Forget the rolling hills and quaint châteaux. Renegade Winery is doing wine their way, smack in the middle of London. No vineyards in sight, no dusty old traditions weighing them down, just a Vespa-riding winemaker named Warwick who’s ripping up the rulebook and making some of the most exciting bottles in the UK.
Not Your Average Winemaker
When Renegade kicked off in 2016, they tried playing by the rules. They asked growers how to handle the grapes, stuck to the “right” methods, and basically did everything by the book. Boring, right? They thought so too. By 2017, they decided the book wasn’t for them.
There’s no centuries-old blueprint for English wine, and Warwick figured, why not lean into that? London isn’t a city that follows trends – it makes them. So instead of imitating the French (or anyone else), Renegade went rogue. Today, they’re cranking out around 60,000 bottles a year, with styles ranging from classics-with-a-kick to wines so out there they can’t be boxed into a category.
The Art of Choosing Grapes (and Avoiding Crap)
You’d think sourcing grapes without a vineyard would be a headache, but for Warwick, it’s all part of the fun. The aim is to work with organically grown fruit, preferably hand-harvested, so they can have a say in the ripeness and acidity levels. That’s harder with UK-grown grapes, where you’re often at the mercy of the weather gods.
Sometimes, they start with an idea for a wine and hunt down the perfect fruit to match. Other times, they find a great grower and ask, What can we do with this that’s different? But make no mistake – if you’re buying grapes, you need tight quality controls. “Otherwise,” as Warwick puts it, “they could send you crap.”
Eyes on the Prize (and the Bottle)
Now, let’s talk about those bottles. No fancy cursive fonts or sketches of imaginary vineyards here. Renegade slaps real people’s eyes on their labels. These aren’t celebrities or influencers – they’re just, well, people. Teachers, plumbers, students, veterans, retirees – you name it, they’re there.
One of the most memorable faces was Josh, a veteran who lost both legs and an arm after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan. Warwick says you wouldn’t know his story just by looking at the label, but Josh, his wife, and his family are a living example of resilience, joy, and making the most of life. That’s the kind of energy Renegade wants to bottle.
The idea behind the labels is simple but profound: celebrate the UK for what it really is – diverse, unpredictable, and unapologetically human. You’ve got a shot at being on a bottle if you’re game to apply, and Warwick’s made sure the process stays as random and inclusive as possible. It’s wine, but with faces – and let’s be honest, it’s way more interesting than another picture of grapevines.
Still Wine? More Like “Chill Wine”
Warwick isn’t shy about calling out what he sees as the UK’s obsession with sparkling wines. Sure, bubbles are great, but he’s convinced the UK is sleeping on the potential for still wines. And the worst part? Small winemakers like Renegade are paying the same alcohol duty per bottle as the giants pumping out millions. “We pay the same wine duty on our first bottle of wine as Moët Hennessy does on their 20 millionth bottle.” Not exactly a level playing field.
The government gives tax breaks to small beer and cider producers – why not do the same for still wine? Until then, Warwick and his team will keep doing what they do best: proving that still wines deserve just as much love as their sparkling cousins.
Experiments, Hits, and a Little Miss
Renegade doesn’t do safe. They’re always pushing boundaries, and sometimes that means wild experiments that don’t always work out. Case in point: the time they tried to aromatise English-grown sparkling Sauvignon Blanc with bergamot. The idea? Something fresh, floral, maybe a bit of a citrusy edge. The reality? It ended up tasting like a lukewarm cup of Earl Grey.
Not bad, but also not good in the way that makes you want to crack open another bottle. “It was okay,” Warwick shrugs, “but it didn’t age in the bottle at all.” Lesson learned – not every experiment is a winner, but at least they’re having fun.
Wine That Feels Like a Good Night Out
How does Warwick want people to feel when they open a bottle of Renegade? Excited. First sip? Pleased. Then, as the bottle goes down, impressed, relaxed, and maybe just a little bit buzzy. And, ideally, already thinking about when they can open the next one – probably 30 minutes later.
Renegade’s wines aren’t just for wine geeks or people with corkscrew collections. They’re for anyone who wants a bottle with personality – the kind of wine that doesn’t need to prove anything because it already knows it’s good. Warwick’s team blends ancient techniques with modern know-how to create wines that taste as bold as they sound.
But it’s not all seriousness. This is wine with a wink – unpretentious, a bit cheeky, and made for enjoying, not analysing. It’s the kind of wine you’d open at a dinner party and spend more time talking about the label than what’s in your glass (until you taste it, of course).
The Renegade Legacy
Renegade Winery isn’t here to blend in. They’re here to shake things up, make wine their way, and have a damn good time doing it. And the best part? That attitude spills into every bottle.
Take The Rodger, for example. This isn’t your average English sparkling – it’s a deep, dark, blackcurrant-packed, fizzy-but-not-too-fizzy, slightly chaotic wonder of a wine. One sip, and it feels like a trip through a hedgerow in late summer – cherries, sloes, blackcurrants – but wrapped up in this hazy, bold, red fizz that’s somehow both elegant and unfiltered at the same time. It’s got a wild edge to it, but in a way that makes you want to take another sip just to figure out exactly what’s going on.
Made in the Col Fondo method (or as Renegade puts it, “like Champagne, but not quite the same”), Rodger doesn’t get filtered, cleaned up, or primped before hitting the bottle. He’s raw, dry, unpolished, and unapologetic. And let’s not forget the warning: Rodger stains. Drink it carefully, or wear those deep purple tannins as a badge of honour.
But the best part? The man behind the name. Roger (the human, not the bottle) is an architect in his 90s with a life story that could probably fill a novel. He’s lived all over the world, retired in Cheltenham, and now, thanks to Renegade, has his name on a wine that’s just as full of character as he is.
My Take on The Rodger
I’ll be honest – when I first poured a glass of The Rodger, I had no idea what to expect. A deep, inky, fizzy red in a clear bottle? It looked like Ribena had gone rogue. But then I took a sip, and suddenly it all made sense. Blackcurrant and cherry hit first, but not in that overly sweet way – more like biting into ripe fruit, with a sharp, tangy edge. The bubbles are there, but they disappear faster than you’d expect, making it feel less like a sparkling and more like a wild, slightly feral red with a rebellious streak.
It’s dry, a little earthy, and definitely not a background wine – this one demands attention. There’s something about the way the fruit and acidity balance that makes it dangerously drinkable, and before I knew it, I was reaching for another glass. I can see why they say Rodger stains – this is the kind of wine that lingers, in the best way possible.
Would I drink it again? Absolutely. Would I wear white while doing it? Absolutely not.
Whether you’re after a bold, unconventional wine or just want a bottle with a story (and a face) to match, Renegade’s got you covered. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check them out at renegadelondonwine.com – or better yet, grab a bottle and taste the rebellion for yourself.
