After 3 years of talking about it, we’re finally doing it. As Wines Under the Bonnet and Otros Vinos we are taking our collaborative tastings to another level: we have joined forces with some of the best small wine importers in this country to pull some of the most interesting artisan wine and cider producers from all over the world to congregate in an 11,0000 square foot unit at the Copeland Park warehouse in Peckham.
What is Bedrock Wine Fair?
It’s an opportunity to meet winemakers from around the globe and taste the fermented fruits of their labours. It will be the UK’s largest independent gathering of its kind this year. We want to provide a relaxed, collaborative platform for small importers and the growers they work with, making it accessible to both the burgeoning community of wine lovers and the professionals who feed their passion.
The line-up is already varied and widespread; working with small specialist importers gives the fair both diversity and a regional focus. Expect a strong presence from Germany, Slovakia, the Loire, and Catalunya with lots more to come.
We are inspired by the relaxed continental culture of natural wine: Find a space, bring some wine, hand out glasses and go. The idea is that the wine speaks for itself.
Dates: 3 - 4 May 2020
Time: 10am - 5pm
Place: Unit 8 Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, Peckham, London, SE15 3SN
Tickets (trade & public): https://www.bedrockwinefair.co.uk/tickets
Growers: https://www.bedrockwinefair.co.uk/growers
Who is behind it?
We are Fernando and Alex. We met about three years ago, having both started importing wine at around the same time for the same reasons with the same philosophy, though we each focus on wines from different countries. It didn’t take long to launch our first collaborative tasting. We strongly believe in working together, what we are doing is still on the fringes and we are small businesses. Joining forces to make a bit more noise made a lot of sense. Over the last three years we have hosted at least 20 joint tastings across the country. Now we’re upping the ante – hosting a wine fair to bring together as many like-minded people as we can find.
Under the bonnet - Fernando on Alex
Since I first met Alex in 2016, he has been an inspiration to me and a role model in wine. He is driven by a fierce desire to get honest wine into the hands of everyday people like you and me without any of the pretentiousness of the classic wine world. There are no white shirts and chinos in his wine world nor hipsters wearing trucker caps, just hard working winemakers making awesome wines.
Otros Vinos - Alex on Fernando
Fernando has an unrivalled passion for Spanish wine. In the last few years he has opened my eyes to the evolving world on the Iberian peninsula. Otros Vinos are not a box-ticking wine importer. Six producers from Penedes, of course. Fernando rolls up his sleeves and gets stuck in working alongside his growers to truly understand what they do.
What is happening when?
Saturday evening
A communal feast, bringing together all the winemakers and importers involved in the fair, with a few tickets available to the general public.
Sunday morning
The fair will open its doors to the public at 10am. Bleary-eyed winemakers and tasters will have their caffeine fix expertly taken care of by Browns of Brockley. Through the day sustenance will be provided by some of South East London’s finest; Begging Bowl, Mons, Klose & Soan (more tbc ASAP).
Once you arrive, grab a glass and get stuck in. Approach any table with your glass arm outstretched and chase the wine.
Sunday evening
Until about 10pm we will be running a bar with wines available from the growers at the fair. The food stalls will stay open and we have asked some growers to spin some tunes.
Monday morning
The tasting will start again (same as Sunday), wrap party at Levan after.
Please follow us on @bedrockfair for regular updates!