Renais, the gin brand from Alex and Emma Watson has announced its launch in the UK this summer, promising to bring an elegant taste of the Chablis wine region to the UK in time for the spring and summer months.
Renais has announced its launch in the UK this summer, promising to bring an elegant taste of the Chablis wine region to the UK in time for the spring and summer months. Renais is a distinctive and luxurious modern gin inspired by the people, produce and provenance of Chablis and Burgundy, two iconic wine regions in the north of France. It is made with a base spirit crafted from grapes salvaged from the winemaking process, with the addition of pressed Grand Cru grapes, local terroir and a selection of natural botanicals.
Renais is the product of two generations of the Watson family and their passion for winemaking in Chablis. Founders Alex Watson and his sister Emma Watson were inspired by childhood trips to their family’s vineyard, Domaine Watson, in Chablis, which their father has operated for more than 30 years; while Alex’s expertise, formed over a decade working in the drinks industry, has informed the product’s production process.
The result is a bold and vibrant spirit with a truly incredible story and flavour profile, combining modernity and heritage in a beautiful bottle. Made to be sipped over ice as well as mixing in cocktails, Renais suits stirred-down classics such as the martini, as well as long and refreshing spritzes and of course a G&T; it’s an exciting new addition to any spirits collection.
Renais’ unique production process begins with the sourcing and distillation of upcycled French pressed wine grape skins and lees, including some from Domaine Watson itself, which are by-products from the winemaking process. Distilled in small batches for quality, the neat spirit is combined with Kimmeridgian stone distillate – the ‘terroir’ of Chablis – to impart the minerality the region is famed for.
Next, it is elevated with highly prized, pressed organic grapes sourced from Chablis’ finest Grand Cru vineyards, which are hand-picked due to the steepness of the slopes, and other all natural botanicals including linden flowers, cubeb berries and acacia honey. The result is a gin with a refreshing, contemporary palate and with bright tasting notes of Chablis minerality, fresh citrus, white grape, garden herbs, flowers and juniper.
Alex:
“I wanted to do something that no-one had ever done: to capture the essence of a specific terroir, the uniqueness of Chablis, by drawing on the traditions, techniques and ingredients from the land, and embodying those characteristics in a gin. Renais is our family’s love letter to Chablis, taking inspiration from the heritage of the region but combining it with an innovative and forward-thinking, yet sustainable approach to spirit making.”
The Watson family has a rich history of winemaking. Alex and Emma’s father, Chris Watson, planted the Domaine Watson vineyards over 30 years ago after falling in love with the region whilst working as a barrister in Paris. What started as a small plot quickly grew, and in 2002 Domaine Watson won a Medaille d’Argent for second best independent grower of Chablis.
Shortly after, Chris was appointed as one of the ‘piliers’ of Chablis and the region’s ambassador to the UK. It is this heritage and passion along with childhood memories of summers spent working on the vineyard, which inspired Alex and Emma to create Renais.
The brand’s name is derived from the word ‘Renaissance’ in French, and is a nod to the family’s close-knit bond, the use of salvaged grape skins given a second life in Renais’ gin, and the way the family’s vineyard and its operations has informed both the flavour and identity of the Renais brand.
Emma comments,
“To me, Renais is a family project – not only does the Chablis region evoke very special memories of growing up, I’ve loved having the opportunity to create something with my brother Alex. I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards (including my dad’s) to reduce waste and create something new, being one of the only gins on the market using mushroom packaging, and our carbon neutral product status. We will continue to challenge ourselves as much as possible here because this is such a passion of mine.”
Renais is launching with a commitment to caring for the land to which it owes so much. Sustainable initiatives in the production process range from the repurposing of grape skins as the base ingredient through to solar-powered stills at the distillery, and the use of biodegradable mushroom packaging from the Magical Mushroom Company. Each element has been mindfully implemented to minimise Renais’ environmental impact and the remainder of carbon emissions are offset through the support of wind farm initiatives in India via Climate Partner, which has certified Renais as a carbon neutral product after evaluating every step of its production process.
Renais will launch an exclusive special release in May with only 3,000-4,000 bottles available. The subsequent batch will then be released in June (£45, 70cl, 40% ABV). Available directly from www.renais.co.uk. For those wishing to try it in an expertly made cocktail, Renais will be available from Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London from June. On-trade sales enquiries should contact Oliver Williams: oliver@renais.co.uk.
Presented in a beautiful bottle evocative of luxury perfume brands, with subtle touches of gold, it makes an elegant addition to any back bar. Cocktail suggestions include:
Renais G&T
50ml Renais Gin | 100ml chilled Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic | Lemon peel & a skewered grape to garnish
Fill a large wine glass to the brim with ice, add all ingredients and give a gentle stir with a long spoon to incorporate the ingredients but not kill the bubbles, garnish with the lemon peel and skewered grape.
The Emma
30ml Renais Gin | 10ml Chablis | 20ml Elderflower Syrup | 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice | 2 dashes Suze Gentian Liqueur | 80ml Soda Water
Fill a large wine glass to the brim with ice. Add all ingredients and give a gentle stir with a long spoon to incorporate all ingredients but not to kill the bubbles.
Grand Cru Negroni
40ml Renais Gin | 30ml Lillet Rose | 10ml Suze Gentian Liqueur
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, fill to the brim with ice, stir with the end of a spoon for 20 seconds to chill and dilute, pour over a large block of ice.
Terroir Martini
60ml Renais Gin, 15ml Chablis | 2 Dashes Lemon Bitters
Place glass in the freezer, add all ingredients into a mixing glass, fill to the brim with ice, sir with the end of a spoon for 20 seconds to chill and dilute, remove glass from the freezer and strain cocktail into it.
Le Bee’s Knees
50ml Renais Gin | 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice | 20ml Acacia Honey Syrup | 5ml Fino Sherry
Add all ingredients into your cocktail shaker, fill to the brim with large chunks of clear quality ice. Shake as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupette glass.
Renais will launch an exclusive special release in May with only 3,000-4,000 bottles available. The subsequent batch will then be released in June (£45, 70cl, 40% ABV). Available directly from www.renais.co.uk.
@renaisspirits
About Alex Watson
Alex Watson was born in Paris, France, and along with his sister Emma, saw much of his upbringing centered around family trips to France, where his father had planted a family vineyard in Chablis – Domaine Watson – after falling in love with the region. Despite being encouraged into law following university, Alex always felt an affinity for the hospitality industry.
After spending time working at the winery in Chablis he realised a career in the drinks industry was his calling. Spending just under a decade working with luxury spirit brands he was drawn most to those which were founded on community and heritage.
Missing the personal relationship with terroir and the people who go into producing drinks, he was inspired to work alongside his father Chris and sister Emma to create Renais.
A luxury spirit which takes inspiration from the heritage and traditions of its region, combining them with an innovative and forward-thinking yet sustainable approach to spirit making. The result is Renais, his family’s love letter to Chablis.
About Domaine Watson
Domaine Watson comprises a handful of small, family-owned vineyards nestled closely together in the rolling limestone upland hills of Chablis and Irancy. The vineyard is steeped in more than 30 years of tradition and family passion, each one carefully planted to his own plan by Chris Watson during the 1990s. Domaine Watson’s wines completely embody the values and traditions of the land from which they have emerged, the crisp and mineral yet powerful Chablis to the aromatic, earthy, perfumed and distinctive Irancy. https://domainewatson.com/
