The Yum Interview: Number Four
Let’s chat wine, one of my favourite subjects here at Wandsworth Yum. I meet Julia Michael, local wine expert and Owner of The Wine Tasting Shop, Balham.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how the shop came to be?
It started off when I was a Purser for British Airways in the 1990s. At that time, I took a Wine and Spirit Education Trust exam, which was really where things started with wine. I eventually left the post to have children and then soon, continued to study wine and created wine tasting events and teaching around London. This helped me to build up my palette and build my knowledge further. When the kids got older, I wanted to open my own shop, so The Wine Tasting Shop was born in 2010. We were the first retail space to open in Hildreth Street.
How did the journey progress for the business?
Even from the beginning, we have been a wine shop with wine tastings every Wednesday. But after a few years, we soon expanded our services. I went into business with my partner in 2015. We extended our licence and we now have a bar and outdoor seating.
Why did you choose to locate in Balham?
Location was the most important thing. And Balham was short of a wine shop. I live fairly locally and so it was a great fit.
You serve and sell delicious wines and also offer a menu of charcuterie plates. Do you have any entertainment on offer?
We have live blues music every Friday. And on Saturdays we have more acoustic live background music, double bass or guitar, it varies. We hold private parties throughout the week and weekends. Some private parties can benefit from having the live music too if booked on an existing music evening.
Do you sell any English wines, or anything produced by local residents?
We do. Court Garden, produced in Sussex, is one of our sparkling wines. This is produced by a local Balham resident. But now we have started to produce our own wine in the south of France.
At last the summer is here! Barbecue season and al fresco dining is now upon us. What are your top picks for the summer season?
Whenever the weather gets warm, it has to be rosé. We have a great one, Res Fortes, from the south of France, available only in magnums. It has a lovely texture of strawberries and cream. A Magnum retails at £30.
We are very excited about our own wines. 2016 was out first vintage, which we sold out of very quickly! We now have a new vintage on sale. In collaboration with a wine product friend, we found a vineyard in France, bought the grapes and took over the winery. We bought old barrels, cleaned them all- they all smelt so different, it was amazing! We hand-picked everything and did it our way. Alongside our wine-making expert, I took a wine-making course at Plumpton College.
Here are our three babies:
· Number One Barrel, £30 (Julia’s top pick) We have sold 150 bottles in two weeks!
· Macabeu, £15 (light and summery, Julia says)
· 5 Barrels, £18 (Julias pick to have with barbecued food)
Other favourites are:
· For white, Wild Boy Chardonnay, £28 (with fabulous self-portrait of the producer on the label!)
· And for Red, the Navajas, Rioja Reserva 2011, £13.90
Are there plans to go back to France and continue with your own venture?
We have built-up relationships with some local grape producers down there and invite them to London to stay with us. This is where we see things going in the future.
You are located in Hildreth Street, a thriving market street with busy cafes and shops. Do you feel sense of community around you?
Oh yes, always. There is a great community spirit here. We always have had. We all look out for each other, it’s fantastic.
Several years ago there was a huge £350K investment for the street. The paving was totally resurfaced, trees added. It has been great to be a part of it.
We are excited that new Vegan restaurant has opened a few doors away, Wicked Vegan. Also a new French patisserie is opening next door.
If you fancy heading to The Wine Tasting Shop for a tasting, an event or just to pick up some delicious wines including their very own, why not drop by to:
The Wine Tasting Shop, 18 Hildreth Street, Balham, London, SW12 9RQ
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