we made wine.
it is a dream that most wine lovers have: to craft, nurture and some day pour out a glass of their very own vintage.
we can hardly believe that this dream is now our reality. introducing the very first volume of manteca’s own wine.
in april, chef & founder, chris, and wine buyer, emily acha derrington, went to sicily to blend the first volume of manteca’s own-label wine. made in collaboration with modal wines and valdibella, the white wine is a blend of grillo, catarratto and cattaratto extra lucido.
valdibella was founded in 1998 by four friends whose families have been farming in the region for several generations. it is a cooperative that exists to promote sustainability as well as uplift and protect local farmers from mafia exploitation. to promote biodiversity, the cooperative follows a mixed agriculture approach, combining their vineyards with plots for indigenous grains, fruits, olives and vegetables. the results are complex grapes rich with flavour, backed by the intense passion of the hands that have cared for them. our long-term suppliers, modal wines, helped facilitate this collaboration and have imported the wine for us. between the two of them, we were in very good company for this project.
we have limited production to 1,000 litres for this first volume. it is a gentle, sun-reared white wine with a balance of texture, acidity, and a touch of bitterness characteristic of catarratto extra lucido. emily has blended three grapes native to sicily to achieve a beautiful expression of the region: aromas of honeysuckle and peaches, with a clean finish. the ten days’ skin contact of the small amount of catarratto adds an extra dimension, without too much structure or tannin. it is a wine that can be enjoyed with many of the small plates at manteca, but also carry itself into the main courses.
the label has been designed by chris and draws its inspiration from the iconic jazz album covers of the 1950s and 60s by reid miles. a playful nod to the name of our restaurant, which itself is a homage to a dizzy gillespie song.
volume one is now available to drink & enjoy in the restaurant. by the glass or bottle. and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
we hope to add more volumes over the coming years through additional collaborations with producers we admire. cheers to the start of an exciting new chapter.
