Uncorked: Gavin Hills
Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
Funnily enough, wine was a very hard subject for me to grasp, I remember sitting in our morning meetings tasting wines with moments of fleeting panic listening to the team explaining new wines and flavours. It wasn’t until studying for WSET that I really fell in love with the difference in styles and variety. Germany was one of the most interesting regions and really launched my passion for wine. I admired the long lists of terminology used for the production of their wines.
Describe your wine list at The Hand & Flowers
Our list is compact, eclectic and adventurous. I like to say that there is something to fit everyone’s style and budget, but with enough room on the list to allow the boundaries to be pushed on what guests think they know and love.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
I remember a number of years ago I bought some new wine decanters, these decanters were lighter and much smaller than the previous ones I had. On that night I decanted a beautiful Bordeaux and was chatting away to the guests and got ready to pour. Obviously by this point, I had forgotten how light the decanters were and as I poured the wine into the glass it bounced straight back out of the glass and all over the table. This naturally left the guests rather annoyed, and me extremely embarrassed.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
The Oarsman in Marlow, The Harwood Arms in Fulham and Kerridge’s Bar & Grill in Westminster.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
I have a real admiration and respect for the English wine world at the moment, like many countries they have had to push extremely hard to get noticed and for consumers to take them seriously in what they do, and they do it extremely well. One of the first people I met with such a strong belief was Laura Rhys who consults for Gusbourne. Her knowledge, passion and attention to details was unwavering alongside her calm and relaxed approach to teaching people. It was fantastic to see.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
Can I have three? A Carignan from Railback Frères in California. The wine has undergone carbonic maceration and produces something with inky, balsamic and beetroot notes. A pink pet nat from Ancre Hill in Wales, which is just like drinking a cross between a Berry Fanta and some San Pellegrino which makes you feel like a naughty child. Deliciously refreshing, complex and extremely mouth-watering. Lastly a field blend from natural wine producer Ruth Lewandowski in Utah. The wine is called Tatto and retains its bright unfiltered glory with juicy tropical tones.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Salty and mineral. And generally people talking about legs in wine.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
I have listed a stunning Touriga Nacional from Fitapreta in Portugal which I buy from Swig, which is based in London. I always find people sceptical of Portuguese wines, either they are too heavy and cloying with the alcohol or too light with almost an artificial fruit presence. This Touriga has had no new oak at all and retains a very fresh burst of dark and bramble-based fruits, lots of jammier tones and has a fantastic balance of acidity. When I pour this wine, guests are always amazed at the colour, bright cherry with hints of a purple glow and again with a layer of complexity.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
I really enjoy more of the unusual pairings that you think shouldn’t work and go against all the traditional matches. Orange wine is great for that versatility, we have a dish on at the moment that consists of cheddar, swede, haggis and mushrooms and it works really well with a Portuguese orange wine that cuts through the richness.
Old World or New World?
New World hands down. I absolutely adore South African and American wines.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
I do have a few niggles, one of them being when you order a bottle of wine that needs chilling and it is brought over in the cylindrical wine buckets that have been in the freezer, now currently filled with no water or ice meaning that your wine simply gets warm very quickly.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
Samantha O’Keefe at Lismore Estate in Greyton, South Africa. We have had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions when Sam has come to the UK and held staff tastings at The Hand & Flowers. She is exceptionally humble, down to earth and really engaging. The wines are also some of the best that I have ever tasted - elegant, structured and well-integrated.
As a wine director, what question do you most get asked by customers?
What is orange wine (or skin contact wine), which is always a great story and a brilliant way of getting guests to start trusting in your knowledge and product selection. Nine times out of 10 they love the orange wines.
Which wine producing region or country is underrated at the moment
I have recently tasted some wines from Croatia and Uruguay which really surprised me as they are areas of the world that you don’t see much of their wines listed in restaurants. The Uruguay Tannat blend (Bordeaux backbone) is incredible and a really nice alternative to some of the world’s classics.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
I would have to say a 1998 Nyetimber, which I had the pleasure of tasting several years back. It had incredibly advanced flavours of roasted and stewed stone fruits, along with traditional bakery notes of brioche and vanilla with those subtle nutty hints at the end. However, the star of the show was a more mushroom and earthy character, a real stunner.
