We are very excited to have an alcohol license! Our wines come from Sustainable Wine Solutions . This Producer Spotlight shares why we chose them over other providers.

The wines needed to be organic of course. But we also wanted to reduce waste. We do not have space for wine on tap. While glass is recyclable, it takes a lot of energy to do so. Therefore we wanted a company with a bottle return scheme.

Who are they

Started in 2002 at Borough Market, as a wine retailer with wines on tap. They have evolved into a wine wholesaler. Selling wine to theatres hotels and even Shambala Festival!

Check out a short video overview here. Sustainable Wine Solutions - What We Do

Their Manifesto

We believe in working towards a circular economy: making businesses and our society more self–sufficient by driving down waste and our consumption of finite resources. Together, let’s reduce our use of packaging, reuse our bottles and kegs and recycle as a last resort.

Respect for Growers
Respect for grapes
Sustainable, Sensible intervention only
Minimise the impact of transportation
Provide sustainable wine solutions
Promote the circular economy
Reduce, reuse and only then recycle
Don’t push responsibility to the consumer
Zero packaging
Harness the power of community

How does the bottle return work

You pay a 50p deposit on the bottle, which is returned to you, or swapped for another bottle when you bring it back. The bottles with the silver strip are included in the return scheme.

Each bottle can be returned, sterilised and reused at least 30 times, reducing the carbon footprint of a bottle by up to 95%.

FSC accredited recyclable paper label, no neck foil and a cork that has been cleaned to reduce contamination, prevent further packaging and wine waste.

Where are they based

Walthamstow, East London.

Living Wage

They are a living wage employer on principle.

The wine

Importantly here is what are we stocking (correct July 2024) and the tasting notes!

White

225, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux, France

Zesty citrus and fresh grass on the nose, with a lovely dash of exotic fruits. Creamy rounded spice note on the palate with an intense lemon flavour.

GaviN, 100% Cortese, Gavi, Piemonte, Italy

Pale lemon with green tints. Elegant bouquet with hints of apple and floral notes. The palate is medium bodied with citrus, galia melon and apricot flavours, backed by good acidity and the classic Gavi taste of bitter almonds.

Villa Noria 100% Chardonnay, France

A rich and textured Chardonnay, with inviting notes of exotic fruits layered with a touch of vanilla through to a toasty, brioche finish.

Red

Chulo Burro, 50% Garnacha, 50% Tempranillo,Navarra, Spain

Beautiful cherry red colour, medium layer with violet tones. Elegant nose, red fruit aromas. Powerful entry, fruity and mineral, with a lingering finish.

Tempranillo, 100% Tempranillo, Castilla La Mancha, Spain

A fresh wine with a charming lightness, bursting fruit and juiciness. Cherry red colour with violet hues typical of tempranillo. On the nose aroma of red berry fruit with earthy notes.

Montepulciano, 100 % Montepulciano, Abruzzo, Italy

Intense, fruity with notes of maraschino cherry, spicy with notes of liquorice and vanilla. Balanced, harmonic, soft and round, with good persistence and body.

Chateau Haut Garriga, 100% Merlot, Bordeaux, France

Deep ruby colour. Dry, high acidity, soft tannin feeling, white cherry, cranberries and forest fruits, medium body. Round finish.

Rose

225 Bordeaux, 100% Merlot, Bordeaux, France (non organic exemption)

Merlot grapes are directly pressed to obtain a light pink hue and fresh fruity flavours. Fermented in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. No sulphites added during fermentation, only limited on bottling to preserve freshness.

Orange

100% Albana, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Golden and richly coloured, it’s nutty + textural with rich apple and marmalade flavours as well as some spice. A great introduction to orange wine if you haven’t tried it yet.

Pet Nat

Blanco 100% Chardonnay

Fine and intense, pleasantly fruity, crispy, with notes of bread crust. Fresh balanced well structured and persistent, with fruity aftertaste.

Rosso 100% Cabernet

Intense, fruity with pronounced notes of pomegranate and cherry. Fresh and savoury with good persistence and a fruity aftertaste.

Need a cold one??

Just ask staff if you would like a cold bottle and they can assist you.

Corks

They don’t take the corks back but we do for one of our team to use in their compost! If you compost at home just make sure you cut the corks up before adding as this helps the decomposition.

For other uses for corks see our team member Justine’s blog on the topic

In their own production, and at their Borough Market shop Sustainable Wine Solutions send any corks to ReCork.