Blackbook was born of a love of three things: cool climate Pinot noir and Chardonnay; the English wine industry; and London. They are an urban winery located in a railway arch in Battersea, a stone's throw from Battersea Park in south London.
Winemaker and owner Sergio grew up in the US, a son of Italian and Hungarian immigrants surrounded by wine lovers who would vinify their own blends in the back garden and drink wine with breakfast. His wine career took off at pace when he moved to London in the noughties, and joined the Michelin world as a sommelier (Maze, Tamarind & Chez Bruce). Quickly realising that this was the industry for him, but his desire was to be in production rather than sales, he enrolled at Plumpton College in East Sussex where he earned a degree in Viticulture and Oenology in 2014. He spent the next few years as a travelling winemaker, seeking to learn and experience harvest in many of the great wine producing regions with a focus on cool climate pinot noir & chardonnay. Sergio’s journey took him from England (Greyfriars) to California (Flowers/Calera) to Burgundy (De Montille) to Stellenbosch (Mulderbosch) and then finally to New Zealand (Ata Rangi) before he stuck his passport in the drawer. Sergio is a winemaker who has a great appreciation for the classic production methods and the breadth of experience to innovate in order to ensure each wine produced is unique, distinct and creating a phenomenal representation of the carefully selected fruit.
The grapes are sourced from growers within hours of the city, carefully selected for their well-located vineyards and high quality grapes. Their ethos embraces a single fundamental goal: to make bloody good wine. They endeavour to bring the hard work of their vineyard owners to the forefront by creating a range of single vineyard wines that showcase the quality and potential for making world-leading still wine in England. They have two focal varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot noir. While they love these varieties, additional grapes are sourced annually to produce experimental releases that add an exciting dimension to the winery.
Blackbook are proud to be a London winery and a London business, and are passionate about the city. They seek to reflect the vibrancy, colour, culture and energy of London in their wines, how they look, feel and taste. They work with other London businesses at every opportunity and are focused on being part of the hub of innovation in the city today and tomorrow.
