Offbeat Wines

Description

Offbeat Wines began in 2018 as a creative outlet for Daniel Ham whilst heading up winemaking at Langham Wine Estate in Dorset, but has since grown into a full-time family operation. Since 2020, Daniel and his wife Nicola have made the wines in their own cellar, a converted barn at Botley's Farm, just outside Salisbury. Recent vintages have been bottled under the name Daniel & Nicola Ham. Both marine biologists, Daniel was bitten by the winemaking bug in New Zealand whilst living there during Nicola's PhD. After gaining experience in Central Otago, they returned to the UK in 2011. Whilst studying viticulture and oenology at Plumpton College, Daniel worked at Ridgeview, progressing from bottle stacker to winemaker over four years. A move to Langham in 2015 saw his winemaking shift from conventional to a low input/natural style, eventually leading to the Offbeat project and a commitment to environmentally conscious farming and zero input wines. Nicola has transitioned gradually into a full-time role in the winery, drawn to something more creative and in tune with the natural world. After early experiments going against the conventional English style (hence, Offbeat), wines are now made with patience, allowing the fruit to dictate the best style. For the whites, extended élévage is balanced by an equal period in bottle before release. Reds are bottled earlier to retain freshness. Reduction, oxidation, volatile acidity and flor are viewed as useful components for crafting complex, age-worthy wines. Blends are often multi-vintage, working with the variability of a marginal climate. Alongside their own label, they provide contract winemaking for a select few small-scale organic and biodynamic growers.

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