Light, Medium or Full-Bodied.
Which do you prefer?
How are you? I hope you had a cracking weekend!
Thank you for opening this week’s newsletter, I’ll be discussing climate change and its effect on people’s wine-buying decisions. I’ve also got some advice on light, medium and full-bodied wines alongside which of the three I personally favour the most.
News of the week - the legendary trio who are responsible for Manchester’s best natural wine bar, Flawd; Daniel Craig Martin, Richard Cousins and Joseph Ottway, are inching that bit closer to the relaunch of their permanent restaurant ‘Higher Ground’. The highly anticipated establishment will be located right on the edge of Chinatown, on the corner of Faulkner St. and New York - very exciting times ahead!
Light, Medium & Full-Bodied Wine. What’s the big fuss?
The first conversation with a wine server when you arrive at their bar can be quite daunting, and usually goes something like; “so, what do you fancy tonight? Something light? or a little bit heavier?”. I say that, because they’re usually the first three questions I would ask a new, or returning customer when they come to be served at my bar.
Most usually answer “light” because it feels natural to start your night of boozing on the lighter side and then work your way up, others tend to live by the seasonal calendar - when it’s winter, they drink full-bodied, in summer, it’s light-bodied. What do I usually go for? It really depends on the producer and the region they're from, although most of the time I like to ask the bar staff what they're feeling energised about, and I go from there.
This is why my best advice to any of you out there who feel anxious when asked what style of wine you would like to start with is, if in doubt, always ask for a taste of the server’s recommendation.
The thing is, if you’re drinking at a proper establishment, the staff should know what they’re serving and more importantly, what works best for the customer. Yes, sometimes this method can prompt the staff to ‘upsell’ you a particular wine they’re trying to get rid of, but again, it all ties into what kind of wine bar you’re drinking at because if it’s a quality spot of any sort, they will serve you the right wine. Of course, there’s always the possibility that you might not like what they suggest, but that’s why it’s important to only ask for a taste, if it’s not for you I’d recommend trying one more recommended wine and picking between the two tasters.
Climate Change and Wine Buying in 2023.
I just read
latest substack post which is all to do with wine predictions for 2023, and what struck me most was their section to do with climate change.Unfortunately, we all know the current state of climate change is only getting worse, year by year. The general consensus is that more and more people will make conscious decisions when it comes to their general spending, which includes wine buying, in the year 2023.
This year will showcase to the world that we as a generation are not just about buying dairy-free milk substitutes and participating in Veganuary for the lols, it’s the process of how these products are made that matters so much more. In 2023 that ‘trend’ will extend its reach even deeper into the purchasing of natural wine, after all, the production of natural wine is about preserving the environment through the use of fewer/zero chemicals on the soil.
If you are interested in supporting natural winemakers who are going the extra mile to help combat the worrying effects of climate change you should look into the Durrmann family. I recently visited Andre and Yann at their cellar door, followed by a walk around the vineyard and I was blown away by their innovations to help fight this battle.
Out in the vineyard, Andre told me that to help fight the battle amongst the vines he’s planted a series of chestnut trees throughout the vineyard, placed purposely in between each row of vines. The hope is that in years to come when the branches fully grow they should provide extra shelter and shade from the warming sunshine, they also heat their entire water system through a metal umbrella that soaks up all of the energy from the sun and repurposes it back into the water system.
Before we part ways, if you’re Manchester-based and cook for a living, the highly applauded restaurant ‘Another Hand’ are currently hiring for a CDP and pastry chef position at their site situated just off Deansgate in the city centre of Manchester. You would be working with one of Manchester’s finest head chefs in Julian Pizer, as well as being a part of a project that is sure to be knocking on the door for Manchester’s best restaurant in the next 2-5 years. Not to mention their natural wine selection is off the charts too!! An opportunity of a lifetime if you ask me, anyway, we’ll leave it there for this week.
Eoghan Neburagho
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