South African Wine Bar Takeover in Chiswick and Kew

October sees some of South Africa’s greatest young winemaking stars descend on London for some very special tastings. Any of you who attended our tastings last year will know that we always have an absolute blast at these events. These easy-going, charismatic, irreverent winemakers are some of the most fun guests we have all year, but possibly more importantly they make fantastic wines of arresting intensity, complexity, balance, and authenticity. This is an amazing opportunity to meet these winemakers who have already gone from ‘up-and-coming’ to legitimate stars and who will be talked about as true legends in years to come. Our gorgeous wine bars in Chiswick and Kew will be lovingly invaded by five of these stars for one night only on Thursday the 4th of October from 6pm.

Joining us in Kew will be Duncan Savage of Savage Wines, Craig Wessels of Restless River, and David Cope of Alphabetical Wines:

Duncan Savage made quite a name for himself as the winemaker at Cape Point Vineyards before establishing his own label in 2011. These wines instantly won critical acclaim and a cult following – produced in very small quantities, they are always highly sought after. He acquired his own winery in time to make the 2017 vintage and this has given him both more control over how the wines are made and the space to make more wine – both extremely positive developments for Duncan’s legions of fans! This, his first visit to us here at The Good Wine Shop is a real treat.

“I was a bit blown away by this range from Duncan. He is achieving his dream of zoning in on choice parcels of old vine from areas such as Piekenierskloof and Malgas… to create some thrilling, quite cerebral but delicious wines.” Neal Martin, Vinous Media, August 2017.

Craig Wessels is the self-taught winemaker at Restless River wines an estate that continues to go from strength to strength with each new vintage. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a wonderful if under-exploited region and Craig’s world class Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon illustrate this perfectly. Only a few thousand bottles are produced each year at this property and they are becoming increasingly hard to find. Craig and his wife Anne (pictured) really brought a festive atmosphere with them last year when they visited Chiswick so we’re really looking forward to seeing him here in Kew.

David Cope is the owner and proprietor of Publik Wine Bar in Cape Town, a contributor to WineMag.co.za, as well as an avid promoter of unusual and interesting wines. In recent years he has turned his hand at winemaking with various ranges of wines using grapes sourced for all over the Cape. When they first hit the shelves this time last year, David’s Alphabetical Red and White were a big hit with all of our customers here for their incredible value and fun drinkability. We’re really looking forward to meeting David and seeing what he has up his sleeve next!

In Chiswick, we look forward to welcoming Peiter Walser of BLANK bottle and Alex Starey of Keermont Vineyards:

In his BLANKbottle winery in Somerset West, Pieter Walser makes an ever-changing roster of wines sourced from various growers throughout South Africa. Many wines are one-offs, made thanks to the availability of a singular, special parcel of fruit – he even made us a special cuvee of our own last year! Pieter designs all of his packaging himself to reflect his iconoclastic winemaking approach:

“When I started BLANKbottle, my goal was to create an honest wine brand that had no limitations when it came to style, vintage, area or cultivars in order to break down any preconceived expectations. Having no indication of cultivar on the bottle makes this possible. Not only does it demand complete honesty when it comes to quality, but it allows me the opportunity to introduce once-off limited runs of interesting wines. Its flexibility turned out to be BLANKbottle’s edge. Something for someone with an open mind and an adventurous heart”

Since the redevelopment of the farm in 2005, Alex Starey has enjoyed the responsibility of making sure that the vineyards deliver the highest-quality fruit to create the best possible wines. Alex studied Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University and graduated in 2002. He has travelled and worked in wine regions including Maipo Valley, Chile; Penedes and Priorat, Spain; St-Emillion and Cote Rotie, France.

“Winemaker and surf-addict Alex Starey is certainly talented and has taken the estate to new heights in recent years… these wines come highly recommended” – Neal Martin, Vinous Media, August 2017.

To secure your place at either (or both!) of this year’s wine bar takeovers, tickets can be purchased online here. Tickets cost £25 each and entitle the holder to one full glass of wine, a taste of at least six wines from the producers, some South African grazing plates to nibble on, and a chance to wine a signed magnum of wine in our prize draw! Tickets for this event are limited and are allocated on a first come, first served basis so act quickly to avoid disappointment.

We look forward to seeing you on the night!