Thirsty Birds: Sustainable English Wine… In A Pouch

It’s been a gloomy, tempestuous autumn so far on the UK’s south coast. The seagulls have had enough, fleeing to milder climes, and it’s starting to feel like the Blade Runner vision of the 21st century is finally coming true. But, just the other day, a surprise visitor flew through my front door to chirp me up — a pouch of English Pinot Gris from new wine collective Thirsty Birds.

Admittedly it was the first time I’d tried these sort of pouches, and initially it felt somewhat odd, squeezing wine out of a container that looks like one of those hospital blood bags (mainlining wine into your arm is not recommended, kids). But once I got the feel of the wee tap at the bottom, I was all in.

While you don’t get the satisfying pop of a cork, there is an oddly rustic pleasure to be taken from the cow-milking-style action of a pouch. And importantly, these pouches have reduced carbon footprints, stay fresher for much longer and come in bigger sizes than bottles. This one was 1.5L, so a two-bottle equivalent.

As mentioned, it’s a Pinot Gris — my favourite English wine grape. A more interesting take on the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio, the Gris always seems to have more style and substance than its Italian cousin, with a bolder, deeper fruit-flavour profile.

This one is zesty, fresh and light, with a high acidity and a hint of salinity. Which makes it perfect for (ironically, given its climate of origin) al fresco seafood on a hot summer day.

The label is cool too, and the artwork on Thirsty Birds’ small-batch wines, I’m assured, each showcases a different emerging artist. This one is by Ciotóg, who studied sculpture at St Martins College (insert Pulp reference here), and you can buy a print of it on the Thirsty Birds site.

Talking of which, the company’s co-founder, Amy, is depicted on there as a truck-loving puffin. “Puffins are hardy, committed creatures, who thrive in cold climates and shuffle about, grumbling all day. I can relate,” Amy told the Wine Ninjas.

“We decided to set up Thirsty Birds because we wanted to do wine differently, in a way that made sense — use re-usable bottles, pouches that are lightweight and keep the wine fresh for ages and kegs that are easy to transport. I wanted us to focus on still wine for now, but that’s not to say we won’t look to do a fizz in the future,” she continues.

Sounds like this project has wings. Which thirsty bird would you be?

Thirsty Birds Pinot Gris 2023
1.5L (two bottles equivalent)
12% Vol
£36

Check out Thirsty Birds’ wine at www.thirsty-birds.com