A Chat with the Brand Brothers

Germany, Pfalz, Bockenheim
 

Our chat with Daniel & Jonas (May 2020):

How have things been going for you over the last few months?
To be honest, the pandemic hasn’t affected us massively in our daily lives. We are so engulfed in our work in the vineyard. It was nice for Jonas to be able to slow down as well as he was gone most of last year. 
We were also lucky in a sense that most of our workers, who come mainly from either Germany or Romania, stayed around during the lockdown here with us. 
We’ve enjoyed using this time to slow down and really take care of the vineyards.

What happened business wise is that as soon as the lockdown started most of the wholesale orders got cancelled. This was right at the beginning and if you would have talked to me then, I would definitely not be in such a good mood. 
What happened then was that we adapted and did deliveries to private customers instead. People were stuck at home but they still wanted wine! So from then on it went uphill. But overall I think we were making about 50-60% of our usual profits, which was better than expected. Now things are looking better again and we have picked up another 20%. 

We are relying heavily on our importers and we think everyone has done a great job to adapt themselves to the situation.

Also it was interesting to see how the online wine business has developed in Germany during this time. It was rather slow before and it has really picked up speed. A lot more people seem to be interested in natural wines, which is great. I put it down to everyone being bored at home and willing to try out new things, rather than going out in groups and picking a “regular” wine which is more likely to please everyone.

What has Jonas been up to?
We’ve had quite a lot of requests for online tastings and vineyard tours, as well as live chats, so he’s been keeping up with that as well besides the work on the vineyard. 
I think digitally we’ve developed at a massive rate over the last three months. We’ve probably done as much as we would have in two years.

Are there any special projects you are working on at the moment? 
We are currently experimenting with some old vines where we are creating a sort of hybrid by connecting them to young, new vines. More on this to come!

We are also putting in a lot of effort in creating a really flourishing polyculture around our vines. We will be planting some lavender as well as trees and even vegetables, to create a balance so eventually the vineyard sustains itself. 


And how has it been climate wise for you so far?
Really good, we were lucky to avoid the frost this year. We’ve also had a really wet winter so the soils should have plenty of water reserves for summer. We’ll wait and see how it’s gonna go! 


 

Now in Stock

SPARKLING

NEW  2019 White Pet Nat - Silvaner, Pinot Blanc


WHITE

2018 Riesling Vom Berg - Riesling

NEW 2019 Wilder Satz
Grape varieties for 2019 are: Müller Thurgau 38%, Riesling 7%, Kerner 8%, Silvaner 8%, Chardonnay
18%, Weissburgunder 18%, Grauburgunder 3%. Müller Thurgau fermented in stainless steel with an addition of a tea brew inside the tank as well as Riesling grapes (maceration carbonique). Riesling 24h maceration, Kerner from 2018 was macerated for 10 days and 2019 which was also fermented tea-bag-style with Riesling. Silvaner, Chard, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris were short macerated overnight.

2018 Müller Thurgau Pur - Muller Thurgau

2018 Pinot Blanc Holy Chapel - Pinot Blanc

2018 Riesling Monastery - Riesling

RED

NEW  2019 Brand Red - Portugieser

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A Chat with 2Naturkinder / Bat's Back

GERMANY, FRANCONIA, KITZINGEN

Micheal Voelker and Melanie Drese spent many years working in other fields, traveling the world and living in Heidelberg, Regensburg, London, and New York. In 2013 they returned to Bavarian Germany to begin taking over Michael’s father’s winery in Kitzingen. They began to make natural wines under the 2Naturkinder label as a side project for the winery, and in 2019 have fully expanded the project to take over the winery’s production. 

Our chat with Melanie (May 2020):

How has the pandemic affected you so far? Which challenges have you been facing? What became easier? 
It has affected us in different ways: First and foremost sales have dropped by 70 % I would say. We mostly export our wines to different countries and 70 % of our importers cannot sell any wines to restaurants at the moment. A lot of our distributers try to find a creative new way to sell the wines but it is not easy, especially when you only work with restaurants. It is obviously easier for those who have private clients or who are able to sell online.

It is interesting to see that in the last two months we sold more wine to German distributers. Not as much as to other countries but Germans seem to drink wine at home 😊 Also more private clients reach out and try to buy wines directly from us. This means more money per bottle but also more logistic work.

Which brings me to the next big challenge: we usually work with volunteers during harvest and vegetation season. Now with Covid-19 they all stuck in their countries and we have to do the same work with less people. Apart from the fact that there is less work force it also feels a bit lonely without all the volunteers. It is so much fun to meet people from all over the world, learn new things from them (baking bread or building a rooftop garden) and get inspired.

What are you currently working on?
We just planted a new vineyard with an old Franconian Pinot called Fränkischer Burgunder (an old autochthonous grape variety) and a vineyard with white hybrids. We think this is the way to deal with climate change. In the last years we have noticed that it is getting more and more difficult to work with some grape varieties who are very sensitive and don’t deal well with extreme heat or dryness or too much rain. In order to increase biodiversity and break up the monoculture we planted 30 apple trees right into the vineyard. Hoping the trees will also provide some shade. We are planning to build a biotope with lots of dead wood and different vegetables/herbs for all kind of animals.

What are your predictions for the rest of the year?
To be honest – no idea where Covid-19 will take us. It was a tough start for us flying solo without Michael’s father’s business. But we are optimistic that we can do it because we trust in our wines. We maybe we have to change the way we sell our wines. But we are pretty good in adapting. When we started making wine it was by far more difficult than it is now.

NOW IN STOCK:

WHITE
Fledermaus Weiss 2018 - Muller Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling
”The blockbuster vintage is now taken up a notch! Still with the same major blending partners this is a more zingy and way more serious wine, finally under cork. Crushed and pressed in a pneumatic press (no skin contact!) Malolactic fermentation and aging on the lees in steel (Silvaner, Riesling) and big oak (Müller-Thurgau) Bottled: March 2019.”

RED

Fledermaus Rot 2018 - Schwarzriesling / Pinot Meunier
”The 2018 harvest of the red “Fledermaus” was a joy. Healthy bunches. And super early. August 25th! The red Fledermaus is made of Schwarzriesling (a German word for Pinot Meunier) growing on shell limestone. Because of these beautiful grapes we finally felt confident going carbonic again (whole bunches with a layer of crushed berries on the top). And it worked out beautifully. After pressing the wine finished fermentation partly in a stainless steel tank, partly in an old oak barrel and rested on the full lees until it was bottled in July 2019.”

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Gamay Galore: Remi Sedes

Rémi Sédès
France, Nantes, Coteaux d’Ancenis

Hailing from the Jura, Rémi studied agronomy when he arrived in the area to live with his Nantes-born wife. He worked for a couple of years with Vincent Caillé, and then spent time honing his red winemaking skills in Bordeaux before setting up on his own in 2013. Rémi started with a plot of 20-year-old isolated vines that he leases from local biodynamic ‘grandfather’ Jacques Caroge. In 2017 he added a small parcel of Melon and Chardonnay.

Part of winemaking for Rémi is a lifestyle choice; he wants to work outdoors, in the fresh air, and not with machines – his Shire horses are an important part of his winemaking process.

Rémi is a Gamay specialist, and this was a key factor in choosing to work in Ancenis – where half of production in the area is red. In the cellar Rémi works with minimal use of sulphur (only sometimes added on bottling).

Our chat with Rémi (May 4, 2020):

How has the pandemic affected you so far: Which challenges have you been facing? What became easier?
It's true that this year everything is different with the current situation, but for me personally, not much has changed. Actually, I like the way things are now. There is a lot less speed and stress, people have slowed down. I can concentrate better on my work in the vineyard and I feel calmer overall.
I find that working in agriculture I'm often under pressure placed on me by the outside world for various reasons, and now that most people were forced to stop what they are doing and stay at home, a big weight was lifted. I'm working by myself so it is not always easy to do it all at the same time.

Did the recent weeks also have an economical impact on you?
To be honest, it hasn't been too bad. About 30% - 40% of my wines go to Japan, which continued as usual. The UK seems to be doing well, as well as certain retailers in France. The current amount of orders suits me as I'd also like to keep some wines here on the side to let them age a bit further. Money wise, it is enough for me to live off so I'm happy. It is not enough to hire an additional person to help me out, but that is something for the future. Overall, I'm stable.

And climate wise, how has this year been so far for you and what are you predicting for this year's harvest?
We've had a very rainy winter. which is unusual here but it is great for the soil to build up water reserves for the hotter months to come. During the previous years the winters were quite dry, which led to the soil to dry up fast and made work very difficult.
We didn't have any frost, so that is also great. Now we just need to wait and see how the summer months will go, but overall I have the feeling it will be a great year with some really good results.

Are there any particular projects you are working on at the moment?
Yes, I am pursuing the goal of expanding my work with horses. Trocade, my Shire horse, will hopefully have a baby. She is getting old so it would be great to have a successor. I have more friends who work with horses, like Johan Chasse. We will be working together and joining forces on the field and help each other out. 

Now in Stock

Rosé

Claire est Ni Rouge Ni Rose 2015 - Gamay
"In 2015 I've had one of my largest harvests to date. For this rosé, I wanted to try a method which I have experimented with previously in Bordeaux: 'Clairer' - which means to leave the juice to macerate for two days before pressing. The result is a light bodied, fresh and aromatic rose with bright acidity."

Samplemousse 2018 - Gamay
Hand harvested, Cold maceration for four hours, fermentation in cellar in fibreglass for two to three weeks.  On lees until bottling.

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New in: Domaine Durrmann

Domaine Durrmann
Andlau, Alsace, France

The Durrmans believe that the quality of wine is created by work in the vineyard, that’s why their objective is its preservation. The wines are disturbed as little as possible. They do not add any oenological product to change the natural taste of the wines. 

We've had a quick chat with Yann:

What can you tell us about the new 2019 cuvées we have received?
The Pinot Blanc has a rather expressive nose with creamy apple perfume, fresh smooth taste with long finish and a hint of vanilla. Made half from Pinot blanc from schist soil, hence the freshness and length, and half from Pinot Auxerrois (a cousin from the Pinot Blanc), hence the fruity character.

The Rosé Pinot Noir has a delicate nose of redcurrant, progressively going into raspberry. It is very crispy and fruity. It was made from Pinot Noir which was harvested early to achieve the crispy style, and one day of maceration to have the lovely colour.

The Zegwur is very fruity with perfume of exotic fruits: kiwi and litchi. Fresh mouth with passion fruits notes and a pleasant bitterness.

None of the cuvées have added sulfur and were farmed organically.


Which wines do you enjoy drinking besides your own?
I like the Riesling variety in particular: it's crisp and refreshing, perfect for warm and sunny days.

Talking about the current situation we are facing - how did the lockdown affect you?
There are good and bad sides to it. On one hand the business slowed down as far as private customers and orders. Also every supply chain is on hold: it is hard getting labels printed, order empty bottles so we can fill them up...Anything which has to do with outside help.
But then I have also had a lot more time to dedicate myself to the vineyard, which I have really enjoyed as well. This year we are a month ahead climate wise, as it started to get warmer earlier. So I had to be quick in finishing the pruning process, which I was able to do thanks to the confinement. If this trend continues, we are expecting an early harvest towards the end of August.

How is your area affected?
In this area of France we were the first ones to be affected, so people are taking it very serious and are respecting the confinement. Everyone knows someone who has been to hospital. So I hope we will also be the first ones to get out on the other end.

Fingers crossed!

Now in Stock

White

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Pinot Blanc Nature - Pinot Blanc
An abundance of fun! A spritzy and hazy cuvee filled with grapefruit and citrus aromas and with a textural and less-y pallet. Long pressing (6 hours) in a pneumatic press. Spontaneous fermentation in aged wooden barrels. No filtration before bottling. 

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Zegwur - Gewurztraminer
After taking over his parents' vineyard, Yann wanted to experiment with the Gewurztraminer production. His family would traditionally produce a rather sweet wine and he wanted to change things up a bit. He decided to harvest earlier than usual and use a long press, which gave the wine a very aromatic flavour. Aged in stainless steel without filtration. 


Rosé

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Pinot Noir Rosé Nature - Pinot Noir
A beautiful hazy pink coloured rose made with Pinot Noir from 2 different terroirs. Fruity with a touch of spice. Summer sophistication. Maceration of whole grapes for 24 hours before pressing, then fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Ageing on lees until bottling. 

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Forth/Clyde Tour in Scotland March 16/17

Heading up to Scotland in two weeks along with our friends from Wrights Wines, Otros Vinos and Wayward Wines for portfolio tastings in Edinburgh and Glasgow, all welcome!

Edinburgh | Monday 16 from 10- 5 | Timberyard, 10 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh EH3 9DS

Glasgow | Tuesday 17 from 11 - 5 | 321 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9HR

See you there!

Another Trade Tasting: March 9 2020

John Baum has kindly invited us back to this year's edition of a trade tasting with The Winemakers Club on 9 March 2020 from 12 - 8pm.

We'll be pouring new arrivals from 2Naturkinder, Laurent Marre and Tenuta Foresto alongside many other of our natural wine importer friends.

In the evening the bar will be open as normal, offering a larger selection of wines by the glass at very reasonable prices. Santé!

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

TRADE ONLY

A Chat with 2Naturkinder

2Naturkinder

Germany, Franconia, Kitzingen

Micheal Voelker and Melanie Drese spent many years working in other fields, traveling the world and living in Heidelberg, Regensburg, London, and New York. In 2013 they returned to Bavarian Germany to begin taking over Michael’s father’s winery in Kitzingen. They began to make natural wines under the 2Naturkinder label as a side project for the winery, and in 2019 have fully expanded the project to take over the winery’s production. 

We've had a chat with Melanie:

How did the transition away from conventional winemaking go for you, since Michael's parents retired?
The winery which used to employ more than 40 people in the 1960s has shrunk to Michael and me. After six to seven years since we started this is a new beginning for us, a new structure. We have gone through loads of unexpected events which have really tested us such as broken machinery and staff drop-outs. We are still working through the transition but I think we will be able to find our balance in the coming few months. 
One of the biggest challenges will be the upkeep of the big estate, with a smaller wine production. 

How was last year's harvest for you?
Quite difficult. It was a very hot year. In addition to that, as 2018 hasn't been great, we could also feel the effect of that in 2019. Loads of dried up grapes, and we've particularly had huge losses of 60% of the Bacchus variety. Something that has never happened before! But, we are hopeful for this year. So far we've had loads of rain, which is great as it builds up water reserves in the soil.

So would you say these are the effects of climate change?
Absolutely. That's one of the reasons we have said that if we plant new vineyards, we will predominantly plant traditional grape varieties which can withstand the heat more.
We are actually about to take over two additional vineyards this year which will be newly planted. The first one this spring. As part of that, we will also be planting loads of trees in collaboration with the Landesbund für Vogelschutz , the same organisation we work with to preserve the life of bats in our vineyards. This is in order to counteract against climate change and it will also be really helpful for vines to cope with the heat.

What else is happening for you in 2020?
We will be bottling up a new 2018 Pinot Gris/Riesling blend called Veinschwärmer, which is inspired by an endangered bat species which has been reported roaming the vineyard. Both vineyards are right next to each other, but the Riesling has been planted a bit later so it is the younger one out of those two. For us, the variety didn’t work very well by itself and after experimenting with it for two to three years, we've had the idea to mix both varieties and Veinschwärmer is the end result!

Also, there is an idea of holding workshops on our estate, which isn't official yet. The workshops would be around natural wine, food, foraging – exploring different topics in general. As we are getting contacted often by people from all over the world who want to come see us and we've also got plenty of space on the estate, we would like to use it in creative ways. Getting like-minded people together sounded like a nice plan! More info to be released soon!

In general we are trying to travel less as there is just so much to do here, but this isn't really possible. Next we will be going to Lissabon as well as New York as the US is offering huge opportunities for the natural wine market.

As Michael said, in 2020 we don’t want to grow our business in terms of revenue or popularity. It’s about being content, implementing a better working structure, achieving a balance and accepting that things take time.

Now in Stock

Sparkling

2018 Bacchus Pet Nat - Bacchus
Crushed and pressed in a pneumatic press. "Noticing the benefit of blending fresh juice with a good splash of wine from the previous year we mixed Bacchus juice from the first harvest day with the same amount of a finished wine from 2017. And that’s why there is no vintage on the label this time. 2018 was the best Bacchus year we’ve ever had so 100% beautiful grapes were crushed and fermented on the skins for four days before being pressed and blended with a wine from 2017 (a blend of Bacchus and a bit of Silvaner). Bottling took place another three days after end of August. Warmly disgorged by hand in March 2019."

White

2018 V&S - Muller Thurgau
Malolactic fermentation and aged in fiberglass. "A super early vintage for almost everything including this Müller-Thurgau harvested in August 2018. Destemmed and pressed the juice fermented in a fiberglass plastic tank and was racked just two days before bottling."

Orange 

2018 Drei Freunde - Bacchus, Muller-Thurgau, Silvaner
"The top three planted varieties in Franken are Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner. Kind of logical playing with a blend. The previous vintages have been reflecting the growing conditions of each season and so does this one. 2018 was the best Bacchus year we’ve ever seen so there was a lot and it was perfectly healthy.
The three wines going into the blend were fermented and aged separately but similarly: semi-carbonic maceration for a week (whole bunches included only for the Bacchus), pressed and fermented & aged in steel (Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau) and one big old oak barrel (Bacchus)."

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It's Happening! Bedrock Wine Fair May 3-4 2020

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!

Next Portfolio Tasting: Feb 24 2020

Our first collaborative tasting of 2020 will take place at Duck Soup, 41 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 4PY.  We'll be joined by our usual co-conspirators from Otros Vinos, Wright's Wines and Beattie & Roberts.

What to expect: fresh new season energy with new releases due to arrive in the coming weeks.

Thank you to Rory, Pete, Bertie, Benedict, Clare, Tom and the rest of the Duck Soup crew for hosting us!

See you there!

WHOLESALE /TRADE ONLY

From the Heart of Burgundy: Domaine Dandelion

Morgane & Christian

Beaune, Burgundy, France

Morgane and Christian farm a couple of hectares of old-vine Aligote, Pinot Noir and Gamay on various small parcels around the village of Meloisey - just over the hill from St Romain.

The harvest in Hautes Côtes de Beaune is nearly a month later than the rest of Burgundy. There is no mechanisation in the vineyards, only horses are used or – when the vineyards are too steep – worked by hand. They choose to spray raw milk on the vines instead of sulfur and no pumping or filtration is used. Grapes are pressed in an old, wood-beam, vertical-screw press, and aged in neutral oak under their house.

They produce just two wines - but what wines they are. Pure, bright and full of personality and the growers' vision. A real find considering how difficult it can be for small scale vignerons to exist in this part of France with the price of land being so high.

We were very lucky to get our hands on a limited amount of bottles of the Pinot Noir 2018 vintage:

Now in Stock

Red

2018 (Hautes-Côtes-de Beaune) Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir
Whole bunch. No pigéage. 20 days of skin maceration in concrete tanks followed by 3 rounds of 'pigéage à pied' to release more sugar from the grapes before heading to the basket press (to avoid a surge of sugar during pressing). Aged in old barrels under their house. No added sulfur.


"2018 has overall been a good year. Not so much disease and no need to light any fires to prevent frost. There was a lot of rain in March, we thought it would be disastrous but in the end it wasn’t. The main problem ended up being drought during the summer months. We have harvested on the 15th of September, which was a quick and spontaneous decision: I was on my way back from Chandon (winery where Christian works) and drove past one of the vineyards. I stopped, tasted the grapes and realised it was time to go.

"In general, 2018 wasn't a typical year for Burgundy, the wines ended up with a much higher alcohol content than normal. What saved us were the colder nights, which helped to keep the balance and good acidity. All fermentations went well. The old tank struggled a bit at the end, so we added the lees from the other tank to help. As a result, the wine is rich, balanced and round. Less green than the more immediate 2017 vintage. The alcohol will integrate with time.

"Also, in 2018 we've had a lower yield than in 2017 for two reasons: 1) drought, the old vines suffered and 2) it was the second year of ploughing, therefore surface roots were cut (not intentionally), and the vines were not used to it. You could see the low vigour during pruning. This year during pruning we've noticed the vines look a lot stronger. It is satisfying to see the change with cover crops and ploughing, it took two years to get to this result."

- Morgane
 

As the stocks are really limited, please let us know
ASAP if you would like some.

Once it's gone, it's gone!

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A Chat with Roberto Henriquez

Roberto Henriquez

Nacimiento, Bio-Bio, Chile

A native of the Chilean city of Concepción, Roberto – largely inspired by his uncle - has always dreamed of making wine. 

He studied to be an agronomist and enologist, then worked for large commercial wineries in Chile, South Africa and Canada. Returning to his homeland, Roberto spent some time with Louis Antoine Luyt, and this experience - as well as working with producers such as Mosse in France (Loire) - helped shape his perception of wine: natural winemaking was the path he wanted to follow.

Roberto is part of the very small-scale, zero-input agriculture and winemaking community of the Old South: the veteran farmers work traditionally, having never used chemicals. However nowadays, Chilean culture doesn’t pay much tribute to historic winemaking, and he felt he had to do something to try and keep tradition alive. 

Alex visited Roberto last summer:

"First of all, don't go to Chile during winter, it's very cold! And also very good for skiing. But seriously, I have learned a lot about a different approach to wine culture which I have never experienced before.

"Roberto has given real context to his wines and it was interesting to see the variety of different terroirs of País. We visited other winemakers in the area and were always welcomed with open arms, invited into their homes and served deep-fried Sopapilla bread which is meant for special occasions. Chile has an incredibly welcoming culture.

"One of my culinary highlights was visiting a food truck on the side of the road run by a lady who was selling oven-cooked empañadas with pickled green chilli and vinegar. She would sell out by 11.30am!

"Roberto has recently taken over a vineyard in Santa Juana, the 66th vineyard ever registered in Chile, which means it's hundreds of years old. The soils are clay, which give País more softness and elegance - so stay tuned!"


Do wine lovers think of Chile often when they consider the world's finest wines? The reality is that most do not, and therein lies a problem for the country's wine industry, as there are plenty of treasures to be found.



We've had a chat with Roberto:

What led you to be a natural winemaker?
"I have always dreamed of becoming a winemaker, since I was a child, I just didn't know which way I should go about it. After having initially worked with commercial wineries in Chile, South Africa and Canada I returned back to Chile and properly learned about the (nowadays widely discriminated) Pipeño winemaking style. It is a uniquely Chilean style that refers to wine stored in a pipa – a very large ageing vessel made of native Raulí beech wood. Culturally it means wine of and for the people. Grapes are traditionally fully destemmed, open fermented in lagar (massive foudres of raulí), foot-stomped and gravity-fed to pipa soon after fermentation so it can be enjoyed quicker. After experiencing the way the vines were treated at the big commercial wineries it was clear to me that it wasn't the way I wanted to work. What I wanted to do was continuing the Chilean tradition combined with what I have learned from the small natural wine producers i have worked with in France. I wanted to work with our traditional grape varieties in respect to the vines and soils, this is very important to me. My whole family is involved with the work around the vineyard and my uncle, who inspired me to become a winemaker, is also still producing his own wines in Itata, but on a small scale."


How do you treat your soils?
"In general, we do everything by hand. We cut the grass in spring, use animals for ploughing when we can. But the challenge we have here is that it is difficult to find people who will work the vines for you, and that is one of the main reasons why less and less winemakers are working traditionally. In this coastal range we've got 1000ha of winemaking regions and unfortunately most of it is worked with machinery.  Everyone is doing what they have to in order to keep their vines alive and survive financially. Unfortunately a lot of them then end up with cheap commercial wines which are sold in bulk and never even get bottled, which is a shame. About 60-70 years ago traditional winemaking was the way to go but nowadays it is a big challenge to keep up financially as well as logistically."


[Background: In the 19th century, as mining wealth grew in Santiago, the elite travelled to Europe and gained a taste for European culture and in particular, French wines. French varietals were brought over and planted on a massive scale in the central region close to the capital. As opposed to the very small-scale, zero-input agriculture and winemaking of the Old South, these modern plantings heralded the start of industrial viticulture and vinification. This continues to be winemaking based on unsustainable agriculture (heavy irrigation and chemical sprays) and the exploitation of traditional growers. The box wine and export industry relies on paying incredibly low prices for país grapes and blending them with French varietals to increase colour, alcohol and extraction. The industrialisation of winemaking in the hot centre definitively pushed small growers in the south out of the market, and now viticulture is dying as the price of grapes set by the monopoly of Concha y Toro, is too often below cost of production. Source: www.cultivarwines.com]

So are there any other natural winemakers around?
"A couple, but I would say that in Chile in general there are only about 10. The natural winemaking philosophy is not easy to find here as there is no market in Chile for heritage wines. There are thousands of winemakers but most of them produce their wine commercially and sell it to big corporations. Also, as there is no official regulation around natural wine, there are loads of growers who say their wine is 'natural', even though it isn't, at all. There is a thin line between being honest about how exactly you make your wine, and making things up as that will bring you better sales."

What influence does the soil have on your wines?
"For example, granite soils are typical for this coastal region of Chile. I find that they give personality but at the same time still leave plenty of room for the grapes to express themselves. So overall, I'd say granite soils are more neutral. While other soils affect the wine much more, I find that granite soils are less intrusive and therefore offer a good balance - give a hand to the vine, without leaving a heavy mark."

When will you start harvest? 
"We usually harvest here between March and April. Your spring, our autumn. For the last two years, we've had two rather cold seasons. A cold and late spring, cooler summer and generally low sugar concentration."

How noticeable is climate change in your region?
"I can tell now generally there is more cold but also humidity with hot summers, whereas 10 years ago each season was more distinct. There is also overall less rain. I wouldn't say there are catastrophic changes happening over here, just more of an unnatural shift."

Have you finished building your winery?
"So, my winery is opposite my house. We are constantly improving it but it is almost finished! We have started from nothing so that was a big challenge for us."

What are your plans for the future?
"I would like to expand and build another winery in Itata - this is not possible at the moment, but maybe one day!" 

If you could visit any other wine region in the world, where would it be and why?
"There are many that I want to visit. But especially the Canaries, because this is where our viticulture here in Chile comes from. The first ever vines brought to South America came from the Canaries. Each year I want to go but I haven't managed yet!"

Now in Stock

White

2018 (Itata) Rivera del Notro White - Moscatel, Chasselas, Semillon
Manual harvest. A blend made with three traditional varieties from the coastal area of the Itata valley. 100 year old vines. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in stainless steel (80%) and oak barrels (20%). Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling.

2018 (Itata) Molino del Ciego - Semillon
Manual harvest. 100-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in stainless steel (60%)  and oak barrels (40%). Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling.

2018 (Itata) Corinto Super Estrella (Magnum) - Chasselas
Manual harvest. Chasselas, known in the area as Corinto. A limited production of only 400 magnums.100-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in oak barrels. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling."This variety is not very appreciated by the locals but for us, it is a treasure."

2018 (Itata) Fundo Union White (Magnum) - Semillon
Manual harvest. The vineyard is located in the coastal area of the Itata valley, 8 km away from the sea. 100-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in oak barrels. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling. 

Red

2018 (Bio-Bio) Rivera del Notro Red - Pais
Manual harvest. 200-year-old vines located on an alluvial piedmont 800m away from the Bío-Bío river. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in stainless steel tanks. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling.

2018 (Bio-Bio) Santa Cruz de Coya - Pais
Manual harvest. 200-year-old vines. Vineyard located on the foothills of Nahuelbuta coastal range, Bío-Bío. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in 10-year-old oak barrels. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling.

2018 (Bio-Bio) Santa Cruz de Coya (Magnum) - Pais

2018 (Itata) Fundo Union Red - Pais
Manual harvest. The vineyard is located in the coastal area of the Itata valley, at  8 km from the sea. 100-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in 10-year-old oak barrels. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling. 

2018 (Itata) Ultimate Prensa (Magnum) - Moscatel, Pais
Manual harvest. 100-year-old vines. Last press made with musts from the whole harvest. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Aged in oak barrels. Unfiltered. Small amount of sulfites added at bottling. - "This wine is a one off production."

Roberto will be in London Feb 7 - 9,
for wine tasting requests, get in touch here 

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Happy New 2020

We would like to wish a very happy new year to all of our customers.

Wines Under The Bonnet was created in 2015 with the idea to promote naturally made wines we love and we wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for your support.

2019 has been a crazy and exciting ride for us: we have welcomed Tom to the team, Basile has relocated back to his hometown in France and is now our on site connection to our Muscadet growers, and - last but not least - we have added six new producers to our portfolio:

Ferme de Sept Lunes
Mataburro
2P Production
La Grange Aux Belles
Complemen'terre
Terres de ROA

We've got some very exciting plans for 2020, so watch this space!

Cheers and santé,

Bas, Al & Tom