The Buyer | Darren Smith on ups & downs of following his winemaking dream

You made the switch from wine writer to winemaker - how did that happen?

I have been pretty much obsessed with wine for half my life. Visiting wineries and going to tastings as a wine writer is very pleasant, of course, but I really wanted to be getting my hands dirty. So, I started volunteering, just to pick grapes initially - I did a couple of harvests that way, which was great. Then in 2018 I applied to do an internship with Niepoort in Portugal.

That was when things shifted up a gear. I had an idea about making wine in different countries, focusing on lesser-known grape varieties and wine regions. I collared Dirk Niepoort one day while we were processing grapes at Quinta de Napoles and told him how much I liked Baga, and asked him if he could put me in touch with some growers if I came back and made a wine the following year.

He said: “Why wait?” A few days later he packed me off to his biodynamic winery in Bairrada, Quinta de Baixo, via Dao, where I made a Baga from Niepoort's estate vineyards. It was an amazing stroke of good fortune. Dirk really paved the way for me.

What was your inspiration wanting to make wine rather than write about it?

It was just too damned alluring to be behind the scenes making the stuff. And I suppose I just wanted to know more and more about it – and for that I had to go right to the source.

How have you gone about making the switch - what training did you do?

The turning point was the internship at Niepoort. I would encourage anyone who is interested in being a winemaker to get in touch with them and do what I did. It's hard work but you learn so much and the Niepoort team are brilliant. It's a great place to learn.

Beyond that, because I make simple low-intervention wines, I decided I would be better off hooking up with winemakers whose wines I liked rather doing an oenology degree - which teaches you how to make technical, industrial wines. I was convinced that I would learn more relevant stuff by going into cellars and working with the right people. Plus, I couldn't afford another degree course.

Tell us more about your winemaking experiences?

My first harvest at Quinta de Baixo was basically Dirk's winemaker Sergio Silva, and his assistant winemaker, Miguel Silva, who were walking me through the process. Since then, I have been taking more and more control of the vinification and all the important decisions. I still have a lot of things to learn but I know how to make wine now.

Because I'm in a new place every time, each vintage is completely different. In 2018 I was in a large, modern cellar full of the best equipment, loads of top-quality barrels, temperature control etc; the next year I was in a dirt-floored shack in southern Chile.

It's been an education in simply adapting to what you have in front of you. That's the adventure of it. I have made a couple of wines that I didn't bottle, or that didn't go right. It cost me loads of money and it was very annoying. But I have learned from these experiences and fortunately I have managed to keep things going. I am very happy with the majority of the wines I have made. I think they are absolutely individual and tell a story of where they are from.

What sort of wines are you looking to make - the inspiration that has turned to reality?

My ideal is simple wines with minimal intervention: impeccable quality (organically farmed) grapes, natural ferments, long ageing without interference until the wine is ready. I will interfere if things start going wrong, but I strive to keep things as simple as possible.

I also have to accept the limitations of making wine the way I do – not being there all the time, having limited time and often limited resources. Sometimes I have to be able to quickly adapt.

What are the biggest challenges you have had?

Selling the stuff. The winemaking part is pretty easy. But selling the wine, especially in a fairly saturated market like the UK, is a constant uphill slog. Thankfully I have had good support from people in the trade. That's made it easier.

What have you found most rewarding?

It's been a real privilege to work with so many brilliant winemakers in so many extraordinary wine regions. And to see my little range of finished bottles from all over the world lined up next to each other feels good.

You have already collaborated on a few wine projects - can you explain who they have been with and how they came about?

Niepoort in Portugal in 2018, through a harvest internship.
Victoria Torres in La Palma in 2019. I was working as an assistant to Viki for a few months and she very kindly let me make a wine with her.
Roberto Henriquez in Bio-Bio, also in 2019. I met Roberto at the Raw fair in London and was blown away by his País. I met him again later at the London Wine Fair and pitched a collaboration to him.
Julia Casado in Murcia in 2020. I was fascinated by her project – building a modular winery that she could move from site to site, and the fact that she had done it on her own. It was marvellous.
Baia Abuladze in Imereti in 2021 I made a Qvevri Tsolikouri with Baia and her family. I have journo contacts to thank for that.
Ignacio Pino in Itata in 2022 through Alice L'Estrange, an Australian winemaker I met while working with Roberto Henriquez in Bio-Bio in 2019.

Raúl Moreno in Jerez after writing an article about unfortified Palominos and trying one of his wines,
Pepe Moquillaza in Ica, Peru - a connection through Roberto Henriquez.
Arribas Wine Company thanks to a recommendation from Raul Moreno.

Why do you want to work in collaboration rather than on your own?

Eventually I would like to work on my own but I wanted to get as much experience as I could before I start something independently. And it takes time to raise the money to start a solo project.

Do you see each one as projects on their own or is there a common theme between the wines you are making?

They feel like discrete experiences and projects focused on one particular winemaker, grape variety or region, but there is always a theme to highlight and promote lesser-known grape varieties and regions. And the winemaking principles remain more or less the same – handmade wines, minimal intervention, minimal sulphur additions.

Tell us about your wine tasting event you are running on July 1 ?

It is to launch my next wine – a 2024 field blend made in Trás-os-Montes with Ricardo Alves and Fred Machado from Arribas Wine Company. I will be pouring samples of the wine, alongside previous releases like my 2018 Baga, 2019 LIstan Blanco, 2022 Palomino and 2022 País, and encouraging people to place pre-arrival orders, for a 25% discount.

This will be my model in future. The goal is to be able to pre-sell all the wines I make. The event takes place at The Sampler in Islington on July 1 between 3pm-8pm. The wine will be bottled and shipped in August.

Talk us through the name of the business and why that film resonates with you so much?

It's a line from my favourite film, Withnail & I. It's also my company name. It's unwieldy and awkward but then so am I. The film resonates with me so much because I am also a 'perfumed ponce' with a penchant for good wine.

What other projects and collaborations can we expect down the line?

I am in the process of lining up a winemaking collaboration for this year. A couple of possibilities but I don't want to jinx them so you'll have to wait and see. Ultimately, I would love to set up on my own. Island wines are where my heart is at. Spain, Portugal, Greece possibly.

Anything else to say?

You can find me selling wines - my own and others – at Lloyd Park Market on Saturdays and Victoria Park Market on Sundays. I also sell my own wines to restaurants. I have had them listed in Leroy, Spring, Manteca, The Clove Club, La Trompette, Lisboeta, 10 Cases, Perilla, Peckham Cellars, Hedonism, The Sampler, Tap, Provisions, Lower, Where the Light Gets In, Mangal II.

If you are interested in the wines I am making then please come along on July 1 and try them.

Taste and meet Darren Smith at his tasting at The Sampler, 266 Upper St, London N1 2UQon July 1 between 3pm and 8pm.
You can find out more about Darren Smith and his Finest Wines Available to Humanity at his website here.
You can follow Darren Smith on Instagram @tfwath.