Making progess…

When I launched WineSpark two weeks ago, I had no idea what to expect.

Ben Darnault’s Mas Calamiac, made exclusively for WineSpark

The one thing I did know was that I’d pulled together a set of sensational wines, from 10 years of contacts in the wine industry, that I knew people would love.

However I was worried about three big things:

• The wine list was looking a bit small
• Next-day delivery would be a work in progress
• I wanted to be able to offer 6 bottle orders from the start.

It ain’t perfect, but I’m happy to say I’ve knocked the first two off the list.

There’s now 11 more wines from 4 countries (and counting) to choose from.

And delivery is (mostly) working like a dream. Phew.

A few website wobbles aside, I couldn’t have asked for a better start. And it’s all thanks to 200 early adopters of this new way of buying wine.

Speaking of new wines…

There’s no better feeling when you’ve been waiting for months for something to arrive, and when it finally does, and you taste it, you get that surge of excitement for others to try it.

Here’s what I mean:

• A trio of Argentine gems from Mauricio Lorca — a Malbec, Cab Sauv, and Gran Malbec. High up in the hills of Mendoza, where the sky is blue, the air is crisp and the views breathtaking, Mauricio has 6 hectares of immaculate vineyard producing the most magical Malbec and Cabernet fruit. Nothing is spared in the winemaking to create a range of indulgent, luxurious reds at a price you’d barely believe. And made exclusively for WineSpark customers.
• My friend Sam Plunkett introduced me to a winemaker quietly making some of the best wines in Rutherglen, Australia — Mandy Jones. Her two Shirazes have landed after a lengthy sea adventure — including her flagship wine L.J. made from precious 116 year-old vines!

Winemaker Mandy Jones in Rutherglen, Australia

• I was thrilled to reunite with Herbert & Carmen Zillinger from the Weinviertel in Austria, 10 years after meeting them in my first wine job. They have a fun, punchy little white blend called Goldfish, and a single vineyard Grüner Veltliner called Kalkvogel — smoky, intense, pure… you have to taste it to believe it
• A South African Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Berene Sauls — an employee of the legendary Hamilton Russell who’s making her own wine on the side. She’s been dubbed the “next South African Pinot Noir icon” by one big-name wine critic. By buying her wines you’re also supporting Berene on her brave journey to start a vineyard in Tesselaarsdal, the nearby village where she’s originally from, and where her ancestors lived as freed slaves.

There’s more to come…

There’s lots more great wine in the pipeline that I can’t wait to tell you about.

And I want to be able to offer you 6 bottles as well as 12 each time you want to order. I’m working on it!

Try WineSpark for yourself and start drinking better wines right away

For just €10 membership fee per month, you get these wines at no markup. For the most part, you’ll save at least your monthly fee on each bottle you buy.

So if you drink more than a bottle a month, it’s a no-brainer. And there’s no minimum term or tie-ins.

Just great wine, made by the world’s best winemakers, made affordable to you.