"I've never been a great believer in magic."
Sat in the midst of a rainy London, Patrick Johnston joined me for a deeply personal conversation about his journey into wine, the philosophy behind Si tu Sais and what continues to drive him as a winemaker.
Thoughtful, analytical and quietly philosophical, Patrick speaks candidly about leaving a successful career in M&A, the curiosity that first drew him towards wine, and why he believes some of Burgundy's greatest wines are those that remain ever so slightly imperfect.
Far from a discussion solely about vineyards and vintages, our conversation explored the relationship between science and intuition, the realities of building a wine business in Burgundy and the importance of creating something that feels genuinely personal.
As we settled into conversation, I couldn't help but reflect on my own journey into the wine industry. Patrick laughed when I mentioned leaving a corporate career behind.
"We all think we're special for leaving our corporate jobs to enter the world of wine," he said, smiling. "But there are so many of us who have done it!."
It was immediately clear that this would be an interview about far more than wine alone...
WS: To begin, perhaps you could tell us a little about your background. You moved from Canada to London. What was life like before wine?
PJ: I came to London to study at the London School of Economics, fully intending to become a banker. I went into M&A and spent six or seven years in the industry.
The problem wasn't the intensity, I enjoyed that. The realisation came when I looked ahead and realised I didn't want to become my boss.
Around the same time, we started buying wine En Primeur and got to know several producers through merchants in London. One of them invited me to help during harvest. I was already planning to leave finance, so I thought, why not?
That was really how it started.
WS: Working in wine wasn't the plan?
PJ: Not at all.
I had ideas about travel technology and other industries. I even interviewed with British Airways at one point and quickly realised it wasn't for me.
The common thread was that I knew I didn't want to continue doing what I was doing.
WS: And then Burgundy took hold?
PJ: Gradually.
I started doing freelance consulting work, which gave me the flexibility to return to Burgundy for bottling and harvest. The more time I spent there, the more relationships I built and the more invested I became.
By 2020, despite all the complications caused by COVID, we'd spent several years returning to Burgundy. That's when things started to become more serious.
WS: Was it difficult establishing yourself in Burgundy as an outsider?
PJ: Not as difficult as people might imagine.
I already had several years of relationships behind me, which helped enormously. The administration was manageable; the real challenge was sourcing fruit.
That process is built almost entirely on trust, goodwill and long-term relationships.
WS: So it's ultimately a relationship business?
PJ: Absolutely.
There may be contracts involved, but fundamentally it's about trust. If growers consistently supplied poor fruit, it wouldn't be in anybody's long-term interest.
The relationship only works if both sides benefit.
WS: In our initial conversation, you mentioned the science of flavour. Do you consider yourself a scientist?
PJ: Not really.
What interests me is the idea that things should be understandable. I've never been a great believer in magic.
Wine is ultimately a solution in a glass - mostly water, alcohol, acids and a surprisingly small number of powerful flavour compounds.
I became fascinated by the idea that flavour could be understood more objectively, rather than simply reduced to star ratings and vague comments.
That curiosity eventually led me to the WSET Diploma.
WS: So your interest in wine wasn't purely romantic?
PJ: Definitely not.
I've always believed that if you don't understand something, it's usually because you haven't yet put in the work required to understand it.
Initially, I assumed wine could be fully understood if you studied it hard enough. What's interesting is that I've almost come out the other side of that view.
Today, I think wine is far more complicated than that. Bottle variation exists. Storage conditions vary. Wines travel differently.
By the time somebody opens a bottle years later, countless variables have influenced that experience.
WS: It sounds as though you're comfortable with imperfections in wine.
PJ: Actually, yes.
One of the reasons I love Burgundy is that there's almost always something slightly imperfect about the wines.
People are willing to let the wines be what they are. You're working with a specific place and a specific vintage, rather than trying to force everything into a predefined style.
The result may not be perfect, but that's often what makes it interesting.
WS: What does the name Si tu Sais mean to you?
PJ: It's open to interpretation.
Part of it comes from the fact that we're very small. Almost everybody who encounters the wines will either know me, know my wife, or know somebody who knows us.
But it's also connected to Burgundy itself.
Burgundy can be opaque. It takes effort to understand - the appellations, the producers, the vineyards. But that's part of the reward.
If you invest the time, you gain access to something incredibly rich and nuanced.
WS: When you founded Si tu Sais, were you trying to fill a gap in the market?
PJ: No.
It was never really about identifying a commercial opportunity.
It was much more about artistic expression. We wanted to make wines that reflected our own ideas and our own perspective.
WS: The wines feel deeply personal. Does that extend to the labels?
PJ: Very much so.
The photographs are ours. The label design is ours. Even the logo came from my wife.
Everything about the project is deeply personal.
There isn't a branding agency behind it or a marketing team creating an identity. The identity is genuinely us.
WS: Finally, what does success look like for Si tu Sais?
PJ: For me, success is about precision rather than growth.
We're working at a scale where we can prioritise quality over efficiency. We're not trying to become significantly larger.
What I'd really like is to continue making better wines, continue refining what we're doing, and continue sharing those wines with people who genuinely care about them.
If we can keep doing that, I'd consider it a success.
As our conversation drew to a close, one thing became abundantly clear: Si tu Sais is not a project driven by scale, growth or commercial ambition.
Instead, it is a deeply personal expression of place, curiosity and craftsmanship.
Whether discussing the science of flavour, the imperfections that make Burgundy so compelling, or the skies that inspired the labels, Patrick returned time and again to the same theme: authenticity.
In an increasingly crowded world of wine, Si tu Sais feels refreshingly honest. A domaine built not to chase trends, but to explore ideas.
If success can be measured by the depth of connection between producer, wine and drinker, then Patrick Johnston is already well on his way.
