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AVALON VINEYARD
The Drove, East Pennard, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6UA Tel: 01749 860393, web: www.pennardorganicwines.co.uk
• You won’t find Pennard’s wine, mead or cider in a supermarket – it’s all sold from their vineyard or via local outlets. Pioneers of organic production for over 20 years, all their produce is handmade and chemical-free. They’re happy to give you a tour of the vineyard with tastings thrown. Mail-order via the website.
AVERYS OF BRISTOL
9 Culver St, Bristol, BS1 5LD Tel: 0117 921 4146
4 High St, Nailsea, North Somerset, BS48 1BT Tel: 0845 863 0995, web: www.averys.com
• One of the great names in the UK wine scene, Averys have been trading in Bristol for over 200 years and a visit to their Culver Street cellars is steeped in that heritage. In those cavernous vaults is pretty much every kind of wine you’ve heard of, from all around the world and back down the ages. Whether you’re after an aged burgundy or something a bit cheaper, staff are well-informed and helpful. Order by the bottle or case, via website or phone.
CLIFTON CELLARS
22 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4DS Tel: 0117 973 0287, web: www.cliftoncellars.co.uk
• Whilst selling wines and spirits is their business, there’s also a mission to help us understand and enjoy wine to the full here. Regular themed tastings and wine courses draw on their extensive stock to help develop the palate and widen horizons. ‘Monthly offer’ cases from £75.
CORKS OF COTHAM
54 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6JX Tel: 0117 973 1620, web: www.corksof.com
• Nearly 20 years of sourcing top-quality wines brings a fantastic stock list and a solid reputation. Founders Rachel Higgens and Dominic Harman insist on finding the best, whatever the price range, and friendly staff will always guide you to what you want, whether it’s wine, spirits or beer (they have hundreds of English Ales and foreign beers). Regular tasting sessions and themed dinners take place at Flinty Red, their sister restaurant business just down the road.
GODWIN & GODWIN
Kensington Warehouse, London Rd, Bath, BA1 6AW Tel: 01225 337081, web: www.kensingtonwinewarehouse.co.uk
• With over 400 wines in their warehouse – including bottles from 1955 onwards – their converted chapel home is delightful. All wine is hand-selected from vineyards and winemakers chosen for quality and skill, with prices from around a fiver upwards. Deliver anywhere in the UK. Check website for a full idea of their range.
NEW GRAPE & GRIND
101 Gloucester Rd, Bristol, BS7 8AT Tel: 0117 924 8718, web: www.grapeandgrind.co.uk
• New independent wine shop selling a selected range of quality wines and spirits from equally independent producers. Tea and coffee, too - hence the ‘grind’. Always happy to discuss their stock – every bottle has a story - and advise on wine matching for special meals and casual drinking alike.
GREAT WESTERN WINE COMPANY
Wine Warehouse, Wells Rd, Bath, BA2 3AP Tel: 01225 322800, web: www.greatwesternwine.co.uk
• The International Wine Challenge’s regional Wine Merchant of the Year for the past three years. A reliable source of fine stock for many local restaurants as well as the discerning public. Helpful website lets you browse by price, style and country, with new wines added all the time. Bargains to be had with their mixed-case offers.
HARVEY NICHOLS WINE SHOP
Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol, BS1 3BZ Tel: 0117 916 8898, web: www.harveynichols.com
• The boutique wine shop was no doubt one of the reasons the Ab Fabbers were so keen on Harvey Nicks, and the Bristol shop has an equally classy stock of wines, spirits and especially champagne in its second-floor department, including selections exclusive to HN.
HERITAGE WINE
Old Brewery, 61 Station Rd, Wickwar, Glos, GL12 8NB Tel: 0844 871 0040, web: www.heritagewine.co.uk
• Sophisticated online wine seller with a well-established reputation among trade and individual customers alike. You can spend hours browsing their extensive website by price, grape and country. Even the most modestly priced bottles get full tasting notes, some accompanied by ‘virtual tasting’ video clips. Deliveries come within seven working days.
MAJESTIC WINE WAREHOUSE
12 Wellsway, Bath, BA2 2AA Tel: 01225 429 285
349 Bath Rd, Arnos Vale, Bristol, BS4 3EW Tel: 0117 977 3135
Unit 10, Shield Retail Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7BR Tel: 01179 697 774
127 Westbury Rd, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3AP Tel: 0117 962 4467
68 Winchcombe St, Cheltenham, Glos, GL52 2ND Tel: 01242 237 593, web: www.majestic.co.uk
• Bringing a stock of over 800 wines to a warehouse near you, with samplings at the instore tasting counter before making your selection. See website for ever-changing specials and offers. Order 12+ bottles online and your local store will arrange free delivery.
MUMFORDS VINEYARD
Shockerwick Lane, Bannerdown Rd, Bath, BA1 7LQ Tel: 01225 858367, web: www.mumfordsvineyard.co.uk
• A small independent vineyard just outside Bath that makes white, rose and red wines on site. Visitors are always welcome – though call first – and you can buy directly from the vineyard, by mailorder or from Waitrose.
NEW Q WINES
33 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4JG Tel: 0117 973 1009, web: www.qwines.co.uk
• This discreet little shop is an Aladdin’s cave of fine wines, backed up by a full online service. Regular tutored wine tastings help you explore their range, including unusual specialist regions and vineyards. Mixed-case offers always available.
RS WINES
Parklands Rd, Bower Ashton, Bristol, BS3 2JW Tel: 0117 963 6000, web: www.rswines.co.uk
• Wine expert Raj Soni is a familiar and important face on the Bristol wine scene and beyond. His independent company seeks out wine from artisan producers using sustainable production methods, resulting in a highly individual (and ever-expanding) catalogue of distinctive wines from small-scale family vineyards from around the world. Order from the website.
TASTING ROOM
4 St Saviours Rd, Larkhall, Bath, BA1 6RT Tel: 01225 463392, web: www.tastingroom.co.uk
• Real enthusiasts about wine and whisky, using their own tasting panel of staff and experienced tasters to assess every wine for quality, value and taste. Shelves are stocked with some truly impressive (and often surprisingly reasonably priced) discoveries, produced by independent and boutique vineyards. Members club, tasting sessions (including whisky tasting) and wine courses for the enthusiastic beginner.
VINCEREMOS
74 Kirkgate, Leeds, LS2 7DJ Web: www.vinceremos.co.uk
• The first to specialise in importing organic wines and, 30 years on, still the leading specialist supplier of organic wines, spirits, cider and soft drinks, with 17 Fairtrade wines and rums to boot. Over 80% of their 300+ wines are suitable for vegans. Ever-friendly and informative staff help you choose. Deliveries (£6.95 per order) usually made within four days.
VINTAGE ROOTS
Holdshott Farm, Reading Rd, Heckfield, Hook, Hants, RG27 0JZ Tel: 0800 980 4992, web: www.vintageroots.co.uk
• Now in their 25th year of sourcing and delivering organic and Fairtrade wines, this lot have come a long way since their early days of fetching wine from France in a battered 2CV. Nowadays they’re an award-winning outfit with 400 items in stock, all accredited as organic, including beers, ciders and spirits, with everything blind-tested by regular panels to ensure quality. Check mixed-cases range for bargains or make your own selection and await delivery. |
