organic and sustainable. No pesticides or chemical additives are used in the wine-making process. Everything is vegan, they said.
Warner said there are 100 plus chemicals that could potentially be added to wine to achieve a desired result, such as more acidity. The winemaker might add tartaric acid, citric acid or malic acid to achieve the desired acidity.
Science is a double-edged sword, Warner said, creating an avenue in winemaking to “force a square grape into a round hole.”
“So this is square grapes and square bottles — because that makes sense,” Warner said.
South Dakota has a three-tiered system, he explained, requiring them to buy from a distributor who is licensed to import wine and sell it in South Dakota. They can’t go directly to a winery. They have, so far, found one distributor that carries a “great selection” of natural wines.
There is a wide spectrum of natural wines, they said, ranging from classic wines with familiar flavor profiles to more unique flavors like orange. Orange wines, Warner said, fill a gap between white, rose’ and red.
But if you know nothing about flavor profiles, fear not — Warner and Sweeten said they love educating customers, as well as themselves.
“I think the thing that sets us apart from a lot of places that focus on wine is that we’re on this journey,” Warner said. “Just like everyone else, we’re learning every day, and hopefully we can help guide people.”
The wine can be as sweet as you want, as dry as you want, “as weird as you want.” He said some smell like campfire and others taste like Smarties. They can also guide you to a wine if you’re a beer lover.
“It’s nearly infinite,” Warner said.
No stranger to wine, both Warner and Sweeten have worked under a Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winning wine director in New York, where they were tasting wine every day. Warner is also known for his appearances on Food Network.
Warner won the eighth season of "Food Network Star," and has been a host or judge on several other Food Network programs.
Once they moved to Rapid City — where Sweeten is from — they found natural wine hard to come by. They did, however, find other people interested in the same thing, and decided to bring it themselves.
Also owners of the ramen shop next door, Bokujo Ramen, the location was a perfect fit. The buildings are even connected.
“It’s a really good symbiosis,” Warner said. “I think that they’re very complementary. They don’t cannibalize each other, and they’re a great little one-two punch.”
You can either top off a meal of ramen with a drink of wine next door, or warm up with some wine before grabbing some ramen, he said.
Customers can also grab a snack while at BB’s, with a selection ranging from tins of eel to truffle popcorn, meats and cheeses. They’ve also recently added wine flights.
A labor of love, Warner described the wine bar as a “little battleship or pirate ship” — they set sail every day, sometimes there’s loot, sometimes there’s enemies, but at the end of the night, they share the wealth.
“Everybody takes care of each other,” Warner said.
Before settling in Rapid City, Warner and Sweeten lived somewhat of a nomadic existence, living in an RV for a year before they moved to South Dakota. Sweeten’s parents, in Rapid City, served as home base for a period after their RV broke down, but they eventually continued around the country. Yet still, South Dakota beckoned.
Rapid City felt like family, Warner said. Access to nature, a slower pace and manageable traffic were all enticers for calling them back.
The bar’s décor draws inspiration from home and family, bathing customers in a warm aesthetic of roses and marigolds, inspired by a painting in the couples’ own living room. A bright pink fireplace framed by turquoise tile against a brick wall draws the eye as customers enter, with accent colors scattered throughout the bar.
Sweeten said they really wanted their space to not be intimidating.
“If you are a wine person, awesome,” she said, but even she and Warner are still learning. Whether you’re a “huge wine geek” or know absolutely nothing, they can hook you up.
BB’s Natural Wine Bar, just like both Warner and Sweeten’s past endeavors in the restaurant industry, is an accumulation of their experiences. Warner said they’re constantly drawing on random knowledge they’ve learned over the past 20 years.
“Every day before is a rough draft for today,” Warner said.
Their mission of bringing natural wine to Rapid City is tied to a movement Warner described as “cooler practices,” because “the environment matters.”
“Basically, wherever you can grow grapes, you can probably find natural wine,” Warner said, “and wine is a huge part of the environment.”
BB’s Natural Wine Bar is located at 724 Saint Joseph St., and is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. The business is closed Sunday through Tuesday.
–Contact Laura Heckmann at lheckmann@rapidcityjournal.com–
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Of the thousands who crossed into Sturgis during the 82nd motorcycle rally, here are 24 people that stood out to us.
STURGIS — Ron Brefka just would not let a grim cancer diagnosis slow him down.
STURGIS — The 82nd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally got off to rousing start on its opening weekend, but there are signs, here and there, that this ye…
I’m not exactly sure why anyone would think that gas dropping below $4 a gallon is something to celebrate. Does that suggest that the days of …
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday released a revised proposal for social studies standards in public schools that lays out…
STURGIS — With the 82nd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally all but in the books, Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater and Meade County Sheriff Ron Merw…
The last production of the summer at Black Hills Playhouse is fabulous! We are so blessed to have this theater in the Black Hills!!
Those who wish for $2.25 a gallon gas again seem to forget that the country was shut down at the time with no one going anywhere but, hey, tha…
When Rapid City Area Schools classes begin Aug. 30, teachers will be in front of students.
Brooke Sweeten and Justin Warner stand behind the bar of BB's Natural wine bar, a natural wine bar they opened in downtown Rapid City earlier this summer.
Tinned baby eels are one of several eclectic snacks offered at BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City.
A selection of a few of the wines offered at BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City.
Justin Warner pours a bottle of natural wine, label facing the guest — a piece of wine etiquette "wine geeks" will appreciate about BB's Natural wine bar.
A natural aesthetic drawing from colors like raspberry and marigold decorate BB's Natural wine bar in downtown Rapid City, drawing inspiration from the owners' own home.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.