A New Wine List, A Deeper Commitment: Natural Wines at The Homestead Kitchen
At The Homestead Kitchen, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. From the way we source our ingredients to how we operate our kitchen, we aim to tread lightly, support responsible producers, and serve food that nourishes both people and planet.
That’s why we’re so excited to share a meaningful step forward in our sustainability journey: a new wine list focused on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines.
Why It Matters
Shifting our wine list isn’t just about taste—it’s about impact. By supporting organic and biodynamic producers, we’re helping protect soil health, reduce chemical use, and promote sustainable farming practices that preserve tradition and biodiversity.
It also means championing small-scale growers whose hands are in the soil and whose hearts are in the work. These are wines with stories, not marketing strategies—crafted with intention, not manipulation.
At The Homestead Kitchen, we believe wine should reflect care, craftsmanship, and conscience—values we hope you’ll taste in every glass.
A New Approach to Wine—Rooted in the Land
Wine, at its best, is a living expression of place, soil, and season. Just as we choose ingredients for their seasonality, integrity, and provenance, we believe the wines we serve should reflect the same values.
Our new list features wines from producers who work with nature, not against it—growers who nurture biodiversity, forgo synthetic chemicals, and see the vineyard as an ecosystem. Many are certified organic or biodynamic, and many are small, family-run operations making wine with genuine care and minimal intervention. When researching the growers and learning their stories, we have all grown so fond and connected with these people, as their passion shines through, and it’s exciting to be bringing their crafted wines to our restaurant. Below is a little spotlight on 3 of the winemakers that feature on our list:
Marie-Thérèse Chappaz (Fully, Valais, Switzerland)
An acclaimed pioneer in biodynamic winemaking, Marie‑Thérèse took over her family’s steep vineyards in Fully in 1987. After formal training as an agronomist at Changins, she transitioned her estate to biodynamics by 2003, earning Demeter and Bio‑Bourgeon Suisse certification. Today she cultivates 10–11 hectares without synthetic chemicals, using herbal biodynamic treatments, minimal copper, indigenous yeasts—and only the smallest sulphite additions when needed . Celebrated as an “icon of Swiss wine,” her wines (including a perfect-scoring Petite Arvine in 2022) are powerful yet true to their steep alpine terroir . Her vintages reflect patience and place—every bottle is a tribute to her land and biodynamic dedication.
Pete and I were so impressed by her wines when we did the initial tasting, and as such, she features three times on our list, with a white, red, and dessert. Whilst they are at the higher price mark, we just had to include them in our list, and we hope you are as impressed by them as we are.
Marie-Therese Chappaz wines
Peter Hahn – Clos de la Meslerie (Vouvray, Loire Valley, France)
After a high-powered finance career, Peter swapped boardrooms for vineyards, acquiring a neglected 4-ha estate near Vouvray in 2002 and bottling his first vintage in 2008. Certified organic since, he works biodynamically, uses no herbicides, very low copper, and embraces extreme manual labour including ploughing with horses. He produces just one Chenin Blanc cuvée – Vouvray Sec Tendre (plus occasional sparkling), hand-pressed using a revived 100-year-old basket press, aged 12 months on lees in oak and bottled by hand . Peter follows the vineyard’s lead, and lets each vintage speak its own style—be it dry, off-dry, or sweet—crafting wine that’s deeply expressive of terroir. He often says, “I am a grape-farmer first… wine is made in the vineyard” .
When we all tasted this wine, I scribbled “10/10 all staff” on my notes, as the response was so positive!
Château del Ranq (Claret, Pic Saint‑Loup, France)
A biodynamic revival rooted in family history, Château del Ranq was brought back to life by Laure Barthélémy and Sébastien Freychet in 2018, then expanded in 2020 when they assumed stewardship of the family’s 10 hectare estate—biodynamic and organic since 2009. Their vineyards, situated on clay-limestone soils in the northern Pic Saint-Loup, are now farmed by hand, parcel by parcel. Native-yeast fermentations and minimal sulphites (only if absolutely needed) reflect their focus on respecting terroir and letting the vines speak. Laure and Sébastien—both trained oenologists (winemakers to you and I)—met in Burgundy and returned to their roots with a shared passion for natural winemaking. Together, they create wines defined by freshness, salinity, and a sense of place—bottles that feel as generous as the southern landscape they emerge from.
We have two wines from their vineyard, Blanc De Noir, a beautiful textured and full bodied white wine, made from red grapes fermented off the skins, and a classic Rose, ‘Orbite’ that is light and elegant – perfect for this coming heatwave!
Curated by Us, Tasted with Purpose
Every wine on our list has been personally selected by us—Cecily and Pete. We’ve tasted them, read about the makers, and chosen bottles that moved us. These wines offer texture, vibrancy, and soul—some are refined and classic, others are wild and expressive, all of them true to place and producer. We have also shared a taste of every bottle with the front of house team, who will be thrown in at the deep end with the whole new list – so please do give them grace while we find our feet! I am sure it won’t be long that they are all second nature, and staff are asking for print outs of all the information to take home and revise, a dedication we appreciate!
Natural Wine Buzzwords—What They Really Mean (and Why You Should Care)
We know natural wine comes with its own set of unfamiliar terms—so here’s a quick guide to help you decode the language and understand the sustainability behind each choice.
Organic
Grapes grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers. This promotes healthy soil and avoids chemical runoff into ecosystems.
Sustainability benefit: Reduces reliance on fossil-fuel-based chemicals, supports biodiversity, and promotes long-term soil fertility.
Biodynamic
A holistic farming method treating the vineyard as a living organism, using composts and lunar cycles to guide vineyard work.
Sustainability benefit: Builds resilient ecosystems, boosts microbial life in the soil, and regenerates the land rather than depleting it.
Unfined
No animal-based or synthetic agents were used to clarify the wine. Instead, the wine is allowed to settle naturally.
Sustainability benefit: Minimises processing and waste. Also makes wines more inclusive for vegans and those avoiding unnecessary additives.
Unfiltered
No mechanical filtration was used. Instead, the wine may be cloudy or textured, with flavour and natural compounds left intact.
Sustainability benefit: Saves energy and resources, and supports low-intervention practices.
Low Sulphur
Winemakers use little to no added sulphur dioxide—just enough to stabilise the wine safely, if at all.
Sustainability benefit: Fewer inputs, less reliance on synthetic preservatives, and more natural fermentation practices. Encourages very clean cellar practices.
Vegan
No animal-derived products were used in production, particularly during fining.
Sustainability benefit: Avoids animal agriculture inputs and aligns with plant-based ethics and transparency in production.
Hand-Harvested
Grapes are picked manually rather than by machine, allowing for gentler handling and selective harvesting.
Sustainability benefit: Minimises damage to vines and soil compaction, and supports skilled vineyard labour over large-scale mechanisation.
Red wine selection
We’re passionate about these wines not just for how they taste—but for what they represent: a better way to make and enjoy wine, rooted in nature, people, and purpose. So next time you join us, take a look at the new list. Ask us about the growers. Try something new. We’ll be delighted to share the stories behind each bottle and pour you something truly special. It’s a learning curve for everyone, so we will be putting together a lovely little folder with a detailed spotlight on each and every wine. I am just finalising this now, so should have it ready to share with you soon!
We hope they will excite you in the same way they have us, and we look forward to sharing them with you over the coming months.
If you would like to take a peek at the new list, you can view this on our Menus page.
Cheers to wine with soul—and to a more sustainable way of dining.
Cecily & Pete
Hi Cecily and Pete – your new wine list looks very interesting. Just one observation; it would have been nice to see a couple of lighter wines (12.5%) on the red wine list. 14 and 14.5% can be quite overpowering with your beautiful food.
What an amazing write up, every word resonated with me. So beautifully written, so happy to be working with you. It is fantastic to find such passion for producers, people and products.