How do you sum up Nick Plummer in one page?
Oh, he’s the Wine Guy
We know that. We’ve known that since 2013 when he started selling South African wines as abuzzWine, which was one of the very first online wine retailers to launch an app for consumers to buy South African wines around the world.
More about “the wine guy” later.
Does he have an education?
Bit of a silly question? Nick is very grateful for receiving a formal education in the UK, right up to earning himself a Bachelor’s Degree in music.
Now, although he didn’t pursue a career in music, he has continued to enjoy music in great breadth and depth, performing in a number of orchestras, bands and ensembles in the UK, which is why he is now a presenter on Africa’s only classical and jazz radio station, Fine Music Radio.
But his love of music doesn’t stop at the “classical” genre - he has a broad, "exoteric" musical taste, through a wide variety of genres, from French Chansons through Movie Scores to Dwarf Metal (it’s a real thing!).
One of his musical passions is for film music, which is evident in his weekly radio programmes.
So he’s that Radio Guy as well!
But don’t you need a “voice” for radio?
Of course, and Nick has both the voice AND face for radio. His soft Yorkshire brogue (from spending a good few years in that most wonderful part of the world) appeals to his listeners, and his flexibility with dialects and accents also serve him well in all parts of the voice artist industry. He’s also in demand as an MC these days.
So there’s probably been some stage acting as well?
Oh, yes. He’s successfully tackled three of the biggest stage roles – Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and Frank the alcoholic university lecturer in Educating Rita (perfect preparation for a career in wine? You be the judge). He recently returned to the stage in the lead role of Jack Point in Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta The Yeomen of The Guard, receiving rather nice compliments.
Just a minute… he’s from Yorkshire? In England? How did he end up in Cape Town?
It’s a long story – when you book him for your function, ask him, and he’ll tell you.
Which function are you talking about?
I was going to get to that later, as it combines the wine and the presentation / MC stuff, but while you’re asking, he’s your genial host for public and private wine tasting functions, which are anything but your “normal” wine tastings.
Go on?
Well, let’s put it this way, if you’re expecting a swirly, sniffy, slurpy, spitty and, dare I say, snobby type of wine tasting, you’ll be disappointed. Nick wants people to have fun at these events, with new and interesting wines, in an immersive and engaging evening of wine exploration and enjoyment. He often integrates his passion for music into the evening.
Follow this link for more info on wine events.
Carry on reading about the Wine Guy, it gets interesting…
The favourite part of Nick’s job is Quality Control.
Yeah, we know, getting to drink all that wine. It’s tough, but someone has to do it, right?
For a moment, let’s be serious - it is actually quite important that we know what the wines taste like, so we can recommend them. In general, Nick doesn't taste wines to appraise them, he considers the style of each wine, and will match those particular style with customer's personal tastes.
On the other hand, we need to filter out wines that may not necessarily be of good quality. Some “trendy” producers have been known to create highly desirable “exclusive” (ie outrageously expensive) wines, without actually creating an outstanding wine. Other smaller (often sub-radar) wine farms can be producing some amazing wines, but because they can’t afford to spend vast volumes on advertising and marketing, very few people get to hear about their wine.
We make sure that ALL wines are approached and tasted objectively with EQUAL regard, without fear or favour.
That way, we can, after establishing your particular preference and budget, find you something new that we know you’re going to enjoy.
Bear in mind that there are, at the latest estimate, between 8,000 and 10,000 South African wines available, and new wines and new vintages are being released all through the year. So you can be pretty sure that nobody has tasted them all, which is why every day brings something new!
So is he a “Super Taster?”
Fortunately not. Super tasters actually have an excess of tastebuds, and to them every taste is intense. This can cause certain foods (and wines) to taste especially bitter.
Nick describes his taste as “street level” – an average ability to taste, with a clear understanding of what most people enjoy.
As with his music, where he has listened to a very broad ranges of musical genres, so with wine, where he has probably tasted a broad range of many, many wines.
So do we get to meet him in person?
Because he is always discovering new wines, he is always excited about sharing them with customers and wine lovers, which is why we mentioned earlier that he hosts a number of private and public wine events.
Having recently entered into a commercial partnership with
The Wine Hive, a trendy boutique wine bar and shop in Paarl, Nick has been able to extend his operations from the online space into a physical store, with space for holding functions and wine events. He does pop into The Wine Hive from time to time, especially if there are new wines to be sampled…
What happened to abuzzWine?
Well, it's had a facelift - a re-brand, a new website, and loads more enjoyment to be had!
Nick was never really very fond of the name “abuzzWine.” We also realised that once customers had ordered through the website, they tended to contact Nick directly for future orders, because it’s sometimes nice to deal directly with a real person, especially if you have specific requirements, such as older vintages, less accessible wines, or if you want a "special" deal...
Over time, Nick has become the face and name associated with the brand, so it only seems right to put his name right up there.
Welcome to NickPlummer.wine
132 Main Road, Paarl