New on Wine List Confidential: Terroirs

Terroirs – Wine List Confidential Score: 92

The original ‘terroirists’ in town have led the charge for ‘natural’ wine in the UK, and their first restaurant has been a trailblazer from the very start. Food is consistently excellent – perfectly executed classic French bistro fare in the main – making this a fine spot to quaff interesting wine while shooting the breeze.

The majority of natural winemakers in Europe, if not the world, will have passed through the doors of Terroirs at some point, more often than not in the company of one of the reps from Les Caves de Pyrene, the natural, organic and biodynamic wine specialist which majority-owns the restaurant and supplies the wine.

The focus of the floppy leather-bound list is on France and Italy, but such is the exploratory zeal of Les Caves de Pyrene that you’ll find great wines from natural and minimal-intervenionist winemakers from around the world – few will have escaped the attention of Les Caves.

There are always five whites and five reds on by the glass, along with at least one rosé and one orange or skin contact wine. There’s also a helpful little bottle section listing what the staff are drinking, which changes according to the season and the whims of those working.

You’ll find a long list of pet nats (pétillant naturel sparkling wines), great natural juice from the Jura, the Mediterranean islands and southern Italy (including Les Caves owner Eric Narioo’s excellent Etna wine label Vino di Anna). Austria and Oregon are two regions that have been given better representation recently too.

The skin contact wine section has to be about the best in London, there’s also a bumper section of interesting rosés – keep that in mind for when the weather gets warm – while the natural wine geeks can gorge on magnums of Frank Cornelissen Munjebel, Gavevat Cuvée Marguerite, Zidarich Vitovska, Foillard Côte de Puy, Vino di Anna Nerello Mascalese and more.

Terroirs is also the place to go for some weekday wine-centred entertainment thanks to its regular ‘Wine Underground’ evenings. These might include film screenings (Jonathan Nossiter’s Natural Resistance wine documentary had a premier here), winemaker dinners or tastings.

To view the full Terroirs Wine List Confidential entry, including individual category scores and wine recommendations, click here.

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