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Tim Atkin’s guide to where to buy wine

The wine market is dominated by the supermarkets in the UK, but the so-called multiple grocers don’t specialise in wines to keep. That said, they are making increasingly bold forays into the fine wine market; the likes of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Booths and Marks & Spencer all sell wines that wouldn’t look out of place in the smartest cellar. It’s especially worth looking at their on-line selections, where they tend to list small parcels.

The high street sector is having a tougher time of it at the moment because of high rents, the growing power of the supermarkets and a dwindling consumer base. Majestic (many of whose stores have parking) is the leading name in the high street, although Nicolas has some good wines too.

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If you’re serious about developing a wine collection, don’t overlook the UK’s splendid array of independent wine merchants. These companies aren’t the cheapest places to buy a bottle of £3.99 Aussie Semillon/Chardonnay, but they often specialise in a particular region or country and can provide bespoke advice. Their wine lists, too, are a very good (and usually free) source of information.

Most independents sell by the case, rather than the bottle, though the majority allow you to mix and match. Make sure you enquire about delivery charges and, if you’re buying en primeur, about duty, VAT and insurance.

What follows is a personal selection of the best independents. Wherever you are buying it, remember www.winesearcher.com is a very good price comparison website.

Buy your wine and store it in a wine room from Spiral Cellars.

Good general merchants

Adnams

www.adnams.co.uk

Avery’s

www.averys.com

Berry Brothers & Rudd

www.bbr.com

Corney & Barrow

www.corneyandbarrow.com

D Byrne & Co

www.dbyrne-finewines.co.uk

Handford Fine Wine

www.handford.net

H&H Bancroft

www.bancroftwines.com

Hedonism Wines

www.hedonism.co.uk

John Armit Wines

www.armit.co.uk

Justerini & Brook

www.justerinis.com

Jeroboams

www.jeroboams.co.uk

Lay & Wheeler

www.laywheeler.com

Lea & Sandeman

www.londonfinewine.co.uk

Philglas & Swiggot

www.philglas-swiggot.com

Private Cellar

www.privatecellar.co.uk

Quintessentially Wine

www.quintessentiallywine.com

Raeburn Fine Wine

www.raeburnfinewines.com

Tanners

www.tanners-wines.co.uk

Taurus Wine

www.tauruswines.co.uk

The Wine Society

www.thewinesociety.com

Specialist merchants

Bordeaux Index (fine and rare wines)

www.bordeauxindex.com

Enotria (Italy)

www.enotria.co.uk

Farr Vintners (fine and rare wines)

www.farrvintners.co.uk

Fine & Rare

www.frw.co.uk

Gauntleys of Nottingham (Rhône, Alsace)

www.gauntley-wine.co.uk

Les Caves de Pyrène (France)

www.lescaves.co.uk

Haynes Hanson & Clark (Burgundy)

www.hhandc.co.uk

Howard Ripley (Burgundy and Germany)

www.howardripley.com

John E Fells (Port and Madeira)

www.fells.co.uk

Montrachet Fine Wines (Bordeaux and Burgundy)

www.montrachetwine.com

Moreno Wines (Spain)

www.morenowinedirect.com

The New Zealand House of Wine

www.nzhouseofwine.com

Noel Young Wines (Austria and Australia)

www.nywines.co.uk

OW Loeb (Rhône, Germany and Burgundy)

www.owloeb.com

Oz Wines

www.ozwines.co.uk

SA Wines Online (South Africa)

www.sawinesonline.co.uk

Stone, Vine and Sun (Rhône, Languedoc, South Africa)

www.stonevine.co.uk

Swig (South Africa)

www.swig.co.uk

Valvona & Crolla (Italy) 0131 556 6066

www.valvonacrolla.co.uk

Vine Trail (Small French domains)

www.vinetrail.co.uk

Yapp (Rhône and Loire)

www.yapp.co.uk

Get in touch

Office

Spiral Cellars Ltd,
The Studio at
7 Devas Road,
Wimbledon,
SW20 8PD

Telephone

020 3815 3329