Guilty Pleasure Blog RAW The Artisan Wine Fair London 2016

May 15th, 16th 2016, The Old Truman Brewery, London, UK

by stasa cafuta trcek (text and photo)

Raw Wine, literally. Wine to be “born” as the nature creates. This is how one could describe the Raw Wine festival, where winemakers or wines produced ecofriendly can be presented . Of course it is clear that there is a person behind every wine bottle. Isabelle Legeron MW, a founder of the festival, invited global wave of “ecofriendly winegrowing and winemaking” under the same roof, for the 5th time in London. Eco and/or biodynamic production, sulfites under 70 mg/L, natural yeast, no added enzymes, are just some of the conditions a wine have to fulfill to take part in the festival. Over 200 exhibitors, French winemakers in separated hall covered all of the regions, from Loare to Alsace, almost 70 wineries. We missed the presence of Slovenia. Closest to ours, we have discovered the heavyweight macerator from Croatia, Roxanich, Radikon from across the border and from Austria 10 wineries. Optimal tasting conditions were in the morning, unfortunately the ventilation system of old brewery hall was very limited. But the wines… very good! Time to time some not so much, but generally we salute to the selection. Herbal and mineral notes, varietal aspect impressing. It is hard to select the favorites, but we have to: Shobbrook Wines Barossa Valley, Avstralia; Lassolle, south-west France, between Sauternes and Graves; and the group of Brazilian producers under the name »Multi Grower Selection« by Enoteca Saint VinSaint, Sao Paulo. Raw Wine Festival goes along in Berlin (November 27, 2016) and in New York (November 6, 2016).