Meet the Merchant - Novum Wines

Novum Wines

166 Sail Street

Vauxhall

London

SE11 6NQ

Tel: 020 7820 6720

Fax: 020 7091 0878

info@novumwines.com

Talking to Steve Daniel, buying and marketing manager​

Novum wines was founded in December 2003 with what buying and marketing manager Steve Daniel (ex Oddbins head honcho) calls "a blank piece of paper and a few excellent Italian agencies". The company added to its Italian portfolio, but it wasn't long before it was seeking our new wineries not only from Oz, New Zealand, Spain and Chile, but also Austria, Germany, Greece and India.

Their remit is to find wines from new producers that are new to the country (so no chance of any of these ending up on the shelves of Tesco). There are currently only 60 wineries on their books, and most of them make only a handful of wines. Yet Novum squeezes far more interest and individuality into the 180 or so wines in their care than some agencies five or six times their size.

What do you specialise in?​

New wines from new producers. We are generally interested in small boutique operations. We work with some larger producers, but they have a quality-first ethos. If the quality isn't there, we don't buy it.

Which areas are most exciting?​

Italy: Alto Adige, Sicily, Puglia and Abruzzo. Chile is constantly improving and the reds of the Alto Maipo are great. Australia: cooler areas such as Southern Fleurieu, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. India: cool climate wines from Sula in Nashik. Greece: Amyndeo, Nemea and Santorini. France: Languedoc Roussillon and Loire. Spain: Navarra, Bierzo, Cariñena, Rioja.

Which producer do you rate most highly?​

I rate all our producers highly. What I commend the most are producers who like to push the envelope and try to do something different.

The following do this:

Linda Domas (McLaren Vale) for making cool-climate wines without acid additions and low alcohol that do not taste like typical Aussie blockbusters;

David Levin for making great Sauvignon Blanc from an unfashionable region of the Loire;Dr Benanti for risking all and producing on the high slopes of Mt Etna; Jose Maria Martinez for making fabulous modern Rioja and forgetting about classifications like Reserva and Gran Reserva. He is a maverick and has the first bioclimatic winery in Europe; Jose Maria Fraile and Alicia Eyarlar for putting their hearts, soul and money into Tandem and making the best wines in Navarra by a mile; Marco Sartori for making unbelievable Valpolicellas that have massive power but remain elegant; Willi Sturz of Tramin for making wonderful pure wines that are in my opinion the best range of white wines in Italy. I could go on.

What do you think is the key to a good wine list?​

Think about the food you are serving first. The wines have to match the cuisine. Be prepared to go off-piste to give the customers value and more importantly some discoveries. Customers like to discover something new, but without prompting will always go for the thing they know. Put information on the list.

Pick two wines that are perfect for the Sunday roast​

La Orbe 2002, Martinez La Orden, Rioja (£8.20).

Cuchulain Shiraz 2003, Setanta, Adelaide Hills, Australia (£10.00).

And for more unusual dishes like Thai Green Curry​

Vis a Vis Viognier/Chardonnay 2005, Linda Domas/Steve Brunato, McLaren Vale, Australia (£7.50).