Small-batch, high-quality wines that exude character and complexity.
The words “house wine” rarely fill oenophiles with joy, something that Matt Manning has set out to change – with an own-label collection for Culture Wine Bar. Wanting to redeem the image of house wines (often seen as crowd-pleasing, one-dimensional and, let’s face it, bland), he’s worked with some of the top winemakers that he already features in the bar to create a collection of wines that exude character and complexity. Small-batch, high-quality wines crafted with minimal intervention, they truly reflect his mission at Culture Wine Bar to champion the best of South African wines worthy of the world stage.
A quick look at the label on the bottle tells the story, “We steered away from going the ‘white label’ route, and rather have intentionally championed the winemakers behind our range,” says Matt. “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.”
The Culture wine collection
The collaborations on the various wines read like a who’s who list of South Africa’s winemakers, so you can be sure that each will reflect the terroir and varietal in a fascinating light. These (and a few more) make up the initial range, but Matt anticipates that it will be constantly evolving and changing.
- Culture Cuvée: a cap classique by Lammershoek
- Culture Crozes: a syrah by Donovan Rall
- Culture Village: a cool climate chardonnay by Paul Cluver paying homage to its Burgundian roots
- Culture Steen: an old-vine chenin blanc by Christa von La Chevallerie
Going international
Adding three prestigious French wines to the Culture own-label range came about through Matt’s trips through France with Alex Dale of Radford Dale Imports, meeting respected winemakers in Burgundy and beyond. It’s a ground-breaking step. “These highly respected Domaines have been producing tremendous wines for generations,” says Alex. “Like most growers in Champagne and Burgundy, Monmarthe and Chavy-Chouet simply don’t do own-label wines. This partnership with Culture is a first, and especially poignant for an independent South African wine bar, 10 000 kilometers away from France.”
The international side of the Culture own-label collection features:
- Culture Champagne produced by Monmarthe in Champagne
- Culture Bourgogne Chavy Roman (chardonnay) by Domaine Chavy-Chouet in Meursault, Burgundy.
- Culture Bourgogne Chavy Maximus (pinot noir) also produced by Domaine Chavy-Chouet.
Of the motivation for including international wines in the Culture collection, Matt says, “From day one, Culture has maintained that to truly celebrate South African wine, it will not serve the industry to be big fish in a small pond. It’s our mission to facilitate access to some of the best wines from around the world. Not only will this add richness, learning and diversity to our local wine scene, it also tactilely demonstrates just how well SA wines stack up against their global counterparts.”
For some fabulous sipping and an exploration of terroir both at home and overseas, look for the Culture label adorned with a line drawing of the heritage building on Bree Street that is the home of Culture Wine Bar and Grub & Vine.
Good to know Taste the wine collection at Culture Wine Bar, Grub & Vine Bree Street and Norval. Or shop online or at Liquor City in Claremont.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 11pm
Contact details 021 216 0035, wine@culturewinebar.com
Address 103 Bree Street, Cape Town
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