TASTING NOTES MIXTAPE 7 by Ed

This month, Tasting Notes is taking a dark turn as we dive into the musical tastes of Ed Fenwick.

We first got to know Ed when he came into Highbury Library after an Arsenal game and ended up doing shots of tequila with Gunners legend Ray Parlour. He's a huge Arsenal fan and runs the 1886 unofficial merch label and Poison Lasagna fanzine with childhood friend Max. He also regularly guests on the Goblin Milk show on NTS radio. 

His Dad has been a dedicated wine collector for a long time so Ed has always been lucky enough to drink good stuff but during the Covid lockdown he began exploring the world of natural wine having been introduced by his friend Louis and trips to Highbury Library. It was during this time that he realised wine didn't have to be stuffy and pretentious and instead could be experienced through a different lens.

We picked a bottle of Bodega La Senda's Har Megiddo 2019 as we thought it accurately represents Ed's taste in music. He grew up listening to Nu-Metal icons Limp Bizkit and Korn before progressing onto heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden that focussed more on imagery and fantasy. By the time he was 15, he and Max were frequenting All Ages Records in Camden and buying whatever Screamo or Hardcore records that the owner suggested. It became about getting into heavier and darker music all the time which appealed to Ed as it was a taste that had to be acquired. He saw these new genres as things you had to teach yourself to like and was happy that they weren't for everyone. When he was explaining this, it made me realise this is exactly what wine is for a lot of drinkers. There are so many styles and 'genres' to explore, and you can choose your own path to experience them all. 

This bottle of orange wine we have selected is certainly the deeper end of the skin contact 'genre' (130 days maceration!) and pairs perfectly with the soundscape of doom that Ed has put together. Both the wine and the music are not for everyone but I know how much the winemaker Diego will enjoy listening. Like Ed says, sometimes you want something easy, sometimes you want something challenging!

Happy listening, happy drinking!