WINE FIEND | FEATURE
Ben Woolhead speaks to the person behind a new Welsh delivery startup that aims to offer something a little different within the world of wine.
Over the last few months, many of us have been placing online orders and receiving parcel after parcel with such regularity as to get on first-name terms with the delivery drivers. Not so many, however, will have responded to a friendly knock to find 750 bottles of wine waiting on the doorstep. Thankfully for Dean Euden [pictured], this was neither a catastrophic late-night ordering error nor an alarming panic buy – it was the stock he needed to get his new Cardiff-based business venture off the ground.
Working as a Business Development Manager for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust after stints at a string of wine merchants, Euden “loved the job and the people” but missed his true passion: selling wine. Rather than being disheartened when COVID-19 delivered redundancy, he heard opportunity knocking – it was, he admits, “a blessing in disguise, as it gave me the kick up the arse to fulfil a dream”. And so Wine Fiend was born.
The mission is simple: “To kick open the door on the wonderfully exciting and diverse wine world. I want people to discover wine they would never normally try.” When you browse the Wine Fiend website, then, “you won’t find pages and pages of Sauvignon from New Zealand – you’ll find grape varieties and regions you may never have heard of before.”
Many of these wines are branded as “biodynamic” or “natural” – but what does that actually mean? “Biodynamic winemakers see the vineyard and the environment around it as a whole – a living organism in a way,” Euden explains. “Everything is related and affects the health of the land; this even includes lunar cycles. So, as an example, a biodynamic winemaker will promote the growth of wildflowers and grasses among the vines, as each one contributes to the health of the soil and therefore of the vines.” Natural winemakers, meanwhile, have a “nothing added, nothing taken away” philosophy that seeks to respect a wine’s “true identity”. This involves paying meticulous attention to every aspect of the process – which Euden stresses is “incredibly hard work”.
As awareness of environmental impact and sustainability continues to grow, so too does the market for wines that are produced responsibly: without the aid of chemicals or pesticides, and in a manner that actively promotes healthy soils and biodiversity. At the same time, the pandemic that initiated the push to set up Wine Fiend is also driving changing drinking habits.
“People are spending a bit more than they would do on wine, as they aren’t able to socialise with friends and family in pubs and restaurants. Everyone feels like they deserve a treat at the moment – I certainly do.”
So, with Christmas fast approaching, what does Dean recommend we pair with our festive feasts? “If you’re having turkey for dinner, then a good oaked Chardonnay will work really well. A good Pinot Noir with less tannin is also an excellent wine for the table. Those going for beef may want a red with a bit more body and I would head for the southern Rhone, where you’ll get wines with richness and soft tannins – just heavenly with red meat. For those eating vegetarian Christmas dinners, I would stick with a lighter red as you won’t need to match up the wine to a slab of protein.”
And for New Year’s Eve? “It’s Champagne for sure. It’s an occasion wine and sticking our collective two fingers up at 2020 is surely an occasion worth celebrating.”
On that note, what does he hope 2021 holds in store for Wine Fiend? “Collaborations with other indie businesses in Cardiff and beyond, wine tastings, pop-up bars, more amazing new wines, world domination – you know, the usual stuff.”
Info: www.winefiend.co.uk
words BEN WOOLHEAD