Sustainability is at the forefront of this month’s RAW the artisan wine fair’s mission, yesterday the Mil’Pat came to London from Brittany – a carbon neutral cargo ship delivering six tonnes of cargo, including 3,000 bottles of wine, to the capital ready for the event on May 19-20 at the Old Truman Brewery. And obvs FP was there to help welcome the boat,drink the wine and eat some cheese!
RAW is working with TOWT – TransOceanic Wine Transport, a company set up in 2009 to prove the viability of cargo sail-shipping for this inaugural sail of what the organisers hope will be an annual partnership. The ship is the 1962 Mil’Pat – a traditional Breton malamok (multipurpose sailing vessel) who used to be a regular in the Irish Sea.
This Sunday sees the UK’s largest collection of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans come together in the capital for RAW the artisan wine fair. 169 of the world’s best wine producers will showcase over 700 wines at the event at the Old Truman Brewery, which runs until Monday evening. RAW offers visitors the chance to meet the producers, taste new varieties and discover more about the wine making process.
As well as tasting reds, whites, roses and more than a few orange wines, the show features talks from the world’s leading experts including Jancis Robinson MW (the FT’s weekly wine columnist) who will be hosting a tasting and book-signing with her co-authors and show founder Isabelle Legeron MW and chocolatier Paul a Young will be conducting a chocolate and wine pairing.
RAW is all about supporting artisan producers and features more than just wine. Other attractions include a Swiss botanist who harvests fruit for his ciders from abandoned apple, pear and quince trees, some of which are several hundred years old, tables dedicated to rare Junmaishu sake, London beer, including a brew based on an old Truman Brewery recipe and a Natural and Organic Tea Tasting Bar.
Foodies can look forward to a range of exciting food stalls and artisan food producers, including the likes of English oysters shucked onsite, salmon smoked in Stoke Newington and a pop-up wood fired grill on the RAW patio, stoked with single species and sustainable wood.
RAW the artisan wine fair, 19th-20th May, Old Truman Brewery, London www.rawfair.com