News / Wine
‘Easy and unpretentious’ new wine bar opens
A wine-tasting experience while working in a pub more than ten years ago was the moment that sparked a passion and career in wine that has now led Faye Buckle to open her first wine bar.
“We were all so young and disinterested”, said the 31-year-old. “But I remember looking at the importer thinking, ‘you have the coolest job in the world’. And that’s when it all started.”
Buckle went on to immerse herself in the wine industry, taking on roles as a sommelier, a cellar hand and an assistant winemaker.
is needed now More than ever
That included five years on Waiheke Island, known as New Zealand’s “island of wine”, before moving to Bristol during the pandemic to work at Avery’s.
Now, to have her own project in the form of a wine bar on Oxford Street in Totterdown, Carouse, is Buckle’s “dream come true”.
There are more than 200 wines to choose from at Carouse
What attracted Buckle to pursue a career in wine?
“The stories, the people, the hospitality,” she said. “I love the sharing and socializing, getting your mates together.”
The hope for Carouse is to be a neighbourhood spot where people cannot only pop in for half an hour to enjoy a glass of wine and nibble on some simple food, but also learn about wine.
“My main aim is that it’s a home from home place,” explained Buckle, who is originally from near Winchester but now lives in Brislington.
“But I also want to teach people about decent wine and how to be more confident about choosing wine, as I know it’s very intimidating.
“I want to make sure it’s an open, unpretentious and easy place for people to come to drink wine and buy to take home.”
Faye Buckle is bringing her experience as a sommelier, cellar hand and assistant winemaker to her new wine bar
On offer are a mixture of global natural, organic, biodynamic and conventional wines from ethical producers with “good understandings of the ecosystem”.
The aim is not to conform to a single style, with every wine being handpicked specifically to fill a gap in profile, taste, region and price point.
Buckle said: “Just everything that is a bit delicious, so hopefully there’s something for everyone.”
Wine will be served with a small, ever-changing menu of food, including bread, meats, and cheeses from Spanish importers Mevalco, as well as cheese and charcuterie producers from the South West.
Carouse is now open on Oxford Street in Totterdown, in what was most recently the Little Kitchen Cookery School
Looking to the future, Buckle said she has plans in the pipeline for events and tastings.
Carouse is open on Wednesday & Thursday from 11am-9pm, Friday & Saturday from 11am-10pm and Sunday from midday-5pm.
All photos: Betty Woolerton
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