Port Calls Hardy Ovaisi
Levels is a gem of a place in Eastbourne that serves wine, craft beers and craft spirits whilst dishing up some delicious bites and delicious sounds, with an ever expanding collection of vinyl records on hand.
We sat down with Hardy to find our more…
When did you open Levels? Where did the idea come from?
We opened Levels in November 2018, the idea was to open a venue which would be like an “adult playground” based around wine, craft beers, craft spirits and good music. The whole place is quite interactive so you can choose and pour your own wines from our state of the art Enomatic machines (wine vending machines) and choose your own playlist from our ever expanding collection of vinyl records.
What local brands do you stock? Tell us a bit about them.
We stock wine and spirits from around 30 different local vineyards from sparkling, still whites, roses, reds, dessert wines, sparkling red wine as well as local gins, vodkas, vermouth and brandy.
Our nearest producer is Rathfinny whom we have a great relationship with, they often pop over to us to host tastings at Levels.
Rathfinny make fantastic sparkling wines, still wines and spirits and have a lovely cellar door service. We also stock locally produced cheeses & charcuterie for our platters and Sussex chocolates from Rowdy & Fancy’s.
All of our fish for our seafood platters are also sourced daily from our local fishmonger.
What is it about Sussex that has attracted and created so many great drink suppliers?
The climate and soil here is perfect for the production of sparkling wines. We sit on the same landmass as the Champagne region and with the warming of the climate we have very similar growing conditions to Champagne 10 or 15 years ago.
Our soils are also the same (chalk, clay and limestone) which are just perfect for sparkling wine. Frost can be a problem for young budding vines but we have a great set up at Plumpton College (where we were also wine educated) which is producing some fantastic talent for the local wine industry.
What’s your tipple of choice, at the moment?
Dermot Sugrue “the trouble with dreams” Sussex sparkling wine. Delicious locally made fizz that has won “best English sparkling wine” and is in Decanters top 50 wines list. It really represents what we can achieve here in Sussex with our land, climate and good winemaking practices.
What wines are currently on tap in your tasting room?
Our wines are constantly changing but currently we have:
Cradle valley, Sussex Pinot Gris
Beacondown Sussex Bacchus
Etna Bianco (white wine from mount Etna)
Cullen Amber (Orange wine for Australia)
Miraval Provence rose
Susana Balbo Signature Torrontes (from Mendoza, Argentina)
Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru, Burgundy France
Schloss Johanisberg Grunlack Riesling
Folc English Rose, Kent
Bolney Sussex Pinot Noir
Blackbook winery Pinot noir, Essex
Barbera d Asti, Michele Chiarlo
Cantenac Brown Grand cru Classe Bordeaux 2012
Tinto de la casa Malbec, Riccitelli, Mendoza Argentina
Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon, Maclaren Vale, Australia
Ollifantsberg Pinotage, South Africa
Chateau Delmond Sauternes, Bordeau France
“We are planning a series of ‘Tastings on the Terrace’ with local wine producers which is very exciting!”
What are your favourite things about living in Eastbourne?
The people- all so friendly and happy!
The location - beautiful scenery and coastline that is clean and doesn’t get too overcrowded unlike Brighton!
The weather - there’s no better place than Eastbourne when the sun is shining!
What are your must-visit recommendations for someone visiting Eastbourne and the surrounds?
Cru Restaurant for world class dry-aged steaks, seafood, an amazing wine list and small plates using local seasonal produce.
The Seven Sisters walk and Beachy Head for walks along the start of the Downs. We really are spoilt with such stunning natural scenery.
Thanks Hardy for joining us on Port Calls. Be sure to check Levels out on @levelswine
With thanks to Emma Croman for the photography.