Building A Wine List

Calling it a wine list doesn’t quite do justice to the amount of thought that goes into what is (after the food menu) the most important piece of paper in the restaurant.

Sitting down with a blank sheet and trying to write a wine list from scratch is overwhelming, so we started with a few helpful restrictions to narrow things down.

First, European only…same as the food. Second, everything needed to fit on a single A4 sheet, with space for aperitifs and snacks. Thirdly, we decided to work with just four or five wine suppliers. People we know well, admire, and trust. Better to be a good customer for a few than a small customer for many.

Then came the brief. What were we aiming for? What were the guidelines?

Favour indigenous varietals over the familiar global grapes

This pushed us towards some of our best-loved wines like the Schioppettino and the Pecorino…grapes you might not see everywhere, but wines that consistently over-deliver.

Keep the classics classic

If a wine is from a well-known region, it should feel like a textbook example of that place. A Chablis should taste like Chablis. A Côtes du Rhône should taste like Côtes du Rhône. The idea is that guests can order with confidence, knowing what to expect.

Low-intervention and natural wines are welcome, but not just for the sake of it

We’re all for minimal interference in the winemaking process, but only where it makes the wine better in the glass and there’s a hard veto on anything that smells like a farmyard! It’s why our Orange section leans towards elegant, delicate styles rather than the bigger, juicier, funkier bottles that are having their moment elsewhere.

We’ve tweaked things along the way, and occasionally bent our own rules to make space for something genuinely exceptional…but for the most part, we’ve stuck to the plan and it’s a list we’re proud of!

This month we’re making the biggest change since we opened, with the launch of our new Cellar Reserve section. These are serious wines. Aged, limited in quantity, and carefully chosen.

Building up a cellar takes time and quite a bit of cash, but we’ve been working on it quietly in the background and we’re excited to finally share it with you!

A few of our favourites?

Perivana 2020 by Storchi

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that’s ripe with nostalgia…as well as all the classic blackcurrant and black pepper notes you'd expect. While 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is more commonly found in the New World, this Italian version is a bit of a rarity, and an absolute cracker. Structured, intense, and deeply satisfying!

Condrieu Les 3 Lieux 2022 by Domaine Bonserine

Another single varietal, this time Viognier from one of the smallest appellations in the northern Rhône. Grown on steep granite slopes above the river, the old vines produce tiny yields and some of the best expressions of Viognier in the world. This one is super intense, highly aromatic, and incredibly complex…a proper treat!

Barolo?

We’re not saying which one here…you’ll have to check the list but rest assured it’s got all the layers, structure, and elegance you’d expect from the king of Piedmont!

Yes, these are pricier bottles. But they’re also ready to drink, hard to get hold of, and an ideal way to mark an occasion…or just elevate a midweek dinner into something special!