GREATEST HITS 🎹

What’s up winos,

Today is a sad day. Or it is for me, at least. It may well be a happy day for you, if you don’t enjoy reading my semi-coherent ramblings every Tuesday. If you fall into the latter category, rejoice! This is the last email you’ll be getting from me. Wah.

That’s right, I’m headed off for pastures new. Or more precisely, to do another psychotic long distance hike. What can I say, I’m a big fan of type two fun. I’ll still be writing while I’m gone, but it’ll be less about top-shelf Burgundy and more about how to survive in the woods on dehydrated meals for six months without getting scurvy/getting bitten by a rattlesnake/getting eaten by a bear. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? R u jealous?

At the risk of overestimating the fondness of our parasocial relationship, I’m really going to miss writing to you all every week. Tbh, there’s so much I’m going to miss. The lavish trips to vineyards, the raucous Beaujolais day parties, wheeling pallets across Kingsland Road and trying not to get flattened by passing ambulances (okay, maybe I won’t miss that so much). I can’t quite believe it’s all coming to an end. It’s been three years of solid gold.

So in my last act as Parched emissary, I’ll leave you with my greatest hits. I’ve organised them under the Dan’s by the glass categories, because I have no imagination. Just as well this is my last email, ey? Apparently I’ve run out of ideas.

FIZZ

I had another wine in mind for this right up until last Friday, when this one from Dominique Belluard fell into my lap (almost literally). Unbelievable, mind-boggling, stupidly delicious fizz, and this is basically the last time any of us will ever get to drink it. One to drink now and one to drink in ten years.

EASY WHITE

Entre Vinyes, Oniric Blanc. It has to be. Whenever times (money) are tough, I turn to this bad boy for a creamy, mineral, complex drinking experience that won’t drain my bank account. It never misses.

TEXTURAL WHITE

De Moor, or should I say duh Moor. No-brainer Chardy. I have several very fond memories of drinking this, most recently with Fionn in Paris the night before we went to La Dive. We gave a glass of it to the server because he was a big fan, and five minutes later I saw him chugging it like it was his first night of Fresher’s Week. Maybe he mistook it for his glass of water? Whatev. That’s how good it is.

NATTY WHITE

Vino di Anna, Nave. Another wine I have very fond memories of drinking, this time from tank before bottling many moons ago on a trip to Sicily. It slapped then, and it slaps now. All of their wines slap, which I can confirm as I drank several of them in an attempt to warm up after getting shoved into Eric’s swimming pool. A story for another time.

EASY SKINSY

Pretty unimaginative, since we are actually running this by the glass, but you just can’t beat Try-o. Literally never met anyone who doesn’t like it. I remember being absolutely blown away trying this and Vincent’s other cuvees in his cellar in Alsace, so much so that we emailed him on the way out the door asking him to let us import them. We probably could have just turned around and asked him in person, but my French was tired.

SERIOUS SKINSY

Momento Mori, Staring at the Sun. Everything these guys do is pure magic, but this bottle has a special place in my heart as I was bribed with one to work a Sunday, way back when. Then no customers showed up (that’s how way back it was) so I just sat around drinking it. Easiest shift ever.

PINK

Chauvet. Unparalleled Pinot rose, easily the best pink I’ve ever drunk. Need I say more?

EASY RED

Domaine de l’Iserand, Viola. Maybe I’m biased, coz Jef is just a king (also king of unsolicited advice, including gems such as ‘never get married’ and ‘always be yourself’, lol) but he’s also a cracking winemaker, and Viola is a beautiful intro to his style. Fun, juicy and far too easy to drink a whole bottle of.

CHILLED RED

Anything by Partida Creus. That night when Massimo and Antonella came down to party at the bar was one of my favourite shifts ever. What a pair of sweeties, and not half bad at making wine, either.

ELITE RED

Domaine Dandelion, Sur la Plage. Fionn isn’t the only one who’s in love with these wines. So perfumed, so elegant, so silky.

TURBO PISS

Michel Gahier, Les Folasses. Best bottle of wine I’ve ever drunk. He’s actually overtaken Labet as my favourite Jura producer, which is saying something. Trust me on this one.

Lastly, a reminder about the cut off for deliveries for Easter weekend - orders need to be in by Wednesday 16th April 2.30pm in order to make it on time. I got the date wrong in my last email lol soz. Anything placed after that will be delivered from Wednesday 23rd.

Well winos, that’s it! I’ll be pouring at the bar for the last time this Thursday, come say hi if you’re around. If not, it’s been a pleasure. Make sure you keep Fionn nice and busy packing orders so he doesn’t have time to miss me too much.

xoxo

Megan