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We’ve had a great influx of new wines over the last couple of months as we get ready for the sunny season, read on below for some of the highlights!

 

Le Vieux Pin, Petit Blanc, Okanagan, Canada, 2017 (£23.50/£21.00)

This white from our favourite Canadian wine producer Le Vieux Pin is made from sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, viognier, and chardonnay giving a lovely balance between generous texture and fresh acidity. Peach, apricot, and melon fruit on the nose is followed up with an appetising citrus note on the palate. Check out the Petit Rouge as well made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah.

 

Ardina 300 Vinho Verde, Portugal, 2018 (£13.50/£12.00)

What do you bring to a friend’s barbecue when you’re a wine lover and they only care if what’s in the bottle is cold and wet? Great quality Vinho Verde like this! Made from the Loueiro grape, this is typical of the region with its bracing freshness and zesty lemony fruit, but also has a lovely mineral streak and a textural quality that belies its price. Great value!

 

Domaine FL, Anjou Blanc, Loire, France, 2017 (£20.00/£18.00)

This new Loire Valley discovery really wowed us when we first tasted it a couple of months back. All the hallmarks of great Chenin Blanc are here: ripe apples and white peaches with subtle floral and smokey hints on the nose give way to a generously textured palate with perfectly judged acidity.

 

Black Chalk Classic, Hampshire, England, 2015 (£40.00/£36.50)

Launched in 2018, Black Chalk is a new project from Jacob Leadly, formerly of Hattingley Valley. Grapes are sourced from the best growers across Hampshire and the wine is made using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in bottle. The Classic bottling is extremely fine, direct, and elegant. The amazingly delicate Wild Rose is a knockout too!

 

David Chapel, Julienas ‘Cote de Bessay’, Beaujolais, France, 2017 – (£28.00/£25.00)

David Chapel is the next big thing in Beaujolais, set to join the ranks of the cult growers who have won the hearts of cutting edge sommeliers everywhere over recent years. This has a more in common with Pinot Noir than a stereotypical Beaujolais – there is real power and perfume to the red berry and cherry fruit here along with subtle, velvet-smooth tannin.

 

Eekhoring Rooi, Western Cape, South Africa, 2018 – (£14.50/£13.00)

Eekhoring Rooi (meaning red squirrel) is a super expressive and floral red blend of 60% Cinsault, 30% Syrah & 10% Pinotage. It is bright and breezy with red fruits, spice and a hint of chocolate and dark fruits on the end. Amazing value once again from South Africa.

 

L&C Poitout ‘Vindemiola’ Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Chablis, France, 2017 – (£25.50/£23.00)

This is an unusual Bourgogne Pinot Noir, coming from Chablis rather than the Cote d’Or. So light in colour one could be persuaded it’s a darker rosé, this is no lightweight when it comes to flavour. Packed with really pure and intense cranberry, raspberry, and floral notes, this will taste delicious served chilled in the garden over the Summer.

 

Triennes Rosé, IGP Mediterranée, France, 2017 – (£16.00/£14.50)

A new project from Burgundians Jacques Seysses and Aubert de Villaine (of Domaine Dujac and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti no less!), this Provence rosé really stood out from the crowd at our buyers’ recent tasting of 20+ rosés. Its elegant, beguiling summer fruits and subtle hint of savouriness saw it beat several much more expensive competitors.

 

Paradou Cotes du Provence Rosé, France, 2017 – (£18.00/£16.00)

Another stand out rosé, Le Paradou has a lovely extra bit of texture to it as well as a delicious generosity of fruit. Also available in magnums!

Authenticity in Wine

7 May 2019 by Richard

What is an authentic, or ‘real’, wine?  Is it made from organic grapes, using biodynamic practices?  Is it natural, in that there is nothing added (bar – maybe – a pinch of sulphur) and nothing taken away?  Has the fermentation taken place indigenously, with native yeast? Where does egg-fermented wine fit in? Does the wine have a bit of wildness or ‘funk’?  Is the wine sustainably produced? And, is it vegan-friendly?

That’s the mother of all wine rabbit holes, isn’t it?  But as it is Real Wine Month and whether or not you are a convert, I am going to lead you to the entrance of that hole and ask you to stick your head into it.

 

Personally, I prefer not to think about the list of permitted additives in industrial, homogenous, unsustainably produced wine but, if you do, the list would be longer than the Brexit process and the chances of you being left totally befuddled and with a very sore head indeed are high.  So, think about moving on from drinking such wines: it will be your gateway to a more enlightened existence.

What follows are recommendations of three great authentic wines for first-timers, selected because they are not too funky and they express a transparency often found only in natural wine.

 

An inexpensive ‘antipasto’ would be Ciello Bianco: a nimble beauty derived from organic Catarratto grapes grown and made by a Sicilian family with minimal intervention.  The lightest possible filtration, with non-animal products, leaves the wine a little cloudy and endorses its vegan-friendly credentials.  A fine lees sludge is often visible at the base of the bottle and contributes a little extra lemony flavor and pithy texture. Convention destroyer alert: give it a vigorous shake to get maximum flavour from it!

 

Ovum ‘Off The Grid’ Oregon dry Riesling was mentioned in Margaret Rand’s 101 Wines to Try Before You Die.  An honest, ‘fruit comes first’, minimal intervention strategy allows the vintage and vineyard to shine, not the winemaker.  A native fermentation takes place in both old, neutral wooden barrels and small concrete eggs so that the heat produced is distributed evenly and the temperature remains cool. Thus, the wine retains a naturally bright freshness. The grapes are grown on a stony site and a light flinty wine results with flavours of mirabelle, quince and galangal root.

 

Terre de Mistral Cotes du Rhone is from a small co-op that works according to the principles of Terra Vitis using no chemical treatments other than a very little sulphur. Last month this unfined and unfiltered, natural Cotes du Rhone was the highlight of the week for Josh’s Wine List and “the best affordable red I’ve had in a long time.” Think freshly-picked black cherry, cracked black pepper and a waft of a sliver of saucisson sec.

With numerous other authentic wines available at The Good Wine Shop look out for our ‘real wine’ neck tags in-store or ask our knowledgeable staff. Beyond that, why not explore The Real Wine Fair on the 12th and 13th of May – https://therealwinefair.com/tickets/ – or follow #realwinefair and #realwinemonth on social media.

100 Years of the Negroni

29 April 2019 by Alex

This year marks 100 years since the invention of the Negroni cocktail.

Like all the best things, the Negroni is deceptively simple: 3 equal parts of gin, red Vermouth, and Amaro. Said to have been invented at Caffè Casoni in Florence back in 1919 when Count Camilo Negroni asked the bartender to replace the soda water in his Americano cocktail (a blend of Amaro and red Vermouth topped off with soda) with gin to make it stronger. The barman garnished the new concoction with a slice of orange instead of the traditional lemon that went along with the Americano, a convention that remains to this day. The Nergoni is the perfect combination of power, sweetness, and bitterness, a true aperitif that stimulates the appetite and relaxes the mind like no other, the Negroni is the ultimate pre-dinner drink.


Count Camillo Negroni

The rebirth of gin in recent years and its transformation into one of the most exciting spirits categories has had the beneficial knock on effect of giving bartenders a wider palate of flavours to work with, and the world of Vermouth and Amaro has followed suit, meaning there are many delicious twists on this classic cocktail available today. The very first Negroni was made using Campari and Cinzano red Vermouth, but try the following contemporary twists for a new take on the classic:

Sacred Complete English Nergoni

Founded in 2008, the Sacred distillery in Highgate was one of the first of the new wave craft distilleries, and they craft their Rosehip Cup and English Spiced Vermouth with the Negroni very much in mind!

Del Professore New Wave Italian Negroni

The Del Professore range of Spirits, Vermouths, and Amaros are products of extensive research to create new, truly authentic recipes made in Piemonte Italy from high quality raw Italian ingredients. This is a perfect way to celebrate the traditional Negroni with ‘new wave’ artisanal components.

So why not celebrate this centenarian cocktail by raising a glass – whatever the recipe – over the next few weeks? Those local to our Kew shop can join us for a Negroni themed cocktail evening on Friday the 31st of May from 6:30pm when we will be offering Del Professore Negronis to buy in the bar all evening.

Pinot Noir Perfection

15 April 2019 by Richard

The Sideways effect:

“If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving.  I am not drinking any f*****g Merlot“,  Miles pronounces in the film Sideways.  If like me, you recall watching it on a DVD player back in 2005, you may remember its main characters eulogise the Pinot Noir grape.  Overnight demand went through the canopy, especially in the United States, and became known as the ‘Sideways effect’.  15 years later, the phenomenon is alive and kicking as plantings of the grape multiply across the world.  However, the capacity for great wines to be produced is limited, as the grape only produces really interesting wines when conditions are cool and the growing season is long.  It is seen by winemakers the world over as the ultimate test, so, luckily for wine drinkers, attempts to create seriously good, multi-layered wines continue.  The result is a plethora of extraordinary wines from all corners of the winegrowing world.  To paraphrase Maya from Sideways ‘they all taste so f*****g good’.

 

A brief history before Hollywood let the cat out of the bag:

Pinot Noir is a 2,000 year old variety that has given birth to 21 varieties through spontaneous crosses, including Chardonnay and Gamay.  It is a great grandparent to Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon and a likely grandparent to Syrah.

During this time it has had plenty of chances to mutate: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir Prècoce all have the same genetic fingerprint.  Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are simply colour mutations.

Where it is thriving nowadays:

France has the most Pinot Noir planted with 29,576 ha, but it still only the 7th most planted variety in the country.  Its presumed birthplace is Burgundy but just 6,579 ha are planted here.  Whilst my focus is on still wines here, most of recent growth has been in Champagne; 12,900 ha represent 39% of all the area.

The United States takes a silver medal with 15,091ha in California.  The Sideways movie put one Pinot Noir in particular on the vinous map and that was Hitching Post. The ‘Hometown ‘ Pinot Noir, from Santa Barbara, has juicy flavours of ripe cherry, an earthiness, seductive spice and falls just the right side of brightness for me.   The famous restaurant of the same name was the scene for a part of the movie and a major tourist attraction now.


My own fair hands grasping a bunch of Pinot Noir grapes!

A surprise for many is that Germany takes third spot.  It now has 11,800 ha thanks to climate change, young talented winemakers, world class wines, and increasing demand.  One producer I have been following for almost 20 years is Ziereisen. The Tschuppen Pinot Noir is blackberry-spiked, has a mineral note as well as a deep, savoury edge and is a delight.

New Zealand’s success is more apparent in the UK market but Argentina is just emerging as a contender.  Take the Verum Pinot Noir which is from Rio Negro in Patagonia, as far south as grapes successfully ripen.  Raspberries and a touch of earth combine to deliver quite a bit of complexity for its price.

To learn a little more about where else Pinot Noir is successful, how its wines are made and taste 7 examples from around the globe, book a Pinot Noir Perfection Masterclasss, on Thursday 16 May in Chiswick, now. (Kew’s tasting has already sold out!).

Motta Matters – Bolgheri’s Star in the Making

22 March 2019 by Richard

 

 

In 2009 the talented, energetic Fabio Motta acquired 4 hectares of vines in a prime location within the Bolgheri DOC, home of Sassicaia, Ornellaia and other cult wines besides.  The location of the vines is idyllic: overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and benefitting from the cooling on-shore breezes in summer, at the foot of the beautiful rolling hills of Bolgheri with its deep soils of clay, silt and river stones and a brilliant luminosity and south-western exposure to sunlight.  The vines were planted 12 years earlier, in 1997, not just to the traditional Sangiovese, but to the ‘Super Tuscan’ varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and some very promising Syrah too.

Like his vines, Fabio Motta is deeply rooted in Bolgheri: for many years he worked for the celebrated Michele Satta, who is now, in addition to being both his friend and mentor, also his father-in-law!

Always hugely respectful of the terroir and the environment, and with the aim of producing transparent and sincere wine, Fabio farms organically, but began converting his vineyards to biodynamics in 2015.

Unsurprisingly, his authentic, low-intervention philosophy is carried into his cellar: he works with native yeasts only, never filters, and handcrafts wines that stand out as elegant and complex, rather than too powerful and concentrated.

In 2012 Fabio bought a tiny clay-rich, stony vineyard called ‘Le Gonnare’ and hit his straps with the 2013 vintage.  In its first year of production, it received overwhelming critical acclaim:  Gambero Rosso awarded it 3 bicchieri and the Wine Advocate rated it 96 points.

The current vintage, 2015, is 85% Merlot and 15% Syrah and after a natural fermentation is finished in oak barriques, one third of which are new, for 18 months.  It is large scaled and structured, with abundant red and black fruits, toasty oak, dark chocolate and granitic earthiness, alongside sculpted aromas of Mediterranean flowers and herbs.  Quantities of this, his flagship wine, are tiny (about 300 cases per annum) and allocations are tightening, as it gets the deserved recognition in other fast growing international markets. Just about to land, the 2016 vintage shows every sign of being even better

His ‘Pievi’ is a blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese (25% each) and shows primary fresh fruit notes alongside balsamic notes and is rich in pliant, ripe tannins, a fuzzy texture and great persistence. The three varieties are native fermented separately in wooden barrels of 33hl in size, punched down by hand twice daily and in the first days of fermentation aerated frequently with pump-overs.  After blending, the wine is passed into 2 and 3 year old barriques, where it integrates for 12 months, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

‘Lo Scudiere’, the most recent arrival on our shelves, also comes from the from the Pieve vineyard. Contrastingly, it is 100% Sangiovese with 25% of the fruit whole bunch fermented, skins are pumped-over daily for a month into 30hl conical oak and it is aged in neutral, used oak barriques for 1 year. It has aromas of forest floor, hedgerow fruits and is faintly funky with a chewy frame, a juicy damson fruit centre and sensational sapidity, all of which meant I wanted to drink another glass of it.

I admit my bias here as I adore his wines, so here is a recent independent press review courtesy of the Wine Advocate: “Fabio Motta presents a very impressive set of new releases… These fantastic wines will cement the reputation of this young and up-and-coming winemaker from Bolgheri, and will lift his profile… Fabio Motta is crafting his own biodynamic winemaking signature that shows both elegance and power.”

So, forget the other famous, arguably overpriced, ‘Super Tuscan’ wines of Bolgheri – what matters is the Motta label – it is the label to watch.

 

Benromach Whisky – Classic Speyside Character

22 March 2019 by Alex

Regular visitors to The Good Wine Shop may well have already come across the whiskies of the Benromach distillery, they have been a staple of our lovingly curated range of lesser-known but fantastic quality malts for quite some time now.

A venerable site founded in 1898, Speyside distillery Benromach was closed for a time before being resurrected in 1993 by the Urquhart family of Elgin. At this time it was completely refitted, but in a fashion that rejects high technology and harks back to a simpler time.

Everything at Benromach is an art, not a science – there are no computers or even pressure gauges to monitor the process – the distillers make all the decisions using their experience and their senses to taste the product. Although we now think of the Speyside style as being unpeated, it was very common in the region back in the 19th Century to use some peat to stoke the fires that malted the barley. Hence the Benromach style has a light touch of peat smoke to create a wonderfully well-rounded single malt.

The classic Benromach 10 year old is the quintessential malt from this distillery, matured in 80% Bourbon barrels and 20% Sherry hogsheads, with the final year in first-fill Oloroso casks, but for a twist try the Benromach Contrasts finished for 25 months in barrels from Bordeaux estate Chateau Cissac. Also, look out for the Organic, 15 year old, and brand new Peat Smoke Sherry Cask malts arriving soon.

We’re excited to be hosting a fantastic tasting with Benromach at the Kew shop on the 3rd of April from 7pm where guests will taste their way through the Benromach 10 year old, Sassicaia Cask finish, Organic, 15 year old, and brand new Peat Smoke Sherry Cask malts. A selection of nibbles to match the whiskies will be served on the night. Click here to get your tickets.

Marcus Huber – The Talented Traisental Trailblazer

12 February 2019 by Richard

Marcus explaining that this Austrian Acacia barrel was made for his father’s 40th birthday and is still in use today.

Back in the 1990’s, the ninth generation of the Huber family ran a small family restaurant, which, as is traditional, would produce all the food themselves, rear pigs and make wine – all from 4 hectares of land.  To supplement the farm produce, deer and wild boar would be hunted in the woods above the vineyard terraces.  This idyllic Traisental lifestyle appears so laid-back and amiable, and such a contrast to London, that it would not have been surprising if the coming generations of the Huber family continued with this traditional family business.

This is where the ambitious son, Marcus, enters the arena.  At the tender age of 21, he took over in the farm to focus on a new wine venture. In less than half a generation, he has rapidly grown the holdings to a total of 50 hectares, 25 of which he owns and the rest are on long-term contracts.

The Traisental region is west of Vienna, near to and south of the Danube, and has the smallest area under vine in Austria, with less than 800 hectares.  However, Marcus has no master plan to conquer Traisental. He does have an eye on acquiring a few more prize sites but prefers to limit further growth now to keep the business manageable and within the family, as currently, he has just his brother to share the increasing responsibilities.

Shrewdly, over the last 18 years he has been busy buying up plots on the highest parts of the slopes (350-380m) of the north-south oriented terraces.  Mind-bogglingly, he now has almost 200 sites, averaging only just over ¼ of a hectare in size!  I ask if this is a logistic viticultural nightmare but he says it is not too bad as they pragmatically work through the plots from north to south when pruning or harvesting.

Whilst Gruner Vetliner is ruler in the Traisental, with 63% of plantings, Riesling does exceptionally well in the south, especially on the higher terraces of calcareous conglomerate subsoil, with occasional marl, that face a fraction closer to the south than the east.


A piece of calcareous conglomerate, which looks and feels like stony concrete.

The continental climate here gives warm, dry summers and harvest time, with 30 days of temperatures in excess of 30 degrees usually.  Whilst Marcus has managed to practise organic farming for many years, he has recently decided to jump through some red-taped hoops and apply for certification, which after a 3 year qualifying period, is due in 2020.

10 years back Marcus built a new winery into the hillside of some of the original farm land and he has, recently, further extended it.  With two levels in the winery he can gravity feed the wines, and all the cellars look tidier than a show home that Mrs Hinch has repeatedly cleaned!  Apart from a few small old barrels of the tight-grained but neutral Acacia oak, for wines from his best sites, there are lots of shiny stainless-steel tanks.

The squeaky clean stainless steel tanks in the latest addition to the winery.

Whilst bygone images of shooting wild boar to feed the family and village inhabitants might intrude on the sensibilities of vegans, his wines are now clarified using pea protein only and, as such, are super vegan-friendly.

It seems to me that Marcus still has the drive and energy of a 21 year old, whilst benefiting from the experience he has gained growing grapes and making wine here for two decades.  Consequently, he can channel his considerable charisma and business acumen in nurturing his clients in both the domestic and international markets.

I ask if he has a succession plan – to go to an eleventh generation – but his three daughters are far too young.  Rather sweetly, he does mark the corner rows of his plots with a pink sprayed stake, to signal his affection for them from the vineyard terraces.

Settled into the tasting room at the winery we work through a tasting of 23 wines.  Like Marcus, I would summarise his wines as toned, precise, handsome and charming.


The tasting room was a welcome respite from the chilly winter weather

The Riesling ‘Engelsberg’, which translates to Angel’s Hill, awakens and heightens my senses with its squeaky dryness, green apple crunch, juicy yellow plum, waxy texture and hint of sea spray.

A really refreshing pale rosé grabs my attention too.  Made from early harvested Zweigelt grapes, it transports me away from the cold, snowy Austrian winter momentarily to a Mediterranean summer.  This dry, bright pink wine reminds me of freshly picked, home-grown tomatoes, summer herbs and green olives and, put simply, is joyous.  A sommelier in our group suggests it would be perfect with a cherry tomato, basil and goats cheese salad: I agree, we drink to that and say, “Prost!”

 

Burns Night Tipples

17 January 2019 by Richard

Just a few weeks ago I was seeing in the New Year with friends holding hands, cross-armed and trying to join in with the singing of Auld Lang Syne! Thankfully, the fireworks in the background disguised the mumbo-jumbo emanating from my mouth. I think I got away with it – for another year at least.

Dubbed the song “everyone knows, but nobody knows the words to”, Auld Lang Syne was of course written by Robert Burns, the Scottish poet’s whose works and life are celebrated the world over with Burns Night suppers on the 25th of January. In planning my first ever supper this year, I was disturbed to hear, that after the haggis, neaps, tatties and toasts, Auld Lang Syne is sung. No, I can’t really fake it again, can I?

I quickly formulate a “cunning plan” in my mind: Firstly, I will sing it using the more comprehensible words from the English translation rather than the original version. Secondly, I will have a wee nip of a special Scotch or two to wet my whistle.

So which dram of whisky? Is it a myth that a smoky, peaty whisky works best? Not according to the whisky critics out there, but it does need to go with the haggis itself, the meaty gravy, earthy buttery turnips and sweet, flowery swede.

Compass Box’s Peat Monster combines potent peat with subtle spice and fruit.  The sweet maltiness and hints of fruit offset the gaminess of the haggis and 10 to 16 year old smoky and peaty single malts (from the island of Islay, the Isle of Mull and Speyside) add another dimension to the overall supper.  Afterwards, relax in your favourite pairs of slippers, head for an armchair in front of roaring, mesmerising log fire.

Alternatively, if peat does not get on with you, a big sherried whisky, such as those from Glendronach, will work wonders. Maturation in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks give fruit-laden flavours, sweet spice and a nuttiness that provides a great contrast to the meaty and peppery character of the dish.

Splash-out on the Glendronach ‘Parliament’, a 21 year old that has the features above in profusion with further notes of plum pudding and spiced oatmeal biscuits. If, like me, the thought of stewed summer fruits, all-spice and toasted walnut bread send you into an olfactory frenzy, try the 18 year old Glendronach ‘Alardice’. If you would rather these flavours were dialled down a notch, having spent just 12 years in these sherry butts, embrace the Glendronach ‘Original’.

However, if you like the taste of haggis and prefer it enhanced by whisky rather than overpowered by it then go for the easy-to-drink, elegant and very lightly peated James Eadie, with its fascinating human back-story. James Eadie established his signature blend of whisky in 1854, and although renowned at the time, the brand didn’t survive far into the 20th century. Luckily for us, Eadie’s great-great grandson Rupert Patrick has resurrected the brand using the meticulous records of whisky purchases made by James himself. Only whiskies that James Eadie purchased during his lifetime make it into the blend, which contains whiskies from every whisky making region in Scotland.

Having tasted samples of all the above whiskies and my confidence growing, I am heading off for some choir practice now. Wish me luck.

Christmas Opening Hours 2018

16 December 2018 by Alex

Both of our shops (Chiswick and Kew) will be open longer in the run up to Christmas.

We’re also staying open until 7pm on Christmas Eve in case you have any last minute beer, wine or spirit needs.

Our shops will all be open until 8pm on New Year’s Eve.

On Mondays in January, our shops will operate reduced opening hours opening between 4pm and 8pm.

 Date                                             Chiswick                        Kew
Monday 17 December 11am to 8pm 11am to 8pm
Tuesday 18 December 10am to 9pm 10am to 9pm
Wednesday 19 December 10am to 9pm 10am to 9pm
Thursday 20 December 9am to 9pm 9am to 9pm
Friday 21 December 9am to 10pm 9am to 10pm
Saturday 22 December 9am to 10pm 9am to 10pm
Sunday 23 December 10am to 9pm 10am to 9pm
Monday 24 December 9am to 7pm 9am to 7pm
Tuesday 25 December CLOSED CLOSED
Wednesday 26 December CLOSED CLOSED
Thursday 27 December 12pm to 8pm 12pm to 8pm
Friday 28 December 10am to 10pm 10am to 10pm
Saturday 29 December 10am to 10pm 10pm to 10pm
Sunday 30 December 11am to 8pm 11am to 8pm
Monday 31 December 10am to 8pm 10am to 8pm
Tuesday 1 January CLOSED CLOSED

BLANK bottle – Good Wine, Real People, Great Stories

10 December 2018 by Richard

Pieter Walser is the brains behind the BLANK bottle concept. He reminds me of the most popular boy at school who effortlessly excels at everything he does. He shines as a cult winemaker, an artist, a marketer, a surfer, an actor, a negociant, a designer, an entrepreneur, a family man, a visionary, a raconteur, a party animal, a leader, a rebel, a genius, a magician… you get my drift. Whilst Pieter comfortably wears all these hats with great aplomb, he says he prefers not to wear a hat at all, not knowing how to label himself. Speaking of labels, it is really hard not judge his wines by their inimitable, ingenious labels, especially as Pieter draws every one himself and they all have an engaging and absorbing story.


Some of the newly landed, limited edition wines – from left-to-right Epileptic Inspiration, Jaa-Bru & PhD.

Pieter’s very first, virtually self-taught effort at making wine was in his last year at Uni using a friend’s garage. Clearly he had a golden touch as he quickly sold on all he made, using his tenacity and radiating charm. His impecunious student status must have informed his decision to plough back every rand into buying more barrels and finding more extraordinary vineyards to source grapes.

In 2004, when Pieter was just beginning to bottle his own wines, one of his first customers proclaimed “I don’t do Shiraz”. So, Pieter poured her a glass of straight Shiraz, without telling her what is was. “I love it” she immediately bellowed! It was at that time that Pieter decided not to varietally label his wines, with the idea of breaking down all preconceived ideas about what you find yourself drinking.

Still to this day, Pieter has no land to his name and buys in grapes and rents vineyards, often on short-term contracts. Usually the wine’s provenance is shown as Western Cape, as the grapes that go in to the blends come from different districts. Some wines are repeated year after year, while others are one-off releases. The limitations are what excite him and there are always new parcels and opportunities arising.

In a nutshell, BLANK bottle is a series of limited edition wines, each with its own individual story, made from specially selected parcels of grapes from around the Cape. In terms of winemaking, this is about as boutique as it gets. Pieter’s scale-small winemaking is hands-off with old barrels being used so that the wine expresses a sense of place. They fit perfectly into our GOOD WINE, REAL PEOPLE, GREAT STORIES philosophy.


Pieter, 3rd right, with his ‘party animal’ hat on, at one of our annual tasting events at The Good Wine Shop.

Having built up such a good rapport with Pieter over the last couple of years, we recently asked if he would make a wine exclusively for us. He duly barrel-fermented and blended one barrel of Macabeo with a barrel of Fernão Pires, making just 670 bottles and drew a fetching label featuring members of The Good Wine Shop team. I get a hipster makeover with some dark glasses! It has an alluring stone fruit and tropical fruit nose – peach, guava and pineapple – delicate floral tones and a richly textured palate with bright acidity and a saline mineral finish. It is a perfect match with pan-fried scallops with parsnip purée & pancetta crumbs.


The Good Wine Shop blend by BLANK bottle (yes, Pieter drew us upside down!)