Wine

 

Our mission is to list wines that are cutting edge, fresh, interesting and different, and the best quality & value available in their region. Everything stems from our passion to sell quality wines.

We only source wines made by owner-managed wineries - often small family concerns, as this is where wines are made with honesty and passion, and where quality comes above commerciality.

Our wines are never brands; they are not available in supermarkets; they are not mass-produced in wine factories. They are, instead, largely artisan products, because we believe that quality derives from great terroir, attentive and caring farming methods, and selection of vineyard location, harvesting by hand, manual selection, low yields, minimal chemical intervention and observation of the natural rhythms. This creates the raw materials necessary to make great wine - at every price level.

We highlight those vineyards where sustainable or organic viticulture is practised and we now have a number of biodynamic growers in our portfolio (although quality is always our paramount reason for listing a wine)

We believe the wine world breaks down in to three broad categories:

• First there is the vast ocean of mass produced, factory farmed and made, often very formulaic wines that are sold in huge quantities by the supermarkets and wine warehouses. These are frankly none of our business!
• Secondly there are the classic wines, the renowned and famous names. Our mission here is to list wines that are best of breed, but represent good value in an often overpriced market.
• Third, and most vital, is the wide world of dynamic, up and coming wine areas. Here potential is massive, traditions and rules less restrictive and brilliant wines that punch way above their price-point are made are produced. Whether lesser known regions of Spain or France, rediscovered ancient grapes in Southern Italy, or boutique wineries from South Africa or New Zealand, this is where we really spread our wings!

We like to think that all the wines we list reflect the peculiarities and strengths of the region and that every wine justifies its place.

With limited space and very active buying (tough work, but someone has to!), our list has an element of organised chaos about it: it should reflect the way we drink and we drink with food, or with friends, or whilst listening to music, or sitting outside in the evening, and drinking wine is itself primarily a reason for having fun, not a procedure to be followed!

In pricing our wines to drink-in we add a modest, fixed corkage to our retail price, rather than the huge profit-margin that most restaurants do, making our wines exceptionally good value at all level and, we hope, encouraging customers to ‘trade up’ and try our truly stunning premium wines