[image]
[title]House wine. It’s the kind of thing you order when you’re feeling skint at the end of the month, and you’re happy to put up with a wine that’s cheap, cheerful... and usually pretty forgettable.
That’s an approach chef and restaurateur Matt Manning is hoping to change, with the release of his brand-new own-label wine range, with 10 unique bottlings sourced from both South Africa and France.
'We set out to create an exciting, great value, premium wine collection, produced by top winemakers, under a brand that people know and trust,' explains Manning, who certainly has solid insight into what punters want when they’re on the hunt for a well-priced glass of wine.
Manning runs a collection of restaurants and wine bars across Cape Town, as well as the hugely popular Culture Wine Bar at the Time Out Market Cape Town. And while his market wine bar offers a colourful cross-section of the Cape’s most exciting cellars, you’ll also now find the complete collection of ‘Culture’ wines on offer to pair with plates from the dozen kitchens on offer.
'We wanted to introduce a premium wine collection, under our own label, produced for us by the same top winemakers whose wines we feature in our bar,' explains Manning of the new project.
While the new Culture range of South African wines is set to grow and evolve with new styles and cultivars, visitors to Time Out Market Cape Town can look forward to a taste of the Culture Cuvée (a Cap Classique sparkling wine by Lammershoek), Culture Village (a Chardonnay by Paul Cluver), Culture Crozes (Syrah by Donovan Rall) and Culture Herminoir, (Pinotage by Spider Pig Wines).
'We ... have intentionally championed the winemakers behind our range, as we both recognise and appreciate their talent and contribution,' adds Manning. 'You will find these leading producers’ names on all our house wine labels, telling you exactly where the wine came from and who made it, and thus setting the standard very high.'
But it's not only local winemakers celebrated in the 'Culture' range.
An exciting addition to the portfolio is the inclusion of three French wines, allowing guests at the Time Out Market to taste and compare local and imported takes on the same varietals or wine-making styles.
The own-label international collection includes a Culture Champagne (from Champagne Monmarthe in the appellation of Ludes), Culture Bourgogne Chavy Roman (a Chardonnay) and Culture Bourgogne Chavy Maximus (a Pinot Noir) produced by Domaine Chavy-Chouet in Meursault, Burgundy.
Manning's new 'Culture' wine range is available from Culture Wine Bar at Time Out Market Cape Town, as well as Culture Wine Bar on Bree Street, Grub & Vine and Grub & Vine Norval.