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Ian Renwick
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Ian Renwick
Ian Renwick
Managing Director
Jaded Palates Wines of Chagford and Ashburton
How long have you been in the wine business?
It’s such a cliché to say ‘x number of years, but I’ve always been passionate about wine’ isn’t it? I don’t attach that much importance to experience, to be honest. I’ve recently been hiring a new team to help with the expansion of the business, and without fail, all of us have come from non-standard backgrounds. I find it really helps with bringing perspective to wine – no-one likes a wine-snob. But we all LOVE wine. And we are only too pleased to chat to anyone about it!
Why did you choose Dartmoor as your base?
Easy – my children are now the 4th generation of Renwicks to live on Dartmoor. I visited my Grandmother in Lustleigh almost every summer growing up, so it really is home to us.
How do you choose the wines you stock?
Ridiculously carefully! I see it as a huge part of our job to ‘filter’ down the selection to make sure each wine shows of the best of what that grape or region can do. This takes part of the work away from our customers. Many of our wines are imported directly from the vineyard – as an ex-winemaker myself, I know only too well that the distance between producer and consumer can sometimes be huge. We’re trying hard to close that gap and tell the stories behind the people making the wines.
Which wines are the most popular?
In the UK in general? New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Argentinian Malbec. But I think that’s mostly because they’re the most consistent in style and you can find them in any supermarket. There aren’t any people helping you choose in a supermarket though, so it’s no wonder people stick with what they know. That’s the real advantage of shops like ours – we are on hand to help guide you and find out exactly what kind of wines you like. We get so excited when a die-hard Malbec fan falls in love with a beautiful Rhone or Puglia red we’ve suggested.
Is there a ‘rule of thumb’ as to how long wine can be kept?
The short answer is, this depends. The longer answer is that probably only 5% of all the wines in the world are meant to be ‘aged’ – that means keeping it for longer than a year. The rest and certainly almost all wines under £12 or so, are meant to be drunk in the year after they are made.
Do you need any qualifications to become a wine merchant?
Some places reckon having qualifications from organisations such as the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) are useful, and I wouldn’t disagree. But as I said earlier, for me, passion and loving dealing with people are much more important. Anyone can pass any test with application, but to sell wine (or anything for that matter) you’ve got to show spark and enthusiasm.
Do you have a favourite wine?
Loads of them! I can be just as satisfied with a bone-dry cheapie Sicilian white at a summer BBQ as I can with a full-blooded Chateauneuf-du-Pape for Christmas dinner. It really depends on food, weather, mood and company.
Is there any wine you dislike?
As a merchant, it’s important to distinguish between ‘bad’ wines and wines I like less. There are plenty of wines I prefer to others, but as long as it’s well-made, it’s important to recognise that my customers have different palates to me, and might prefer that style more.
What would you say to anyone wishing to make a career in wine?
What other industry can bring together farming and incredible glamour; massive industry and micro-scale family; beautiful travel and the comforts of a bottle and a warm fire?