We like Rascallion wines, because they talk our talk. For owners Ross Sleet and the Kretzmar family, the goal is to change the conversation and do something different with wine. And we’re 100% for this. After all, wine should never be scary or unapproachable. So when we met with Ross and his wine consultant wife Jan a week ago, we were happy to sip a little and chat a little about the newest kid on the wine block, Rascallion.
What’s in a name you ask? Jan laughs, explaining that Ross has always been the rascal in town. And with names like Bombinate and Susurrous, there’s a lot of tongue-twisters served alongside your dose of tongue-in-cheek. But while the fledgling brand tweaks at sensibilities with a bear riding a bicycle as the logo and sesquipedalian words as names (yes, we picked sesquipedalian on purpose, haaa!), the wine is definitely not a joke.
All the wines are blends. Ross explains:
“Blends give you flexibility. We want the wines to go well both by the glass as well as with food. You want people to want that next glass, and to do that, you need to offer good acidity, bright fruit that stands out, attractive aromatics and a clean, smooth finish.”
Rascallion offers two ranges – a lifestyle range under R100, and a premium range priced at about R240. The lifestyle range has vinyl-inspired labels called RPM, while the premium range is all about the ‘word collection’. With fun names like Aquiver, the idea is to get people talking. Our favourite was the Susurrous – a beautifully wooded Chenin Blanc, showing what can be done with this style. SO good.
Keep your mind open. Keep your dictionary close by. Change the conversation.
