Sunday Spotlight: Harry's Wine
10 quick fire's with a guest. Right now, I don't have one... so here are my answers
What is your favourite wine country or region (be as specific as you like)?
Has to be France right? For me, it’s close. My head says France, my heart says elsewhere. My real loyalties lie in the same time zone, on the other side of the world in South Africa. Specifically Franschoek, which is about 2 hours drive outside of Cape Town - hell of a destination if you fancy unmatched scenery, incredible hospitality, and a wine train that drops you outside vineyards. Vineyard of choice, some might have heard of Chocolate Block. It’s in most UK supermarkets now to pick up, and from a winery called Boekenhoutskloof - and they do some unbelievable other wines you NEED to check out, Cab Sav, Syrah, Sémillon. We went there as a family in 2012 - and never looked back.
https://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/boekenhoutskloof/
What are the top 3 scenarios for a glass of wine?
Number one has to be a glass of rosé on a mountain. Can be anywhere in the world as long as it’s fresh mountain air. Bonus points for nice seating and some music in the background. Specifically for the wine, give me Bandol Domaine Tempier rosé - it’s a game changer.
Number two - glass of red in an old countryside pub. Fire is lit, wooden beams, low ceilings, that red leather bench, on a Saturday afternoon, no other plans but whatever develops organically. Chianti Classico for that one.
Finally, give me the first glass of wine on a Friday night, long week of work, with your friends, just arrived for a dinner party, someone’s got some bubbles or a fresh white. Quenches the thirst, gives you that lift to go right lets settle in here. Give me Crémant de Loire - like this one owned by Bollinger and available in Majestic.
Is there any place in London you’ve visited that impressed you with its wine selection?
About a month ago, I had one of the best experiences in service I think I’ve ever had in London (which might not be saying much). Porte Noire, in Kings Cross, is a wine bar that also serves small plates, and acts as a wine shop during the day. It is co-owned by Idris Elba and my new favourite man, David Farber. He sat with us until close, his dog Cooper was a legend, super welcoming, receptive, knowledgeable (David, not Cooper) - just had a brilliant time. Wines were phenomenal too and he gave me a taste of their new Cognac which went down super easy. Find them here: https://www.portenoire.co.uk/
Where would you take someone on a wine date in London?
Very much depends on the type of date and what you’re looking for. If it’s quite intimate, you want to have a great chat in a lovely setting, there are two: Gordon’s Wine Bar in Embankment and Noble Rot on Lambs Conduit Street. Going to a tasting evening is even better - more interactive and gets you talking about wine a bit more.
Sager and Wilde on Hackney Road is the choice for a bit more relaxed, vibey bar with some good music, and Dan’s in Dalston is a really cool setting with lovely people - same people behind online retailer Parched. Final shout out is Forza in Peckham.
Where would you most like to visit in the wine world?
I think because of the mountains and where it is, Mendoza in Argentina is top of the list, where Malbec is predominantly grown. The views are breathtaking as well as the altitude, the wine is obviously world class and to then have the chance to roam the rest of Argentina into Patagonia is definitely bucket list worthy. Decanter did a post on this with an itinerary.
If you owned a restaurant and you had 3 wines to serve, what would they be?
I think it would be a red, a white and a sparkling wine.
Red - Juicy, Fruity Pinot Noir from Oregon in the US, or Central Otago in New Zealand (the region is more like Burgundy than the better known Marlborough) - super drinkable all night long and not going to break the bank like a Burgundy.
White - I’m really loving any white from the Pessac Léognan appellation in Bordeaux. Super elegant wines to complement the more well known Bordeaux whites from Graves. Some of the typical red wine regions are producing some amazing whites, Beaujolais, Priorat etc so if you see them, give them a go.
Sparkles - You simply cannot go wrong with Graham Beck Cap Classique from South Africa - zingy, fresh, celebratory, goes down super easy - worldie. Shout out to Pet-Nat though, had some wicked varieties in the last month or so.
If you were to put on an album to go with a glass of white/red/rosé, what would it be?
Ezra Collective’s album Dance, No-one’s Watching is a masterpiece and would bring the vibe to any wine bar. Otherwise Jalen Ngonda’s Come Around and Love Me and really loving Maribou State’s Hallucinating Love that came out last week.
Is there a wine you’ve had recently off the beaten track that is worth knowing?
I absolutely love wines from some of the oldest wine making countries in the world, such as Georgia, Greece, Lebanon. Anything from the Saparevi grape in Georgia, again, delicious. One of my favourites (and was my grandpa’s favourite) for a special occasion is a Chateau Musar from Lebanon (Majestic link).
What is the ultimate food and drink pair?
To choose something outside of the wine world - try a duck dish (breast, leg, pancakes, any form really) with a Negroni - it pairs amazingly well. Best Negroni I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in Paris called Bambino, where they infused cacao nibs into the drink and gave it such a nice finish.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn more and doesn’t know where to start?
I think biggest thing is to be bold about your choices and really experiment with countries, grapes and different flavours rather than stick to what you know. It is a never-ending subject and so you’re constantly learning new things. Oh, and there’s a great Substack called Harry’s Wine you should follow.
Cheers!
Harry
Chocolate Block - so good đŸ‘Œ