The winemakers behind our new Waitrose wines

It’s been nearly two months since we launched into Waitrose. Seeing our wines on shelves across our biggest geographical spread to date has been a huge milestone. Every day, shoppers pick up our cans and put them in their trolleys, but they may not realise the journeys that bring our cans to the shelves

While buying a can takes seconds, making the wine inside can take years.

Take our Garnacha for example. Some of the grapes come from old goblet vines that are close to 100 years old. These vines have spent decades establishing deep roots and adapting to their environment, producing fruit with incredible depth. Wine is never a quick process, nor should it be. Every vintage is different, shaped by multiple different factors. From the weather and the health of the soil, to the careful decisions made by the winemaker throughout the growing season, fermentation and maturation.

At the heart of that process is the winemakers. Long before the grapes are harvested, they’re tending to the vines, monitoring their vineyards and making thoughtful decisions that will influence the final wine. 

Meet Markus and Norrel, the winemakers behind our Grüner Veltliner and Garnacha, and discover the sustainable practices they weave into their work every single day.

For both of our winemakers, sustainability is simply part of how they work. By nurturing biodiversity, protecting soil health and farming with future generations in mind, they’re helping to create healthier vineyards and even better wines. It’s why we embed rigorous supplier approval forms for winemakers to ensure that we know that the care is there. 

Grüner Veltliner

Markus Huber began his journey in viticulture and vinification at a young age. After vocational training in Austria and two harvests in South Africa, he committed himself to converting his parents’ 4-hectare wine-producing business into a full winery. Year after year, his aim is to vinify excellent wines from the best possible grape material. He sees himself as a companion guiding the grapes towards the desired style, adapting as needed. Today he is known for crafting some of Austria’s finest Grüner Veltliner wines.

“I am deeply convinced that really good wine is made from grapes which a winegrower leads to perfect maturity. This means to me to understand every single lot as an independent individual with its own demands.”

Sustainable Initiatives

Markus Huber is a leading figure in Sustainable Austria wine production. He has invested in his own solar energy plant to become an energy net positive company. Markus also sources deadwood and vineyard wood chips to help heat the winery, further limiting the reliance on the grid. Alongside planting cover crops in between winegrowing cycles, managed with sheep grazing, this helps to protect the soil while also providing natural fertilizer and saving on mowing operations. 

10% of his vineyard is dedicated to insect biodiversity, with insect homes and bee hives built across the vineyard. His use of regenerative probiotic bacterial cultures for soil health and herbal extracts in the vineyards has reduced the number of applications of plant protecting products by a third.

It doesn’t stop there – Huber’s vineyard soils are being transformed into CO2 reservoirs through perennial mulch and little tillage which increase the soil’s humus and water content. Markus was one of the first winemakers to believe in the potential of the can. While many were still questioning whether wine could move beyond the traditional format, Markus allowed us to innovate the packaging format with his premium wine. To date, it still remains our best Canned Wine Co. seller, and for good reason.

“Canned wine will have its share in the future. Alternative packaging of wine is required. For many occasions, cans are, also environmentally, a great thing!”

Oak Aged Garnacha

El Escocés Volante is a family-owned business in Aragon, Spain, passionate about producing high quality wines with a particular focus on the native Garnacha variety. Owner and winemaker Norrel Robertson MW – also known as the Flying Scotsman – became a Master of Wine in 2000 and has lived in Spain with his family since 2003 after purchasing old vine vineyards in the rugged Calatayud countryside. A true family affair, Norrel’s wife Sharon and sons James and Will all play an active part in the business.

Sustainable initiatives

Norrel is deeply committed to sustainability. While organic viticulture is practiced and no pesticides are used, the winery is not yet certified organic, Norrel and his team instead prioritise regenerative viticulture. Regenerative viticulture is a farming approach that collaborates with nature to restore vineyard soils and biodiversity while reducing dependency on synthetic chemicals. This method can lead to improved plant nutrition, better grape berry quality, and the suppression of pathogens and pests in the vineyard (WSTA)

One of the ways they are actively investing in sustainability is through the use of biochar. Created using a kiln that transforms vine cuttings into a carbon-rich material, biochar can be returned to the soil to help sequester carbon, improve soil structure and increase water retention. Water use is mitigated, with no vineyard irrigation, and over winter cover-cropping it helps to promote soil health. They are now producing 80% of their electricity with solar panels.

Beyond the vineyard and winery, El Escocés Volante forms an integral part of the local community, employing its vineyard staff from the local village of Aniñon.

“Sustainability is key and for us, this means building our business with an eye always on the impact our actions have on the quality of the product, the environment and on the local community.”

The next time you pick up one of our cans, you might notice a small QR code on the back. Each wine has a story about its winemaker, their journey and their sustainable practices just like Markus & Norrel. Because the story before the can is just as important as the taste inside it.