You walk into a new restaurant. You’re seated at a table in the corner, and your server hands you the wine list. You’re faced with a selection of more than 15 wines by the glass. Do you: immediately pick a tried-and-tested old faithful, or choose a wine you’ve never tried (or even heard of)?

The truth is, most people will choose a grape variety or wine producer they know and trust. David Cope, owner of Publik Wine Bar, learnt the hard way.

“When we started out we actually had some traditional wines on the menu like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc; and then we had 40 other wines of an unusual variety. Obviously everyone ordered the ones they recognised, even if they hadn’t heard of the producer. So after the first night, we had to cut them off the list. We realised that people wouldn’t try new things if they had the traditional available. So that was the first shift; essentially, we stripped away the familiar.”

In 2013, Cope opened Publik Wine Bar in Cape Town. After travelling to Copenhagen, he drew inspiration from the intimate neighbourhood wine bars found on every street corner in Europe.

The minimalist hole-in-the-wall wine joint celebrates local, unusual wines from small independent wine producers. Their extensive wine list does feature a few familiar grape varieties, but produced in an unusual style. “It forces people to try something new, and that’s what we’re about,” says Cope.

The bar, along with sister business Publik Distribution, caters to the increasing demand for unique wines in the retail and restaurant trade. With requests from chefs and owners for wine list suggestions, Publik supplies wine to Joburg’s top sommeliers and restaurants, including Marble’s award-winning sommelier Wikus Human.

Publik’s Joburg branch, located in the middle of Rosebank’s trendiest street corner, aims to share unique finds with their customers, and build awareness about the difference between naturally produced wine and heavily manipulated commercial wine.

Winemaking involves harvesting grapes, crushing them, then leaving them to ferment. Simple as that, right? In reality, commercial wine production involves manipulation during the farming process, and even further manipulation and additives before fermentation.

Natural wine is an emerging trend in the South African wine industry among independent producers. Not only does the production involve fewer chemicals, it honours the notion that wine is created in the vineyard, not the cellar.

“You can buy a wine for R300 that is grossly manipulated, and doesn’t taste anything like where the grapes come from,” says Cope.

“The grapes come from one vineyard, but then it goes into the cellar and they add things like yeast to change the way the wine tastes after fermentation. Then they put it in wood or they add wood chips which completely manipulates the flavour profile. They might double filter it, there’s a bunch of different processes they can do to get the result they want.”

Publik is the unsung advocate for local small batch wine producers who focus on natural fermentation and minimal intervention in the cellar. The producers work with farmers to let grapes ripen naturally, with minimal interference, to harvest healthy grapes that don’t require manipulation during fermentation. Cope explains how this wine production method heroes the natural flavour of the grape. If you taste the grape in the vineyard, and then taste the wine, you can connect the matching flavour profiles.

Publik’s producers often have full-time employment at other vineyards, producing experimental wines as a side project. Winemakers like Adam Mason from Mulderbosch create a small batch label, Raised by Wolves. Jacques De Klerk from The Winery of Good Hope has his own label, Rêverie. These small batch producers can’t sell to the big retailers because they don’t have enough volume, and the style of wine is too unusual.

For decades, South Africa was known for trademark heavy reds and rich white wines. Cope notes that pinotage (contentiously labelled by some as South Africa’s signature varietal) is a love/hate grape. Pinotage is a hybrid grape of pinot noir and cinsault, both of which are quite delicate and fresh in nature; but producers often transform the grape varietal into a heavy-style pinotage.

Cinsault (the John Travolta of wine, as Cope calls it) has made a comeback as the darling of independent wine producers. Just like Travolta’s career, the popularity of cinsault has been volatile, but the varietal is back on trend. Cinsault grapes, grown for decades in South Africa, were merely used as a blending grape with other varietals. With the market moving toward fresher, lighter styles of wine, cinsault is hailed as a complex and fruity star attraction.

The trend forecast for South African wine production is promising. Consumers are embracing more styles of wine, and there is a bigger, more evolved market for unconventional wines. Cope believes that in the future, just like cinsault, there will be a revival of the traditional grape varieties.

“Everything works in cycles. I wouldn’t be surprised if the more traditional grape varieties have their day with small independent producers. We’re already seeing some pretty awesome cabernet sauvignon, and interesting versions of sauvignon blanc,” says Cope.

Alongside an ever-changing wine list, Publik serves small plates and snacks. The tiny kitchen uses high-quality ingredients to create simple dishes like charcuterie and cheese, burrata with olive oil, and white anchovies in olive oil.

“There’s a reason we’re a bar and not a restaurant. If you want to order something, you speak to someone behind the bar,” says Cope.

Heading up Publik’s Joburg branch is Jaco Smit, former sommelier at La Boqueria. Customers are encouraged to engage with and discuss the wine list with Publik’s expert bartenders.

“No one should leave here without having a wine experience, even if it’s just one glass,” says Cope. DM

Publik opened this week. 2 Bolton Road, Rosebank

Trading hours: Monday – Saturday 4pm to 11pm.

Due to the bar’s size, they don’t take reservations.