DRINK WINE LIKE A TRUE IBIZA HEDONIST

world. Vines here date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, creating magical wines of depth and flavour.

Gaia Wines, set against the lapping waves of the Aegean Sea, may have ancient vines but their techniques are modern and youthful, led by Lito Paraskevopoulos, the winemaker daughter of the founder Giannis. The Assyrtiko grape is Queen here. Whether as a trendy orange wine (experimentally aged under the sea) or as Gaia’s delicious, complex Wild Ferment, these wines’ thrilling vibrancy personify the island itself.

Perhaps nowhere embodies hedonism like the Spanish island of Ibiza, where generations of ravers have danced beyond dawn at super clubs that started to emerge in the 1970s. Notoriously riotous in the drug-fuelled haze of the 1980s and 90s, where water was the drink of choice for the pillhappy punter, there is another thriving side to Ibiza.

Stylishly boho beach clubs, graceful hippies at yoga retreats and gleeful foodies like myself, all indulging in outstandingly fresh, delectable cuisine –which, of course, needs excellent wine. Just a handful of tiny wineries grace the island but, though small, they are perfectly formed. Illegal raves used to be signposted by coloured rocks and, in a nod to this, follow the pink rocks to find Ojo de Ibiza in the cool, green hills to the North. It’s a peacefully rustic outpost creating organic, low intervention wines that seek to embrace nature. Founded by Dieter Meier, the lyricist for the theme song for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there’s enough of a link to the island’s love of music to make you say, “Oh Yeah!”.

Wine Recommendations

CANDOVER BROOK BRUT £37

CANDOVERBROOK.CO.UK

Bursting onto the English wine scene with a gold medal from the International Wine Challenge and Best Newcomer at the Wine GB Awards, Candover Brook is one to watch. This sparkling Brut is beautifully balanced with a delicate fruity, floral finesse.

ISOLE E OLENA

CEPPARELLO 2020

£80 BERRY BROS & RUDD

An exemplary Super Tuscan that transports you to the hot rolling hills of Tuscany with its rich notes of blood orange, dark plums, ripe cherries and a lingering sweet spice finish. Smooth and suave, it’s a wine that makes an impression as soon as you open the bottle.

MISCO RISERVA CASTELLI DI JESI VERDICCHIO

RISERVA DOCG CLASSICO

£60 PETERSHAM CELLAR

Slick with stone and ripe lemon peel, this is a grown-up Verdicchio that has been enhanced by careful ageing in an Italian region that has been making these wines since the 14th Century. Beautifully delicate white blossoms and a lick of sweet almond biscotti. Pure enjoyment.

IBIZKUS TOTEM ROSE

£40 WANDERLUST WINE

From the party island of Ibiza this singular rosé is something (wonderfully) different, with its struckmatch, savoury quality and sophisticated structure. Tasted blind you could easily mistake it for a white, but the fine red fruits and herbs are there. A beautiful wine to pair with food.

CHAMPAGNE CASTELNAU BRUT

£33.81

THE WINE SOCIETY

An extremely refined champagne with a joyfully bright effervescence and light biscuit notes. Castelnau manages to offer excellent value for Champagne but without scrimping on quality. This wine feels like a secret shared by those in the know.

AGLASS OF WINE WITH: Founder of the Humble Grape wine bars James Dawson

ARRIVINGin the UK from South Africa with £50 in his pocket, James Dawson spent three nights sleeping rough on a park bench after his planned job in social work was cancelled.

Now he is the founder and owner of Humble Grape with six locations across London and last year purchased the South African restaurant chain, Vivat Bacchus.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO WINE?

When my job as a social worker fell through, I went into finance as my friend told me you could earn £11 an hour in banking. By my late 20s I was working in Paris on HSBC’s wine trading desk. It was meant to be six weeks, but I stayed for two years and learned about food and wine in France.

Every other weekend I’d rent a car and visit a wine region.

Seven years later I’d done my wine qualifications, read all the books and started hosting tastings and selling wine. If you can sell wine in the UK it will teach you the wine market. I was delivering wines on my motorbike before work then I started importing and selling wine to restaurants.

HOW

DID HUMBLE GRAPE BEGIN?

In 2014 I had imported some beautiful wines but was struggling to sell them, so I opened my own wine bar. We were the first UK hospitality business to do crowd funding and we raised £500,000. Humble Grape Battersea opened in 2015. I was on the floor with my General Manager and we only served toasties but somehow became the number one London restaurant on Trip Advisor. People would arrive all dressed up expecting Michelin star food and we were doing toasted sandwiches, so we had to elevate the food offering. In two years, we had three venues and an Executive Chef.

AND VIVAT BACCHUS?

I’m a wine guy, not a restaurant guy but I knew the owner when he wanted to sell. It’s a taste of South Africa. We simplified the food, serving classics: crocodile, ostrich and frikkadel. 85% of our list is iconic, interesting South African wines.

WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING NOW?

Union Sacré Pinot Gris from

California. A white with a bit of pink in it – it tastes like Summertime.

FAVOURITE PLACE FOR WINE?

Humble Grape, Liverpool Street. It’s tiny and quirky with a constantly changing wine curious crowd.

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?

I’ve always loved Chez Bruce, and I had a phenomenal experience at Flesh & Buns too.

FAVOURITE PLACE FOR A LATE-NIGHT DRINK?

I’m hoping Speedboat because I’m headed there tonight for my 50th birthday party…