Uncorked: Mark Gurney
Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
It’s deeply unsexy, but the watershed moment was when an independent wine shop opened in the area I lived and I realised there was more to wine than just the supermarket. At the time I was working in a record shop part-time, and it resonated with that artisanal experience of someone curating a selection, working with small producers and being passionate about what they do.
Describe your wine list at Levan and Bar Levan
At both our spots, the wine lists have a shared ethos of quality, low intervention wines with deep respect for the land, people and product they produce. At Levan we have a unique list, as half of it is devoted to the Jura region of eastern France - a particular passion of mine. The other half is an approachable pan-European wine list which is designed to empower guests to make informed decisions on what to choose with handy little descriptions about each wine. Bar Levan is different. We have a dynamic ‘by the glass’ list for which we buy 12 bottles of each wine and then change, so the options are constantly changing throughout the week. There is a little cellar list with some Oldies and rare bottles and also a bangin mezcal list for those wanting to delve into proper artisanally-distilled agave.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Throughout my career there have been loads of little disasters, from dropping cases of wine right before opening for dinner to spraying customers with very lively pet nats. But the one that I remember (mainly as it was an expensive mistake) was a barman of mine when working for Angela Hartnett took an order for a bottle of Trebbiano, poured the wine and gave them the bill. They were aghast that the bottle was over £125. He’d served them an Emidio Pepe instead of the house Trebbiano white. Needless to say, the guests paid the house wine price.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Brawn (in East London) is hands down my favourite restaurant with a stellar wine list and some nice cellar bits if you ask nicely. Bokman’s is an awesome Korean restaurant in Bristol with a wine list curated by my friend Raphael Rodriguez from Vine Trail. His selection of textural wines work so well with the spicy food. And after bursting onto the scene a few years back, Seb Myers food and James Lewis’ wine list at Planque (in East London) is going from strength to strength. Great wines by the glass, deep cellar with an untold vintage range. And you can even store your wine there if you don’t have space under the bed at home.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Raphael Rodriguez of Vine Trail, one of our suppliers but also a close friend. His focus, depth of knowledge and long experience both in hospitality and as a wine supplier is pretty unmatched in the industry. I’ve learnt a lot from him over the years.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
It’s a fight between a super weird high altitude Pinot Noir from Granada or a stunning Zibbibo from Panteleria by Tanca Nica, light, aromatic, salty - a riot of herbs. The Tanca wins though, it’s quite captivating.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
My own would be zippy - a lazy catch all for acidity, minerality and energy; savoury - I need to stop being so vague; and funky - a horrible term normally used in a positive way to describe (often) faulty wine.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
Apart from our house white and red which is still only £6 a glass? Then we’ve got a superb Furmint and Sauvignon Blanc from Stajerska Kollective in Slovenia, the quality of the wine to the price is excellent. It’s vibrant, has plenty of texture and a complex flavour profile. It’s just delicious and we serve it at £7.50 a glass.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
We do a wine pairing at Levan for our Chef’s Menu, so over the years we have done some weird and wonderful things, from sake to cider or aromatic herb infused cocktails. But one of my favourites was a one off pairing we did in August last year. It was for a dessert of strawberries, milk ice cream coated in a chocolate and cookie crumb, rose water chantilly and marigold flowers. We paired it with a wine from Westwell in Kent, who were making their fantastic sparkling cuvée Pelegrim, until the fermentation stopped early, so they were left with a wine with 18g of residual sugar. A pleasant surprise for them but as this wasn’t meant to happen only 90 bottles were made. We managed to snag 24 bottles and the elegant bubbles plus the touch of sugar worked beautifully with this summery, creamy dessert.
Old World or New World?
Old world every time. I love what people like Theo Coles is doing at Hermit Ram in New Zealand, but I will always back Europe. It’s a lot closer, has amazing wines and often guests have been to these countries so can connect with what they are drinking on a deeper, experiential level.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
An empty glass.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
Anyone can buy the super cool or cult winemakers, but the winemaker who I rate on an everyday level are those who make quality wines that are delicious and accessible. Andi Mann from Rheinhessen in Germany is one of my favourites right now. His wines are fun, approachable, super tasty, versatile and affordable.
Working at Levan and Bar Levan, what question do you most get asked by customers?
Do you have orange wine?
Which wine producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
I’ve always felt that the Alsace region in France has never truly got its flowers, which is criminal because it has such a long and strong history of making wine with stunning terroir, top grand cru sites and wines that are top quality and can age.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
Anything from Domaine St Pierre in the Jura. Fabrice Dodane makes sensational wines packed full of energy, texture and a laser like sense of place. His Chapon cuvee was one of the first and most memorable wines I tried from him. Heaven.
