All Hype Bacchus, Gutter & Stars 2025 75cl

Gutter & Stars is a one-man urban winery run by Chris Wilson from the basement of a Grade II-listed windmill in the middle of Cambridge. There's no estate vineyard — Chris buys carefully-chosen English fruit and vinifies it in tiny batches, naming each wine after a song. All Hype is his Bacchus, made from Essex-grown grapes.

Bacchus is the grape England does better than almost anyone — aromatic, herby and citrus-driven, our own answer to Sauvignon Blanc. Grown in a cool climate and picked with bright acidity intact, it lands somewhere between an English hedgerow and a citrus grove.

Expect elderflower and cut nettle on the nose, then grapefruit, lemon zest and a whisper of green apple. The palate is dry, taut and properly refreshing, with the kind of mouth-watering acidity that makes you reach straight back for the glass, closing crisp and clean. It's low in alcohol and high on energy — a wine with its trainers on.

This is an aperitif you can keep pouring, or a bottle for the first warm evening of the year. At £27 it's honest value for genuinely characterful small-batch English wine, and it's best drunk young while that aromatic lift is singing — no need to cellar it.

How to Serve

Serve well chilled at 8-10°C in a standard white-wine glass. Straight from the fridge is fine; no decanting needed.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot in Bloomsbury for its love of characterful growers. Planque in Haggerston for a low-key, wine-led evening. The Wolseley for a bright lunchtime glass.

Food Pairings

A natural with fresh goat's cheese or a plate of grilled asparagus. Honestly, it's also brilliant with good fish and chips.