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The InStitchu x Good Pair Days Wine Academy Mini Series Part 1: Wine Basics With Sommelier Banjo Harris Plane

11 September, 2021

Sommelier, Banjo Harris Plane recently dropped by our Adelaide Showroom and while he was there, he talked us through the world of wine step by step.  We also chatted about his business that he Co-Founded in 2014, Good Pair Days—a custom wine subscription service that caters to your tastebuds. Allow Banjo to break down some of the basics about wine and help get you from struggling sniffer to master sommelier in the space of four short articles (and a couple of bottles of vino, to help demonstrate the lessons, of course). Join us on our four-part series, The InStitchu x Good Pair Days Wine Academy.

Tell us about yourselves. What’s your background? How did you land on Good Pair Days as a business idea?

There are three Co-Founders of the business - myself, with a background in wine and hospitality, Tom has a finance and banking background, and Humberto is our technical founder and is a computer expert.

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Tell us about Good Pair Days. What’s the business about? What makes you guys different to other wine subscription services?

We’re a modern, digital wine business, committed to unlocking the world of wine for everyone, from newbie to aficionado. We remove the jargon and talk about wine in a fun and easy to understand way. We also happen to have the world’s best wine recommendation system, offering amazing wines from around the world, direct to your door. 

If you had to give our readers one tip on how to buy better wine, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid of what’s new! Shiraz (for example) comes in so many guises, you’re not going to love them all. But if you are happy to try a different grape from a different region, you could find your new favourite.

Give us the inside scoop on what’s out there at the moment… Is there a particular brand, region or varietal you think is having a moment?

Everyone is still loving rosé. Also, medium-bodied reds like Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Nero d'Avola and Grenache are all big.

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How is the wine market changing? Are people drinking different types, are they more educated?  Australia is producing more styles of wine from different grape varieties, and the availability of different imported wines has never been stronger, so yes, people are definitely drinking more widely. Australia is constantly uncovering more facets of its vinous identity, and that leads to more variation for drinkers, which is fantastic. 

Has COVID-19 affected this? What have been the changes in the last year?

I don’t think Covid-19 has affected people’s drinking preferences, perhaps the volume they drink?! :)

Talk to us about your sense of style. How do you dress each day? How does that fit with your job?

Tom is definitely the most stylish! Beto has a unique South American vibe and I go for an understated, relaxed look. We’re a low key company, and this is reflected across the team and our sense of style. Everyone expresses themselves individually and that's what's special about InStitchu.

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Stay tuned for more—we’ve tapped Banjo and the Good Pair Days team for some tips on navigating the sometimes difficult world of wine, as a four-part series, this being the first part. Banjo will cover how to taste wine, how to cellar wine and other basics—the series is a laid back education how-to for novices and seasoned drinkers alike. If you don’t have any vino handy, it might be worth putting an order in - who wants to learn about wine unless you’ve got a glass in your hand, right?

Banjo chose a paired back casual tailoring look, designing a pair of custom, tailored olive chinos paired with a navy check blazer and custom, tailored white shirt. Make an appointment with a Stylist at one of our showrooms or start designing online today.

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