Good wine, good food, good company. We’re on a journey to bring something a little different to Carmarthen, one bottle at a time.
At The Warren, we’ve always believed that good food should tell a story. It’s about the people who grow it, the land it comes from, the seasons that shape it and the care that goes into getting it onto your plate.
But what about the wine in your glass?
Over the coming months, we’re putting just as much thought into our wine offering as we do into our food. We’re exploring exciting independent producers focussing on organic, natural & biodynamic practices, and looking for bottles that offer something genuinely special.
And, as with everything we do at The Warren, we want to do things a little differently.
A trip to London, a lot of wine, and plenty of inspiration
Recently, I headed to London with Jack for a wine event organised by our supplier Les Caves De Pyrene, and what a brilliant experience it was.
Jack and I share a real enthusiasm for discovering new wines, but we bring our own perspectives to the table. Spending time together tasting, talking and learning was a reminder of just how much there is to explore in the world of wine.
The trip itself was a proper adventure. We enjoyed wines on the train, tasted our way around the event, continued exploring in the evening and, naturally, managed to squeeze in one more cheeky glass on the journey home!
More than anything, though, it was an opportunity to meet people who are genuinely passionate about what they do. We discovered producers whose wines excited us, tasted bottles that challenged our expectations and came away with plenty of ideas about what we want to bring back to The Warren.
Of course, the best part of a trip like this isn’t simply finding wines we enjoy. It’s discovering the stories behind them.
Who’s growing the grapes? How are they farming the land? What makes their approach different? Are they challenging conventional ways of making wine? And, perhaps most importantly, do their wines bring something memorable to the table?
These are the sorts of questions we’re increasingly asking when deciding what deserves a place on our wine list.
We returned to Carmarthen with plenty of inspiration, some exciting additions to our order and a renewed enthusiasm for what we’re trying to build.
Wine with a little more thought behind it
At The Warren, we care deeply about where our ingredients come from.
We work hard to source seasonal produce, support independent growers and farmers, and put together a menu that celebrates the quality of the ingredients themselves. We believe in paying people fairly for their work and making choices that are better for the environment wherever we can.
We think wine deserves the same consideration.
We’re particularly interested in organic wines and wines made without animal-derived fining agents, meaning they’re suitable for vegans. We want to discover producers who take their responsibilities to the land seriously and who are making wines with care, character and a sense of place.
For us, this isn’t about making wine complicated or intimidating. You don’t need to know your grape varieties from your appellations, or understand every detail of the winemaking process, to enjoy a really good glass of wine.
It’s about finding wines that taste wonderful, complement our food and give you something to get excited about.
Sometimes that might be a fresh, lively white wine that works beautifully with a seasonal vegetable dish. Sometimes it’ll be a light, juicy red that’s a little different from what you’d normally choose. And sometimes it might be something unexpected that you simply have to try.
We want our wine list to offer opportunities to discover something new, whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or someone who usually just asks for a glass of red.
And we want to be able to tell you why we love the wine we’re pouring.
Bringing something different to Carmarthen
One of the things I love most about running an independent restaurant is having the freedom to follow our curiosity.
We’re not interested in putting together a wine list simply because certain bottles are familiar or easy to sell. We want to find wines that excite us, support producers we believe in and offer our customers something they might not discover elsewhere.
Carmarthen deserves that sort of choice.
There’s an incredible world of wine out there, from small family-run vineyards to innovative producers rethinking how wine is made. We want to explore that world and bring some of its most interesting discoveries back to our little corner of Wales.
And just as we do with our food, we want to keep learning.
Our wine list will evolve as we meet new producers, taste new vintages and discover new favourites. Some bottles will become firm fixtures; others will come and go with the seasons and our changing interests.
The exciting thing is that this is an ongoing journey, and we’re only getting started.
More than a wine list
There’s another idea we’d love to develop at The Warren: creating more opportunities for people to explore wine together.
Imagine discovering a new producer over a relaxed evening, tasting a few different bottles, learning a little about how they’re made and sharing some good food along the way.
Wine doesn’t have to be something reserved for special occasions or people who know all the terminology. It can be a way to bring people together, spark conversations and discover something new.
We’re interested in exploring wine events, tastings and potentially a wine club that gives people the chance to try interesting bottles, meet like-minded people and learn more about what they’re drinking.
We’d love to hear what you think. Would you be interested in informal wine tastings? Themed evenings? Opportunities to explore organic wines from different regions? Or perhaps the chance to discover a few bottles that you can take home and enjoy yourself?
This is something we’d like to develop with our customers, rather than simply decide behind closed doors.
Fancy getting involved?
As our wine offering develops, we’re also looking for the right people to help us bring these ideas to life.
We’re interested in connecting with someone who matches our enthusiasm for wine, enjoys discovering new producers and would love to help shape what we’re doing at The Warren.
Whether your experience comes from working in hospitality, selling wine, organising tastings or simply developing a real passion for discovering interesting bottles, we’d love to hear from you. Read more here....
We’re particularly interested in people who are curious, enthusiastic and keen to help create something with a little more personality than your average wine list.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us at The Warren and tell us a little about yourself, your experience and what excites you about wine.
We don’t just want someone to help us sell bottles. We want to build something together.
Come and raise a glass with us
For me, the trip to London was a lovely reminder of why I love what we do at The Warren.
It’s the opportunity to meet passionate people, discover things we didn’t know existed and bring those discoveries home to share with others.
It’s about curiosity, connection and the pleasure of finding something genuinely good.
We’re building a wine offering that reflects the same values as our food: thoughtful sourcing, quality, sustainability and a willingness to do things a little differently.
So, next time you’re visiting The Warren, have a look at the wine list, ask us what’s new or let us help you find something you haven’t tried before.
And if you’ve got a favourite independent wine producer, an organic wine you think we should know about, or an idea for a wine event you’d love to see in Carmarthen, please tell us.
We’re always happy to talk about wine.
Especially over a glass of it.
Here’s to discovering something new. Cheers!
Click here to see a video of our trip.