Tastemaker Series: Lucas Bozzoli, The Wine DJ of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter
Playlist WineTL;DR
Meet Lucas Bozzoli, the French wine curator behind Barcelona's petnat bar who treats every table like a DJ set. From breaking pairing rules to discovering Catalonian gems, Lucas curates wine experiences that flow like the perfect playlist.
From France to Barcelona: A Wine DJ's Journey
Lucas Bozzoli doesn't just pour wine. He reads the room, sets the mood, and takes you on a journey, one glass at a time.
Operating out of petnat in Barcelona's historic Gothic Quarter, this French wine enthusiast turned Spanish wine convert has mastered the art of wine curation. Think of him as a DJ, but instead of spinning records, he's spinning bottles. He reads his tables like a crowd, knows when to surprise with something funky, and understands that the perfect wine experience flows like a great playlist.
For Playlist's S02E02, Lucas curated 12 wines that reflect his philosophy: passionate, open-minded, and not too serious. From rule-breaking pairings to late-night discoveries, his approach mirrors the diverse neighborhoods of Barcelona itself. Each bottle tells a story, each sip sets a vibe.
Q&A with Lucas Bozzoli
Matt Friesen (Playlist): If you could match any wine with a city's music scene, which city would you choose, and what wine would represent its rhythm?
Lucas Bozzoli: People tend to think Barcelona is the party city: you know, summer, beaches everywhere, a bit of mountain, you can do anything. A lot of people see it as very cosmopolitan, but I think Madrid is a special city.
So I would pair Bysnes by Layn with Madrid. And for the wine, I would go for something very easygoing. Probably the Microbio Brutale Verdero. Similar to the cuvee I put on my list, but the orange wine instead.
A little bit sweet, so very juicy, and something you can drink any time of the day. Something not too strong.
Yeah, I think that fits perfectly.
MF: That's, that's my jam right there. I love it. That's so good.
MF: Can you recall a moment when a specific song not only matched but also elevated the taste of a wine you were enjoying?
LB: That happens to me all the time.
Working in wine, you always try to help people create a mood. They say "Oh, I want to drink this type of wine", but then you come up with your own recommendation. Sometimes you try to surprise them. Not to change the pace, but you know this isn't the right time to drink it. So you bring your own perspective to the table.
For example, Jean Yves Perron produces wines that require contemplation. You can't drink them fast, because they have a lot of complexity and layers to them. That type of wine requires a calm album, but not too calm. Almost like an ambient jazz type of thing. And then you know it's going to be something special because your senses won't be too brutalized by it.
But if you have something juicy, something easy drinking, I always pair it with something fun. Like party mode. Maybe a bit of house music or a bit of techno. Something super joyful, because it's easy. You don't have to bring a lot of complexity to what you're feeling with your palate and your nose, you know?
You just need to find the right balance.
MF: I want you to imagine you're hosting a dinner party and the playlist is curated by a famous musician. Who would that musician be and what wine would you bring to the party to compliment their music?
LB: You know what? I would go with the jazz drummer Youssef Dayes. Oh, and Kamaal Williams! They had a band together so they could go really deep together.
It would be jazz music, but also a bit of hip hop, a bit of house, a bit of UK garage, and probably a nice blend of different genres that I would appreciate listening to.
And I would choose my wine based on the mood of the night. Maybe a serious wine, but not too serious, you know? There will also be a bottle that is very easygoing, a juicy one. And a sparkling to start because I always like to start with sparkling.
But they will all be interesting wines in terms of flavor. Like the music, the wines will be from all over the world, lesser-known countries and types of grapes.
But, still always balance.
MF: Can you make sure I get an invite?
MF: So you've been working at petnat for a little while now. If running the wine bar is like a stage where different stories unfold every night, have you ever had the perfect night from opening act to the encore?
LB: There are actually two of us who manage petnat. We are quite similar, but at the same time, very different stylistically. I'm usually shaved with glasses, and he is super tall with long hair. But we have the same taste in music.
My perfect night would start slowly, with a few people who will be keen to try several glasses. Like I did with you, for example, I would bring 10 bottles to the table.
I don't know what they want to drink, but I will make them try everything. And then they're already tipsy before they even get the drinks. And that's what I like! Try, try, try, try, try. And how did you feel about them? You didn't like it? Okay. No problem. I'll bring something else.
That's the kind of night I like most. The place is full. Everyone is in a good mood. No one is too complicated. And the flow is so good that I can go to the table with three or four bottles and know I nailed it straight away.
Sometimes it happens that you have these amazing nights and it's full of people enjoying wine and the music is pumping.
MF: It's a bit like being a DJ. You have to read the room and pick the right music and take someone on a journey, but you do the same thing through wine. So you're like a wine DJ as you set the mood for the table.
LB: Exactly!
MF: How do you see the natural wine movement influencing the way consumers are approaching wine? What are some of the trends that you're seeing?
LB: The trend has been around for a few years, but I'm quite new to the natural wine world. I think it's a similar story for everyone. I went to a bar with my ex-girlfriend and she suggested we try an orange wine. And I was like, there is no orange wine. What the hell are you talking about? That doesn't even exist.
Which is actually true, because orange wine is just white with skin contact. So it's the wrong word. But, I get it, because of the color.
So she made me try it. And it was so good!
I think orange wine will always be a trend in natural wine because, historically speaking, it's probably the first type of white wine. It existed in Georgia, which are the oldest wines in the world, and somehow we lost this knowledge.
And nowadays with the growing movement of natural wine, orange wine will always be the trend because when you start drinking natural wine, you tend to go for this funky, interesting flavor, high acidity wine with a lot of volatility.
MF: I think you might be right. There's actually a shop here in New York that sells only orange wines…. and that's it.
MF: Let's get to know you a bit more. Outside of wine and music, what's an unconventional pairing in your life that you absolutely love?
LB: My daily routine is made out of habits and I pair a lot of things together. But for me, the best pairing is reading a book while drinking a specialty coffee. I usually go for the V60, books, and cinnamon rolls.
That's the pairing, the perfect pairing. You cannot start a day better than this.
MF: So habits and coffee and a good book. What book are you reading right now?
LB: It's a book of something like 10 different stories and it's by Alain Damasio called "Aucun souvenir assez solide", which means no memory is solid enough. It's a lot about dystopia. So, it's kind of sad at times, but it makes you self reflect on your behavior.
MF: Alright, that's enough about non-wine. Let's get back to the good stuff. So you've been working in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, which is this incredible historic area. How has the rich cultural tapestry of the area influenced your approach to wine and music?
LB: Barcelona is more than just a neighborhood. The city and the people are a game changer.
It's not a huge city, but you have different vibes depending on the neighborhood. And I've lived in four different neighborhoods over the past six years. Each one was another page of my life because you don't hang out in the same places.
Barcelona has so many amazing spots. And as you explore you discover these tiny little places, and this is what affects you the most. You meet new people and you influence each other.
The city is lively, so you're never too bored. But it can be exhausting!
MF: So it's not the tapestry of a single neighborhood, it's the tapestry of them all!
MF: What is one of the traditional wine rules that you currently like to break?
LB: That's a great question!
There is this rule about pairing red wine with meatballs or cheese, but I actually prefer white wine.
This is such an easy one for me. I would go to a restaurant and the server would tell me to pair them with a nice red wine, but I realized it's way better with white!
Maybe I was just ignorant until now, but I think you can break all the rules with natural wine. And that's the most freaky thing about it. You can have fish with a light red. You can play so much with the rules. And maybe I'm from the new school, but I think you can play around.
So you don't have to always pair with the same type of wine. You can still go classic, but, I don't think you have to.
MF: So what you're saying is you're a bit of a rebel.
LB: Ha! Kind of, yeah.
MF: Could you pick a favorite pairing from your curation and share the story behind it?
LB: I'll go with the bottle from Juan Rubio. It's called Essencial and it's made from 100% Xarelo from Catalonia. I think it's the only Catalonian wine I put on the list.
The first time I tried his wine it blew my mind. As you know, I come from France and used to mostly drink French. I didn't know a lot of Spanish wine, never mind a Catalonian one. But the scene here is amazing and that was my first experience with it. I had to put it on the list.
And a funny story, I opened a bottle of it like eight days ago and then finished it yesterday. And after eight days, it was even better than it was at the beginning.
MF: That's a good tip for our community!
LB: I paired it with The Clash because it's the first track that got me into music as a teenager. Without this track, I would have never been a music nerd.
MF: You mentioned hearing The Clash as a monumental moment in your music history. Is there a song that takes you back to a similar moment in your wine career?
LB: To be honest, I'm not sure. I usually go to another bar to try bottles I don't have access to and I don't pay much attention to the music they're playing.
For me, the music that I like is usually at home with my own experience. And it might be before my night shift, and I'll be like, okay, we're going to play those five sets tonight.
Kind of like I did your set. And then you know what you're playing, you know what type of wine you go with on the table.
MF: Imagine an alien lands in Barcelona and you are tasked with introducing them to wine. As Earth's ambassador, which bottle of wine do you choose to introduce them to?
LB: Oh my god. That's a tough one. I'm a bit stumped.
MF: Don't worry, just all of humanity is resting on you picking the right bottle here. No big deal.
LB: Okay, wait. I have the bottle right here with me. I'd go with this Riesling from Alsace produced by Yannick Maker called La Colline Au Chiste.
There are no more bottles either. 2020 was the last year he was making it. And because I'm from Alsace, this is me showing pride for where I come from.
Riesling is a difficult grape. You either love it or you hate it. I tried this bottle at a wine festival about a month ago, and it's the best Riesling I've ever had.
On the way back to Barcelona, I stopped by a little wine cellar in Auvergne. And they had one last bottle of it. So I grabbed it without even thinking about it. I was like, okay, that's for me.
And if an alien came to Earth today and they opened the door, I would give them this bottle of wine and be like, yeah, this is wine.
MF: That's pretty generous of you to share. I thought you might want to keep that one all to yourself!
MF: To wrap up, if you had to encapsulate your approach to wine and music pairing in just three words, what would they be?
LB: Passionate, open-minded, and not too serious!
Discover Lucas's Drop
Explore the 12 wines Lucas Bozzoli curated for S02E02. From rule-breaking pairings to Catalonian discoveries, each bottle reflects his DJ-like approach to wine curation.
FAQs
Who is Lucas Bozzoli?
Lucas is the wine curator behind petnat bar in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Originally from Alsace, France, he discovered Spanish natural wines and now treats wine curation like being a DJ.
What makes Lucas's wine curation unique?
He approaches wine like a DJ approaches music, reading the room and taking guests on a journey. He's known for breaking traditional pairing rules and surprising guests with unexpected bottles.
What Drop did Lucas curate for Playlist?
Lucas curated S02E02, featuring 12 wines that reflect his passionate, open-minded, and not-too-serious approach to wine.
What's his favorite wine and music pairing?
Juan Rubio's Essencial (100% Xarelo from Catalonia) paired with The Clash, the song that first got him into music as a teenager.
How does Barcelona influence his wine approach?
Living in four different Barcelona neighborhoods over six years taught Lucas that each area has its own vibe, much like how each wine has its own personality and moment.
