In the spotlight
Markus from a sense of Place
Markus is not one to back down from a challenge - he opened his wine shop smack in the middle of lockdown, and not only did he manage to launch successfully, but a sense of Place is quickly becoming a natural and artisan wine oasis in Haarlem. If you’re a Haarlem resident and haven’t visited yet, it’s well overdue - and if you live elsewhere it should be on your list. Read on for an introduction (and wine tips!) of a sense of Place.
Q: In 1-2 sentences, tell us about a sense of Place.
A: We're a natural wine shop + webshop with a strong focus on sustainable farming and sustainability in general. Offering a wide selection of European natural wines.
Q: What about You personally, why are you working with this? What's your story?
A: I'm the owner of the business + only staff. I've fallen in love with wine, and more specific natural wine, after working at Bar Centraal for a bit, having a best friend that's a natural wine maker and last year working in a wine shop in Brooklyn, New York. I've decided to bring those experiences together in this shop and bring Haarlem to natural wine.
Q: What is your favourite bottle in your store right now, and Why should we all buy one?
A: Envínate - Migan 2017. Because the wine is absolutely singular, one of a kind. Coming from an impossibly hard vineyard to manage, on top of a volcano on Tenerife with hundreds of years old vines. This is terroir, or a sense of place, in a bottle. This is the bottle you want for a night around a candle lit dinner table with friends that enjoy good wine as well. After a lovely meal you go and get the one truly special bottle to drink afterwards. You open it, pour it, don't tell anything and let people discover what's in their glass. You see their eyes light up and a questioning frown, then a smile. That's Envínate's Migan.
Q: From your shop right now, name some bottles that you consider to be the perfect MOOD BOOSTERS (i.e. pick me ups after a long, dark and cold winter; fun, light friendly and affordable wines).
A: Jean Foillard - Morgon Classique, because I guess it was my firs true love in natural wine and will therefore always have a special spot in my heart. Year in, year out it's the perfect example of balance and finesse in a wine. Just writing this makes me wanna open a bottle.
Envínate - Benje Tinto; a light red from Tenerife, fresh acidity and a thick smoky layer hailing from the volcanic soil. Enticing.
Lissner - Pinot Blanc 2017; because it's high energy, high acid, high minerality, unfiltered Pinot Blanc from wild Alsatian vineyards.
Markus at a Sense of Place