Vino for Veganuary

There’s more to wine than just stamping on some grapes and letting them ferment for a bit. From vine to bottle, winemaking is a complex, multi-step process. One such step is ‘fining’, a measure taken to clarify the wine which often uses animal products. Whilst you can’t taste these products in the final drink, it does mean that most wines won’t be vegan-friendly, which is why we’ve decided, to mark Veganuary, to assemble a tasting of a magnificent seven wines which just so happen to be vegan! There will also be a range of vegan tapas served to pair with the wines.

Matic Wines, Mea Šipon Petnat, NV, Stajerska, Slovenia

This shows there's more to the world of sparkling wines than Champagne and Prosecco. Matija's commitment to creating something unique, creamy and complex borders on the obsessive: handpicking the grapes, beginning fermentation in clay amphorae, and individually dosing each bottle so that no two are the same. Now this a sparkling we really love to šip on and savour.

Casata Mergè Parsifal Pecorino, 2020, Lazio IGT, Italy

Pecorino (not to be confused with the cheese also popular in Lazio) is a grape known for its distinctive minerality, but this offering from the Mergè family, who create appropriately heavenly, clean wines on their little slither of paradise, also has notes of flowers and fresh apple. This feels like it would have been Adam and Eve’s tipple of choice in the Garden of Eden.

Chateau de la Mulonnière, L'Effet Papillon Savennières, 2014, Loire Valley, France

‘The Butterfly Effect’ refers to how the most miniscule changes can have dramatically different knock-on effects - and this wine is a testament to how it’s the little details which matter. Hand picking the grapes late in the harvest season so that they develop riper flavours. Fermenting in oak and then aging for seven months in stainless steel to maintain the perfect balance of fruit and oak flavours. It’s a wine even greater than the sum of its parts.

Winzer Familie Gregor Schup Riesling, 2017, Thermenregion, Austria

The Schups know their terroir - you would hope so, given that they’ve lived in the area for three centuries. Their approach to winemaking proves that respect for nature is the best way to get the most out of vines. Picking the grapes at just the right ripeness so that they have a wonderful sweetness which balances with the gentle acidity and tropical fruit aromas. Now there’s a Riesling to be cheerful.

Gönc Winery Pinot Noir, 2019, Rabelčja vas, Ptuj, Slovenia

Peter Gönc lost his city job and went back to his dad’s vineyard, learning the ins and outs of winemaking and eventually taking over. Whilst we don’t want to seem insensitive, we’re glad Peter was forced to change careers, because it meant that we got one of the most exciting and vibrant Pinot Noirs we’ve had the good fortune of trying. Everything happens for a reason. 

Dominio de Punctum Uno de Mil Tempranillo/Petit Verdot, 2016, La Mancha DO, Spain

Ruth Fernandez is our woman of La Mancha. The chief winemaker of Dominio de Punctum, she has overseen some truly innovative viticulture to create a subtly spiced, but exceptionally rare Spanish delight. Biodynamic practices and night harvested grapes mean that the wine is perfectly suited for a whole year of ageing in new French oak. One in a thousand will seem like an understatement once you’ve had a sip.

The Islander Estate Bark Hut Road, 2018, Kangaroo Island, Australia

Jacques Lurton moved from Bordeaux to Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Adelaide, bringing with him his expertise and a desire to make something a little bit different. Maybe he was just hopping mad: closely planting the vines to reduce their yields may seem bizarre, but the more concentrated fruit results in wines with greater structure and more pronounced flavours. Expect chocolate, smoke, mint, ripe black fruit and a bit of spice.