Grapes grown in Gloucestershire, England.

Hand harvested then shipped by Renegade in refrigerated trucks at 2˚C direct to the London winery.

Wine fully made in London, UK.

What is Ortega? It’s a white skinned grape variety that was created in 1948 in Germany. It’s a cross of Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. As such it really likes the cooler climate the UK can offer and it is a very aromatic grape variety, that loves a touch, or in this case, a shed load of skin contact.

This wine was made by destemming the grapes over a wire mesh by hand. Essentially we rub the bunches and let the grapes drop through into the fermentation tank. We do this so as to be very gentle and reduce skin breakage. The grapes then start fermenting spontaneously, without the addition of any yeast - otherwise known as wild fermentation. Naturally present yeasts are already within the winery environment and on the grape skins. Think sourdough. No additions of sugar, nutrients, or de-acidification methods/any other winemaking was used to make this wine.

The grapes are left to ferment in contact with the skins (with daily manual punch downs) for nearly 3 weeks before being pressed off and transferred to used French oak barrels. The barrels were previously used to age Chardonnay. This use of used oak, allows the wine to age softly with the benefit of micro-oxidation through the grain of the oak and also helps the wine go through malolactic fermentation where the natural malic acid is converted to lactic acid.

What’s the wine like? Well as it’s completely unfiltered and unfined it’s a little hazy to look at in the glass. On the nose, it’s really aromatic, think grapefruit and jasmine. It’s a delicate floral punch. A little similar to a skin contact Bacchus (if you know our wine Rahul) but less elderflowery and peachy and more floral with a citrus burst… Soft and rounded on the palate and not punchy in terms of alcohol. 2019 was a good year but it ended a little cool and wet and as such, this wine only sits at 11% alcohol.

Who is Jai? Jai is a chef and lives in Elephant and Castle. He’s 29 and currently helming the kitchen of a Fulham based restaurant. He’s got a great story and has worked with Jamie Oliver at Fifteen as well as working in France with Dick and Angel (Escape to the Chateau – Channel 4). He also loves a dog.

If anyone cares, this wine, like all our wines, is vegan friendly. This does not mean they wave to vegans in the street, they are just made without the use of any animal based winemaking products.

Please be aware that this product is unfiltered/unfined and may therefore be cloudy or contain some sediment. "Breaking The Rules. One Bottle At A Time"

Renegade London Wine is a cutting edge Urban Winery based in Bethnal Green, East London.

They do not grow grapes. They purchase small parcels of top quality grapes from around the UK and Europe, hand harvest them and race them back to London and make wine.

When they started making wine in 2016 they were copycat winemakers. They asked the growers how they should make wine with their grapes, and they did what they said. This was a mistake. They should't be copying other styles. London should be leading the charge on new wine styles, winemaking approaches and using both ancient and modern techniques.

So in 2017 they changed. Our wines change year on year and they rarely repeat a wine or style. They make around 12-14 wines a year with a total current production of around 28,000 bottles. This may sound like a lot but it's really tiny for a commercial winery. This is one of the main reasons our wines are not cheap. They try to keep them as affordable as possible but they know that they need to be worth the money.

Each label shows the eyes of a different person who lives in the UK. They may not be born in the UK, they may not have gone to school in the UK, but they're part of this country. They each form a key part of the rich tapestry that makes the UK special. As as urban winery based in London, many of the faces are Londoners. That's just how it's worked so far. Anyone can apply to be on the labels.

Crafted by world class young winemakers, Renegade makes modern, innovative, premium wines here in London. Why? No appellation rules, no tradition, no BS. Just great wine.

Top Quality. Modern Wine. Made With Love In London.