[Disclosure: I was invited to Vagabond Wines in Battersea, London, by East Village PR to see what it’s like ahead of the opening of the new branch in Colmore, Birmingham. I wasn’t asked to write a review]
As much as this blog focuses on Coventry and Warwickshire, you guys have always loved seeing reviews and recommendations for places in Birmingham too. It’s only a stone’s throw from Rugby and Coventry on the train, a great day or night out, and full of new wonderful places on a scale we still just don’t quite get over our way.
I don’t feature every new place on this blog but when it involves wine, I thought it would be rude of me not to share. What’s special about wine, I hear you say? There are plenty of bars in Birmingham – and in towns across Warwickshire. But the impending arrival of Vagabond Wines in Brum is pretty cool.
For starters, it’s the first branch of Vagabond outside London which cofirms what we all knew, that the true second city really is Birmingham. Also, after being whisked down to London to see Vagabond for myself ahead of its opening, I’m happy to say it is slightly different from some of the other wine bars you may have seen around. Plus, you can never have too many places to try wine, right?
Vagabond is all about the kind of wine drinking and tasting that involves self-service. We’re lucky enough to have Gallacher’s in Rugby, and I’ve tried the self-serve dispensers in plenty of other places, but Vagabond really does push the boat out, with over 100 wines available by the glass.
Better still, they’ve cottoned on to the fact that while some people know a lot about wine and can talk about grapes, bouquets, noses and tannins knowledgeably and confidently, for many of us it’s about the simple case of liking certain tastes, the odd bottle or glass that you’ve tasted before, or maybe just winging it.
With that in mind, those 100 wines aren’t sorted by country, or grape, but by taste. And no, you won’t be worrying recognising high falutin wine terms, because they keep things simple. For reds, you choose from vibrant, elegant, spicy and bold. For whites, it’s crisp, aromatic or rich. There are a few rose wines too, and orange wine for the cool kids (which isn’t me, as we all know).
Tasting notes are just as fun – the Gewurztraminer I decide to try is as much because of the pairing note that reads: “A RuPaul’s Drag Race binge-watch” as anything else.
My visit to the Battersea branch of Vagabond – also home to its very own urban winery – was a taster of what the Midlands will get to enjoy when they open the doors of their Birmingham branch in the Colmore Business District. Unlike the industrial setting of the Battersea branch, Birmingham’s Vagabond will be a nod to its new home’s history, taking up residence in a former bank, complete with private tasting room in the old vault.
Sounds swanky and old-school, but these guys are no strangers to innovation and there will be plenty to remind you that this is wine drinking for 2021 – not 1921 – including the app that allows you to order your wine using your phone, taking you through everything from tasting notes and choices to payment options.
The newest addition to the Vagabond family will offer wines from around the world – including Vagabond’s own wines that I watched being made right there in the winery (if you ever get the chance to see wine being made, take it, it’s fascinating!), as well as a choice of 10 self-poured draught beers, spirits and cocktails.
There’s food too – designed for picking as you glug wine, and if the Midlands offering is as good as my London experience, I’ll be more than happy. Great cheeses and charcuterie, freshly-baked bread, and a sharing plate of steak and fries that I can confirm goes down a treat after a few too many swigs of Rioja.
As we explore the winery, glass in hand, it’s clear from all involved in Vagabond that they want wine to be accessible to everyone – not the preserve of the privileged – and that kind of attitude will always win me over. Gone are the days of people trying to outdo one another with an expensive bottle, or impress with their knowledge of vineyards and vintages.
Perhaps that’s helped by the fact that these aren’t just people from London or the south. Vagabond’s own Managing Director Matt Fleming grew up in Birmingham and has his own love for the city.
“We’ve had our eyes on national – and international – expansion since before the pandemic, and Birmingham has always been marked as our first non-London opening,” he said. “My own love for the city aside; it has one of the best
food and drink scenes in the UK and we think Vagabond will fit in perfectly with its wine-loving residents. Plus, now my mom has somewhere to enjoy a great glass of wine!”
I get the feeling it’s not just a clever bit of PR speak. Ask the guys at Vagabond casually what makes wine great and they’ll throw words around like “drinkability”.
They agree that while people can talk about technique, grapes, methods, terroir and everything else that can be debated ad infinitum when it comes to wine, that sometimes it’s the stories behind wines that make them brilliant, whether it’s how they’re made, who’s making them, where you experienced them, or anything else that brings them to life and makes wine culture about so much more than liquid in a glass.
I ask them whether they think Birmingham’s ready for them, and their response is the best compliment us Midlanders can get – because it’s the one that recognises that we’re grounded, down-to-earth and unshackled by some of the status-driven nonsense that goes on in some cities.
“People with open minds, we’re coming for you,” one replies to me. I think we can all agree that all of us Midlanders are ready.
[Disclosure: I was invited to Vagabond Wines in Battersea, London, by East Village PR to see what it’s like ahead of the opening of the new branch in Colmore, Birmingham. I wasn’t asked to write a review]
