English White Wines
Renegade Urban Winery Karen Cabernet Sauvignon 2024
Blackcurrant leaf on the nose, lots of white peach and sherbet on the palette
This Karen is invigorating and thought provoking with a unique blanc de noirs made from a rare planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in the UK. Blackcurrant leaf on the nose, lots of white peach and sherbet on the palette.
The fruit – Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown Herefordshire – was pressed quickly to keep the skins away from the juice in order to make the colour as clear as possible. Fermenting and aging the wine in stainless steel tanks gave it freshness and vibrancy.
Karen (57) works for Transport for London and lives in Walthamstow.
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?
