LIFE BY LEXUS 24


BLEND YOUR OWN


BESPOKE WINE AND WHISKY


I


t’s not unheard of for the finer bars in town to keep a personal bottle of whisky for regulars who request a little extra service. They put your


name on it – some even hang a brass plaque – which means that when you next come to the establishment, you simply request a glass of your “usual”. Wade Bales, founder, owner and CEO


of the Wade Bales Wine Society, goes one step further, facilitating the creation of a whisky, a wine or even a gin that you’ve commissioned yourself and that carries your name on its label. A connoisseur of all things in a glass,


Wade has spent many years cultivating contacts in the winelands of the Cape, as well as with independent bottlers in Scotland, where you’re most likely to secure a bespoke batch of whisky. When it comes to wine, personalised


gifts range from simply labelling an existing wine collection for the lucky recipient to buying a barrel from a particular vintage to actually commissioning, blending and being involved from the start in the creation of a wine that’s uniquely your own. Commissioning your personal barrel of wine requires you to have a plan when 300 bottles of your own vintage arrive on your doorstep! All of the above naturally require a significant investment of time – particularly when it comes to whisky. Wade says you’ll need to commit to at least half a barrel of whisky, which means you’ll be getting 150 bottles of the fine stuff when the process is over. In order to get the whisky ball


rolling, he requests a range of samples according to the recipient’s personal taste. These will be sent over from Scotland, according to the brief. Once the whisky-lover’s chosen their


flavour profile, the instructions go back to Scotland and the bottler sets about sourcing the right juice. A red wine gift takes six months or


more to be delivered, says Wade – and for whisky, this could extend to years. However, it’s a worthwhile investment for the true aficionado. As for gin, the commitment’s far less


tricky, since there’s no barrel maturation involved. All you need to do is add your favourite botanical to a batch of distilled spirit and your personal gin can be bottled immediately. Locally, Hope on Hopkins is most likely to be able to make your gin dreams come true. Tel: 021 794 2151. Visit: www.wadebaleswinesociety.co.za


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