food & drink>>
Giles has the bottle for another 30 years at Albertine wine bar go outside and they see rosé as a summer drink.” Some items should, however, the owner of a hidden gem in remain firmly where they came shepherds bush has survived from, he believes. The 90s may bouts of liebfraumilch and have spawned glow-in-thedark boob tubes and the Spice poor pinot grigio and is still Girls, but it also led to the Pinot passionate about quality wines, Grigio boom. as he tells kate o’sullivan “It became the default wine, but luckily it isn’t any more,” says Giles. “I don’t know where it came from. We were already selling one TUCKED around the corner when it started to really grow, but from Shepherds Bush Green, then the mass marketers came the Albertine wine bar has sat along and the market was flooded discreetly behind the same by poor-quality wines. spidery maze of wooden window “We haven’t served Pinot Grigio frames since it opened in 1978. for four years. But in actual fact, I Given its unassuming exterior, think Sauvignon Blanc has taken you could be forgiven for strolling over as the default wine.” by without a second glance. But if Customers today are far more you do you’re missing a 100-bottle adventurous, believes Giles. “We wine list, comforting home-made just did a natural wine promotion, food and a toasty atmosphere. which was very well received. Those who enter are in for a I think that natural wines treat… if they move swiftly enough have got a long to secure a table. Albertine is west way to go, but London’s best-kept treasure, and they are certainly worst-kept secret. worth looking Giles Phillips, 58, has at for their sheer been behind the counter since drinkability.” July 1980 when he decided to Giles is a ditch a ‘less-than-meteoric’ huge sports nut. career in advertising to become Even during a partner. the interview he “There was a bit of an explosion positioned himself so in wine bars in the late 70s,” he he could keep one eye recalls. “I thought, this is what I on the cricket. want to do.” Living in the area Two-and-a-half years later Giles for more than 30 years, bought out his business partner, he had a QPR season the mother of Hammersmith chef We keep ticket for a long time, Allegra McEvedy. He has now it simple and watched his rugby been the sole owner since 1983. team, Wasps. The wine shop, which takes its and do not He has witnessed title from the heroine of several reinvent many changes during Proust novels, is still going as strong as its aging church-style ourselves to his time at Albertine, with the greatest being furniture. suit the the arrival of the huge Giles, who lives upstairs at the latest Westfield shopping Albertine, believes simplicity is the centre right opposite. key. “I think it is basically keeping trendy It has made quite it simple and not reinventing market a difference to his ourselves to suit the latest trendy customer base from the market every few years,” he says. Giles Phillips has been with the Albertine wine bar since July 1980 PICTURE BY leigh quinnell former regulars, who “If you sell good wine, were mainly BBC staff reasonably priced food and from the now up-forprovide an atmosphere where sale television centre. people like to sit and chat to Liebfraumilch a week, but that died than others. Like a pair ll the a C : Where does each other, then you will get out in the mid-80s, thank God!” of trusty bell bottoms, tine r e b l a he adds. the rosés of a more Giles go when he people in.” 3 4 7 8 020 “Then the new world wines carefree era are back by isn’t pampering his For customers, staff and Giles, 9593 started appearing: the Australian popular demand. “Rosé customers? the Albertine is all about the wine. Not being a keen Over the past three decades, the wines followed by Chilean and almost disappeared from shopper, he steers clear bar may have remained unchanged, then Argentine and South African. the wine list in the 1990s,” of Westfield. But he can but the wine list hasn’t. Giles can Now there is slightly less emphasis he says. “Over the last five remember the good, the not-so- on Australian wines, although New years it has become a huge market. sometimes be found at Esarn The wine has got better for a start Kheaw Thai restaurant and the good and the downright unattractive Zealand whites are very popular.” From the 70s to the noughties, and it looks nice. The other thing Princess Vic (both Uxbridge Road) entries on the busy list during his reign. “When we first came fashions have resurfaced for second is the cafe culture which has taken or at the relocated Bush Theatre. here we were selling four cases of helpings, some more successfully off in London – people want to CONTINUED ON PAGE 50>>
“
Your Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Magazine
YOUR H&SB Page 49 albertine.indd 1
49
24/06/2011 13:25:24