English Still Wines
Renegade Urban Winery Rahul Bacchus 2023
Peachy, fresh and very aromatic with elderflower and white peach nose, light and delicate on the palate
A dry and aromatic wine that has got the typical peachy and elderflowery notes coming from the variety. This vintage is lighter in colour, more delicate in flavour and has got a more pronounced mineral note than previous years. This is due to the different climatic conditions that characterised the vintage 2023.
The grapes were hand destemmed and fermented in stainless steel vessel for about 8 days. The wine was then separated from the skins through a gentle pressing and aged in stainless steel with regular batonnage for 5 months. It was then lightly filtered and bottled.
Rahul (38) is a mysterious man who lives in Archway and works in research. He sometimes spends his nights secretly making wine or brewing beer.
When Renegade started making wine in 2016, they were copycat winemakers, asking the growers how they should make wine with their grapes. They soon realised this was a mistake. Taking advantage of the relative lack of legislation in the UK over terms and styles of wine, and drawing on London’s history of innovation, they sought instead to lead the charge on new wine styles and winemaking approaches, using both ancient and modern techniques. Renegade now make around 12-14 wines a year, from classical
styles with a twist to wines that are entirely unique. Alongside the core range, they make a variety of new styles each year.
And who’s on the bottle? As a UK producer, Renegade wanted to celebrate the best thing about the UK. The weather? No. The people! Each label shows the eyes of a different person who lives in the UK. They may not be born in the UK, they may not have gone to school in the UK, but they’re part of this country. They each form a key part of the rich tapestry that makes the UK special. As as urban winery based in London, many of the faces are Londoners. But anyone can apply to be on the labels. Faces of Renegade have been students, plumbers, researchers, the unemployed, the retired, newspaper editors, receptionists, teachers and HR executives. They are aged between 19 and 70+. They are white, black, Asian, mixed race. They are straight, gay, transgender, queer. They are from all walks of life. Could it be you next?
