My favourite London wine shops: Dynamic Vines
Plus a few restaurants to add to your list.
There’s nothing better than finding a new area within your area. Stomping around familiar streets always reminds me of Covid days but it’s a Saturday morning activity I still enjoy.
One such area I discovered a few months ago was Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus. Part wellness haven come Sci-Fi location? Nope, Spa Terminus is neither. It’s a secret wholesale hub for London’s best food and drink producers, situated five minutes from Bermondsey tube station, close to Maltby Street. With a tagline of ‘home to exceptional food and drink’ could Spa Terminus be what Borough Market was before the bombardment of restaurants and tourists? It’s essentially an area where producers such as Mon’s, Neal’s Yard and Monmouth Coffee trade, but on Fridays and Saturdays they open their shutters to the public.
Centred in and around the railway track, everyone has an outpost in an arch. It looks like a nice community to be a part of, which cultivates a nice public too. No queues or pushy shoppers here, Spa Terminus attracts joggers grabbing a post-run coffee, couples buying some cheese for the weekend and a few kids running around. It’s not busy at all, making it feel like a well-kept secret.
I was familiar with many of the producers but one surprise was seeing a wine shop I hadn’t heard of before. As if by magic, I noticed a sign for Dynamic Vines, while sipping my coffee from Monmouth. Intrigued, I popped my head in and realised that this was no ordinary wine shop. Dynamic Vines was more of an Aladdin’s cave of wines, where each wine-filled room led through to another. I was not in Kansas anymore. I slowly worked out that Dynamic Vines HQ is part shop, part entertaining space but mostly it’s a warehouse. After spending 6 months working at Berry Bros & Rudd’s Warehouse shop, I feel at home in cool, dark, cavernous spaces so give me this over a trendy shop any day.
Whilst thinking ‘what is this place?!’ I bumped into the owner who kindly informed me that Dynamic Vines is a biodynamic wine importer. They mainly sell to the trade (restaurants, bars and wine shops) but as with the other producers they open their big doors to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. He confirmed that their space is more of a warehouse than a shop, which explained why they had so much stock. The wide selection is destined for restaurant deliveries and businesses as opposed to my own personal shopping bag.
Their modus operandi is to work solely with independent winemakers who practice sustainable farming in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the winery. They are less interested in labels and more interested in the quality of the fruit. No big brands in sight, I found myself scanning the shelves with wide eyes - there’s so much wine in the world!
There’s certainly a connection between the wines available at Dynamic Vines and the world of Natural wine yet they aren’t in each others pockets. Yes, the wines on offer are ‘natural’ in that there is very little human intervention but you’ll be hard pressed to find jokey/fluorescent labels here. The selection feels considered and grown up, as it should due their age. They’ve been in operation since 2005 so, Dynamic Vines is almost the wise grandfather to the current funky and rebellious Natural wine movement. Committed to biodynamic wines, their selection criteria hasn’t changed and there’s something comforting about this. Tastes change, trends come and go but the style of wine they import remains the same. You won’t find bottles from the New World (anything made outside of Europe) here but you will find a varied selection of European wines. Every grape grown in these regions is on show - there’s literally something for everyone.
On my visit, I selected a Spanish white wine. I’m always on the hunt for different white wines and this was a great find. A white Rioja that was unlike any white Rioja I’ve tried before. It had the whiff of Natural wine (always hard to describe but I often get over-ripe apples and farmyard) whilst still feeling ‘Spanish.’
Dynamic Vines is worth the trip, especially if you tie in buying cheese, charcuterie, bread and coffee for the weekend. Kill multiple birds with one stone! The wine selection is varied and it’s miles away from your local Majestic but isn’t it good to try something different?
Finally, a few restaurants I’ve been to lately that I’ve enjoyed. In keeping with the above, these are all south. Sorry! I promise to travel further afield soon.
Kudu Grill - a great neighbourhood place in Nunhead featuring an all South African wine list. Cosy place with friendly staff and an emphasis on grilled meat and fish. The whole black bream was a highlight. More of an evening spot.
OMA - a beautiful restaurant that straddles various sections of Borough Market. Clearly a lot of money has been spent on setting this place up and it’s very popular. The food is delicious but as my husband said ‘it’s quite a lot of money for dips and breads.’ However, the dips really are good as is the lamb belly starter. Lovely to see a majority Greek wine list too. The Greek wine takeover is underway!
Cafe Francois - the newest addition to Borough Market and sister to St James’s powerhouse, Maison Francois. The interior is sprawling and cool in a space odyssey come posh ferry kinda way and it’s buzzing all day. You can pick up a coffee-to-go and a homemade pastry or you can sit outside and watch the world go by. A great place for brunch but the Steak Frites and Croque Monsieur Flatbread for lunch also looked amazing.
It's in my free time that I research interesting grape varieties, taste new wines and travel to wine regions. My mission is to keep sharing these adventures and discoveries with you for as long as possible through this newsletter. If you’d like to support me, you can donate any amount via the button below. I’d be forever grateful.