Tim Atkin is an award-winning wine writer and Master of Wine with 35 years’ experience. He writes for a number of publications, including Harpers, Decanter, The World of Fine Wine, Gourmet Traveller Wine and The Drinks Business and is one of the Three Wine Men. Tim is a co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge, the world’s most rigorously judged blind tasting competition, and has won over 30 awards for his journalism and photography. So far, he don’t have a red nose to show for it……
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.
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
Avery’s
Berry Brothers & Rudd
Corney & Barrow
D Byrne & Co
Handford Fine Wine
H&H Bancroft
Hedonism Wines
John Armit Wines
Justerini & Brook
Jeroboams
Lay & Wheeler
Lea & Sandeman
Philglas & Swiggot
Private Cellar
Quintessentially Wine
Raeburn Fine Wine
Tanners
Taurus Wine
The Wine Society
Specialist merchants
Bordeaux Index (fine and rare wines)
Enotria (Italy)
Farr Vintners (fine and rare wines)
Fine & Rare
Gauntleys of Nottingham (Rhône, Alsace)
Les Caves de Pyrène (France)
Haynes Hanson & Clark (Burgundy)
Howard Ripley (Burgundy and Germany)
John E Fells (Port and Madeira)
Montrachet Fine Wines (Bordeaux and Burgundy)
Moreno Wines (Spain)
The New Zealand House of Wine
Noel Young Wines (Austria and Australia)
OW Loeb (Rhône, Germany and Burgundy)
Oz Wines
SA Wines Online (South Africa)
Stone, Vine and Sun (Rhône, Languedoc, South Africa)
Swig (South Africa)
Valvona & Crolla (Italy) 0131 556 6066
Vine Trail (Small French domains)
Yapp (Rhône and Loire)
