Tasting & Events with Tanners

With award-winning wines from all around the world, knowledgeable staff and a focus on making the subject of wine fun, there are few better places than Tanners to taste and learn about wine.

Join in our busy programme of tastings or host your own event, whatever the occasion. While Tanners’ extensive premises on Shrewsbury’s Wyle Cop is our main venue, there are the branches too or a tasting can be held at your own venue, depending on distance.

Whether it’s a family celebration, a group of like-minded friends or a work event – maybe team building or a product launch – speak to our experienced Events Manager to tailor-make your own event.

France

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Tanners Wines Ltd

Agiorgitiko

Also known as ‘Saint George’ and pronounced Ah-yohr-YEE-tee-koh, this Greek red grape makes decent, savoury, almost beefy reds that work well with meaty Grecian dishes. The variety can age well, have a quite complex, spicy side to it, as well as making light, frivolous rosés. You’ll find it mostly in the Nemea region.

Favorita

Favorita is a white grape variety native to Piedmont in northwestern Italy. It is probably related to Vermentino if not a synonym, and you’ll come across it in the Roero hills near Alba. Favorita makes wines typically dry and light-bodied, with citrus, green apple, and almond flavours, often accompanied by a slightly salty, mineral edge. It’s commonly found in tavernas as a fresh and unoaked wine, preserving its crisp, aromatic profile. High quality, try it with all sorts of Italian dishes, it may well surprise you!

Pecorino

United States En Primeur

Bordeaux

This has always been a region of extremes between the haves and have nots, something which shows no sign of changing. While the very top wines continue to demand and achieve top prices those at the bottom of the pecking order are struggling even to sell all they produce of small vintages and are looking for help to sell their wines or to grub up vines.

In between these two extremes there is plenty of good quality, good value wine to be had. There has also been a noticeable change in winemaking styles over the past few years as many of the very late-harvested, heavily extracted and oaked wines are giving way to what we see as more balanced, fresher styles with a more restrained use of oak.

Dry white Bordeaux – made predominantly from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc – is somewhat overlooked but in Pessac-Léognan and Graves, there are oak-aged wines of great complexity. The glorious, sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac are the result of tiny yields, a lot of work in the vineyard and a reliance on nature so it can be very difficult for producers with the declining market for sweet wines. Many are looking at producing increasing amounts of dry whites.

All Wines

Tanners has one of the largest ranges of wines from the classic regions as well as from all over the world.

We work extremely hard to ensure that every wine fully justifies its place, from careful selection in the producer’s cellars to regular tasting of the wines we have in stock. The choice is large but you can be confident that you will enjoy any wine you order from Tanners, the wonderful thing about this website is that it enables you to narrow your choice according to your tastes and preferences for different regions and grape varieties. Happy exploring!

White Wines

Explore Tanners' Extensive Range of White Wines. 

Discover Tanners' diverse collection of white wines. Our extensive selection features whites celebrated for their lovely aromatics, vibrant fruit flavours, subtle minerality, and a delicate touch of oak. Whether you prefer the crispness of French Chardonnays, the refreshing acidity of German Rieslings, or the aromatic profiles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, Tanners offers a wide array to satisfy every palate. Explore our curated white wine selection and elevate your wine experience today.

Red Wines

Discover Tanners' Extensive Range of Red Wines - From Classic French Regions to the rest of Europe and beyond.

Explore Tanners' wide selection of red wines, featuring offerings from the classic regions of France and beyond. Whether you're drawn to the elegance of Bordeaux, the richness of Italian varietals, or finding New World flavours. Tanners provides a diverse array to satisfy every wine enthusiast. Explore our curated red wine selection and find the perfect bottle for your next occasion.

Rosé Wines

From the vineyards of Provence through the rest of France and Europe to Chile, explore Tanners’ large range of rosé wines. You will find fashionably pale colours, attractive aromatics, gorgeous red berry fruit and dry wines aplenty.

Sweet Wines

From the cooler, mistier pockets of Sauternes and the Loire where noble rot is key, to the hotter Muscat vineyards of the Mediterranean and Australia, Tanners has a burgeoning range of sweet wines. You will find intense flavours, mellifluous textures and proper, but never cloying, sweetness.

Port

There has never been a better time to polish up the decanter; Port is on a roll following the rare back-to-back vintage declarations of 2016 and 2017 and a succession of great wines since. Some shippers declared 2018 or 2019, many 2020 too, while there have been Single Quinta releases which we still rate very highly as well. All Ports come from the Douro region in northern Portugal with its spectacular main valley which has huge hillsides of cascading terraces of vines. Grape growing is organised into quintas, or farms, some of which are famous in their own right such as Quinta de Vargellas belonging to Taylor’s and Quinta dos Malvedos owned by Graham’s. Much production still lies in the hands of independent grape growers.

The greatest development in quality in the last decade or so has been the change of attitude to viticulture, with the city-based Port shippers (based in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto on the coast) taking a much greater interest in how the vines are managed, whether in their own vineyards or under contract. And quite a jigsaw it is with the Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Tinto Cão grape varieties all having their own particularities – and those are just the main black ones. The second biggest change has been the replication of foot treading by similarly soft pressing techniques of colour, flavour and tannin extraction as opposed to the almost exclusive use of the autovinification tanks that largely replaced foot treading in the 1960s and 1970s. A further development has been the interest in using a better quality of spirit to fortify the young Port. These days it is quite normal to go to Bordeaux to select fine French spirit, whereas back in the eighties, by law, they had to use rough old stuff from down by Lisbon!

The different styles of Port can be confusing, but we attempt to explain them below with classic Vintage Port being at the pinnacle which, with Single Quinta Vintages, Crusted, LBV and Ruby, make up Ports on the darker, fruitier side whereas Tawny and Colheita Ports belong to the paler, more figgy flavoured camp. Each house, or shipper, has preferences for different styles, sometimes according to their origins be it Portuguese, Dutch or British. The British presence in these parts dates from the 17th century and greatly benefited from trade wars with the French and the signing of the 1703 Methuen Treaty which gave preferential treatment to Portuguese wines. Many of the British named brands persist though few remain in the hands of the original founding families.

Sherry

Very recognisable yet very poorly understood, Sherry only comes from Andalucia, in Southern Spain, and in particular from the vineyards around the three towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. The word ‘sherry’ is derived from the name ‘Jerez’. It’s baking hot here in summer, the buildings are mostly painted white, and the traditional Andaluz culture persists which often involves ferias (fairs), horses and, of course, plenty of sherry. The first thing to note about styles of sherry is that well over half of the annual production, and nearly all drunk in Spain, is dry. Think of the bars that line the streets of Seville and Jerez, and you’ll find bone-dry Manzanillas and Finos partnering all sorts of delicious tapas. Nutty Amontillados and Olorosos with wonderful depth and presence are equally impressive. Then there is the depth and complexity of wines aged for many years, and a more-ish quality that makes you want another glass! Keep an eye out for our ‘special releases’ during the year, including En Rama styles and other small parcels of rare sherry.

Other Fortifieds

There is so much history with fortified wines and in some ways they are an anachronism, dating from days when wine really didn’t travel well and spirit was added to kill any vinegar-producing bacteria. The British, surprise, surprise, were instrumental in setting up a string of fortified wine producing areas conveniently placed for re-supply, such as Madeira on the way over to the Americas or Marsala where Nelson’s fleet was victualed in 1798. By and large these wines are sweet with the spirit stopping the fermentation before the natural sugar has been used up. This makes their consumption more of a challenge in these days of drier tastes. Whenever we show them at tastings however, customers rave about them and delight in suggesting food pairings or recipes that their addition would improve. We suggest just pouring glasses and handing them out, no questions asked!

South of France

A catch-all heading, South of France covers a huge variety of regions and styles from well-known favourites such as Provence rosé and Picpoul to lesser names, virtually unheard of outside of their locality.

International varietals are produced by big companies and co-operatives while small producers experiment with amphorae and local grape varieties. The number of organic producers is also on the increase, particularly on the drier Mediterranean side.

Crisp dry white wines are abundant in Gascony and the South-West, some using grapes once destined for Armagnac. The whites of Languedoc-Roussillon, in contrast, tend to be bigger and gentler with Mediterranean and Rhône white grapes vying with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for space. Within the Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet is de rigueur for delivering pure summer pleasure whilst the whites from the cooler climate of Limoux are more serious, Burgundian even, while those from Collioure on the Roussillon coast and further inland have great minerality. The pale rosé wines of Provence have caught the imagination in the last few years, but there are rivals – often better value – from the Languedoc and these lookalikes can be excellent. Gascony rosés, made from Bordeaux and south-western grapes, tend to be more blackcurranty in flavour.

Overall, red wines are the most important style in the South which has a diversity of climates and terroirs that allows it to produce a vast number of very different wines. Languedoc-Roussillon is arguably the area of the most wine innovation in France making both varietal wines alongside a roster of AOCs such as Minervois, Corbières and (Coteaux du) Languedoc. Provence’s most famous red is from beside the sea at Bandol whereas Gascony and the South-West fields Bergerac, Pécharmant and Madiran as its star player.

Loire Valley

In spite of a sequence of spring frosts affecting some or all of the region recently, the wines of the Loire remain undervalued. They responded particularly well to the warm summer in 2022, so look out for these.

The Loire is a tremendous region offering the wine lover great diversity. There are all the styles of wine one could wish for: dry, medium, sweet, white, red, rosé, still or sparkling. A vinous journey along the Loire Valley takes in crisp Muscadets around Nantes, the gorgeously sweet ‘moëlleux’ Chenin Blancs of the Coteaux du Layon and the superbly complex dry Savennières from around Angers, then the more immediately appealing whites and sparkling wines of Saumur. Cabernet Franc makes the luscious reds of Anjou and the autumnal reds of Chinon and Bourgueil. Continuing upstream leads you to the famous whites of Vouvray and finally on to Touraine, Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou-Salon where Sauvignon Blanc reigns supreme.

Alsace, Jura & Savoie

Alsace is an area full of individuality in everything it does ‒ food, buildings, scenery and, of course, wines, which are very different to any other region of France.

As in many places, the fat ground produces good, standard, everyday wines while the ‘grand cru’ vineyards are on the slopes, although the process of deciding what is and isn’t a grand cru has been beset by politics and vested interests. Perhaps the producers should move away from the German style ‘flutes’ for some styles, but don’t let this bottle shape dissuade you from trying the clean, fresh Pinot Blancs, the rich and intense Pinot Gris and the exotic and floral Gewurztraminers – they are normally drier than you would expect!

In Jura, this is an area full of individuality in everything it does ‒ food, buildings, scenery and, of course, wines, which are very different to any other region of France.
As in many places, the flat ground produces good, standard, everyday wines while the ‘grand cru’ vineyards are on the slopes, although the process of deciding what is and isn’t a grand cru has been beset by politics and vested interests. The wines are as individual as the region and very different to those elsewhere in France. Perhaps the producers should move away from the German style ‘flutes’ for some styles, but don’t let this bottle shape dissuade you from trying the clean, fresh Pinot Blancs, the rich and intense Pinot Gris and the exotic and floral Gewurztraminers – they are normally drier than you would expect!

Rhône Valley

This is a region that continues to deliver consistency and value in both north and south and its white wines are also becoming much more popular, all aided by a succession of good vintages. It’s very much two areas in one: if you drive down the motorway from Lyon, quite often it can be cool and cloudy until you reach Montélimar, when the skies clear and the temperature moves up a notch. The North also uses more Burgundian-style winemaking techniques in terms of its use of demi-muids oak barrels rather than the large foudres of further south. There are unifying factors though and the main one is the use of Syrah grapes. Syrah contributes much character as the single variety in the North for Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Cornas, or as a blending partner in the South. Blending in order to achieve complexity reaches its apotheosis in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. If Châteauneuf looks a bit pricey these days, try Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Lirac, Cairanne or Rasteau. Ripe, silky Grenache plays an important role in these wines, as it does in most Côtes du Rhône. Gentle whites made from Marsanne and Roussanne, and orange blossom Viogniers, particularly Condrieu, are impressive. Then there’s Tavel for rosé and Muscat de Beaumes de Venise for vin doux naturel.

Beaujolais

If you prefer a lighter-bodied red of invariably excellent quality, this is the region to explore. Beaujolais suffers a little from its undeserved reputation for weedy Beaujolais Nouveau 'celebrated' on a chilly Thursday in November! 

We regard Beaujolais Nouveau, renowned as the ‘first wine of the new vintage’, as a much better wine these days, while the rest of the region is definitely on a roll. The outstanding 2009 vintage set everything off and pretty much every vintage since has delivered magnificent wines. What is exciting is the subtle differences you will find between the wines, yet the quality of the soft, gorgeous favours of well-made Gamay has never been better. From humble AOC Beaujolais through Beaujolais-Villages to the firmer, almost Burgundian feel of some of the Beaujolais ‘cru’ wines, there are many very classy, approachable, fruity wines to be sampled. Some keep well too, with Chénas, Juliénas and Fleurie all drinking well into their third year while Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon often need time to even start to show their full potential. Saint-Amour, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly and Regnié produce delicious, earlier drinking wines and high-up Chiroubles some of the finest.

Burgundy

A benign climate, limestone-clay soils and perfectly exposed slopes combine to make Burgundy the greatest region in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its mosaic of tiny vineyards and enormous roster of producers make it all the more fascinating. The region stretches 140 miles from Chablis in the North to Pouilly-Fuissé in the South. In between is the Côte d’Or, an escarpment which neatly divides into the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. The former includes villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-St-Georges, Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny; the latter, Beaune, Volnay, Pommard, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. Travelling south, and before reaching the Mâconnais, lies the Côte Chalonnaise with less-discovered red and white burgundies made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligoté grapes.

Spain

Explore the Diverse Wines of Spain - Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Navarra, and More

Discover the rich diversity of Spanish wines, renowned for their generous nature and easy drinkability. Spain's wines, many centered around the famous Tempranillo grape, offer remarkable variety. Our expanded range now includes robust wines from Ribera del Duero and lighter options from Navarra, featuring a mix of French and Spanish grapes. Enjoy standout reds from Andalucía, made with Petit Verdot, and experience the historical importance of oak aging in Crianzas, Reservas, and Gran Reservas. Blends with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Cabernet enhance complexity, particularly in Rioja. Spanish winemakers aim to create warm, mellow red wines with rich oak and spicy finishes. Don't miss our exceptional whites from Verdejo in Rueda, Godello in Bierzo, and the peachy Albariño, the star of Rías Baixas in Galicia.

Portugal

If you’re looking for a new angle to your enjoyment of wine, Portugal must be one of the best places to explore, mixing a long vinous history with a willingness to embrace modern technology. It is such a fascinating wine-producing country, stuffed with interesting, deep-coloured reds and exhilarating, well-crafted whites. We champion Douro Valley reds, certainly a ‘must taste’ for claret enthusiasts, as these wines are full of silky, dark fruit with great ageing potential. The southern Alentejo region has been performing superbly, garnering plenty of followers. They are such good value in the scheme of things! Crisp white Vinho Verde is making a well-deserved come back and you should also try the wines from Lisbon and its surrounding areas, now labelled as Vinhos de Lisboa. We’ve also found a great new producer in the Algarve, proving it’s not just a holiday destination.

Italy

The Tanners Italian range just keeps on growing as we continue to taste more and more lovely wine, especially from small estates with wines that are pure expressions of their ‘terra’. It’s a complex country wine-wise so here is a whistle stop tour. As far as great reds go, the star players in Piedmont are Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo grapes. Tuscany fields players such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano – all made from Sangiovese – to add to its line-up of Supertuscans from French varieties. Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola and Nerello Mascalese feature in the South. Exploring the whites, there is so much more to discover than budget Pinot Grigio! Gavi, Friuli and Soave should be remembered in the North, but the South is an equally good source of richer, silkier wines made from grapes such as Fiano and Greco. From the middle are the old favourites, but much-improved Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Verdicchio.

Germany

The changes to the UK duty system coming into effect this August will benefit Germany, with their generally lower alcohol wines, more than any other major wine producing country and hopefully will encourage you to experience the great range of wines produced there.

The classic light, off dry, low alcohol, refreshing style epitomised by Mosel Riesling Kabinett is still very much there but there are also large numbers of crisp, dry, mineral Rieslings and fuller bodied wines from further south, particularly in areas such as Baden where there is very little Riesling and an increasing number of top-quality reds such as Pinot Noir. Full sweet wines are still made, although in smaller quantities and Eiswein has become particularly rare due to winter temperatures not being cold enough.

The Mosel is the classic area for elegant, balanced, off-dry Rieslings from its steep, slatey slopes. Appellation-wise it now includes the tributaries of the Saar and Ruwer. Try a floral Wehlener Kabinett for a great introduction to this style and then contrast it with a Kabinett from the deeper soils of Piesport’s Goldtröpfchen to appreciate the difference a few miles make. Brilliant wines – full of white pear fruit – are produced in the Saar Valley from lesser-known vineyards in Wiltingen and Oberemmel. Back on the Middle Mosel, Braunebergers are full and slatey then one goes down the river through Bernkastel to the very fine wines of Graach. Finally, the vertiginous slopes of Erden and Urzig – Prälat, Treppchen and Würzgarten – produce some tremendous wines, both dry and sweet.

Along the Rhine, the Rheingau is where the importance of late harvesting Riesling was first discovered. The story goes that the proclamation announcing the start of the harvest was delayed. For many years production was dominated by a small number of underperforming larger producers, but things are now looking up again. Round, full-flavoured wines are made on mostly gentle slopes going down to the Rhine. The River Nahe actually rises in the Hunsrück hills and flows northwards, away from France, through rocky escarpments before flowing into the Rhine at Bingen.

Austria

We’re constantly amazed by the consistently excellent quality of Austrian wines across all the many styles that they produce. It helps that the signature grape variety, Grüner Veltliner makes a distinctive clean and fresh style with a peppery touch. This single-minded pursuit is further aided by a dynamic marketing body, sustainable viticulture and the avoidance of fruity, medium Germanic styles of white. The west of Austria is good for skiing but too mountainous for proper wine production whereas the east of the country around Vienna has rolling land and a dry climate, making it ideal for vines. About two thirds of the plantings are white grapes and one third black grapes which make red wines with softness and body. And don’t overlook the brilliant, sweet wines which are world class!

Northern Europe

English and Welsh wines continue to go from strength to strength with not only the sparkling wines competing on equal terms with champagne but increasingly the still white wines making a case for international recognition and even a few top-quality reds appearing. The poor-quality wines of former communist Eastern Europe have now largely faded from the memory as wineries and vineyards have returned to private hands, investment flowing into winemaking facilities has been crucial in improving quality. Romania is an example and is producing many excellent value varietal wines which can form a stepping stone to the top quality wines the country also makes. Hungary has a long wine tradition, not just from the famous Tokaj region, and to the north Slovakia produces a range of excellent wines with the Pinot Noir showing particular promise. Croatia makes a great range of wines, familiar to the many tourists in the region. The old Welschrizling of Yugoslav Riesling fame has been rebranded Graševina and makes a delightfully aromatic white.

South East Europe & Asia

Forget France, forget Italy and forget the Romans, the origins of wine production lie rather further east! Lebanon and Israel lay claim to be the cradles of viticulture, but a ‘winery’ dating back over 6,000 years has recently been found in Georgia. Then there’s Armenia, Iran, Turkey and Greece in the frame so the counter-claims may go on until the aurochs come home! Even wine production in India dates back to several centuries BC. What doesn’t change is the consumers’ surprise that such countries even make wine. 

Australia

Tanners customers’ heads may have been turned a bit by the warm climate wines from closer to home, specifically from Spain and Italy. It’s time however to revisit Australian wines in all their varietal glory, so look out for minerally Chardonnays, Shirazes (Syrahs) with a white pepper sappiness and very fine Cabernets, and that’s before getting into the Italian and Iberian varieties that are fleshing out the ranges. Putting grape varieties aside for a moment, let Tanners take you on a vinous tour of Australia.

New Zealand

Frosts in 2021 and apocalyptic floods in 2023, at least 2022 saw a relatively trouble-free, generous harvest. New Zealand’s relatively pristine environment, large variation between night and day temperatures, and vineyards protected from rainfall by tall mountain ranges, give great conditions for making fruit-filled wines. In the southern hemisphere these cooler latitudes are only shared by Tasmania and Patagonia. Following New Zealand’s huge worldwide success with Sauvignon Blanc, now it is raising the stakes with Pinot Noir as well, particularly from Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough. We also rather like the Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots from Hawke’s Bay.

South Africa

With great wines, food and service, the Cape is an ideal holiday destination, especially when British skies are cold and grey. A week or two spent there helps immeasurably in placing the wines in each region and building an appreciation of South Africa’s valuable vinous offering. Two oceans, two weather systems and two deep-sea currents meet at the Cape, leading to a diversity of weather between regions, even on a given day! This means that areas such as Stellenbosch, Paarl, Elgin and Constantia which are really not that far apart, all have a propensity to succeed with different grape varieties. The wine culture is almost the oldest in the New World, being brought by French Huguenots in the years after 1685 and with them cuttings of vines including Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc. Franschhoek even means ‘French Corner’!

Chile

Chile’s reputation is for good quality ‘entry-level’ reds, which is much deserved, but the country has so much more to offer. It is a great wine producing nation with wonderfully bright sunshine tempered by cool sea-breezes or sloping vineyards and higher altitudes. It is also a relatively pristine environment that seems to bring real purity to the wines. There is such an interesting variety of flavoursome, mid-range wines to explore, as well as powerfully dense, top-end stars. It’s Chile’s lateral valleys that run down from the Andes, across the Central Valley and through Coastal Range, that bring variety to the table. Great, gluggable glasses of Merlot and Carmenère are here for the taking, but if you search further you will come across the more complex blends, with a curranty claret-like edge to the Cabernet-dominant wines. The Maipo Valley which fans out from capital city, Santiago, is Chile’s most established vineyard area and the first region of the fertile Valle Central or Central Valley. It is home to the original ‘grandee’ companies of Chilean wine and is the heartland for lovely Bordeaux-inspired reds. Pressure from real estate development here has steadily pushed Maipo’s vineyards eastwards onto the slopes of the Andes, which has actually improved the finesse and elegance of many reds. This Alto Maipo sub-area probably has the best terroir and is now producing world-class reds. One grandee is Cousiño Macul – a family-owned operation with some 267 Ha of vines – which has jumped ship from the encroaching suburbs to Buin. Santa Ema is owned by the Pavone family, who originated in Piedmont, and is situated at El Peral in the Isla de Maipo sub-area, surrounded by 50 Ha of the company’s own vines.

The next region south is the Cachapoal Valley around the town of Rancagua which is now the main wine-producing area for Santiago. Then you come to Colchagua which is fast developing as a prime production area with many new wineries springing up. It’s the stronghold for Luis Felipe Edwards (LFE), an important family company which produces our Pacamaya wines, amongst others. Sutil Family Vineyards are also in Colchagua, but they source grapes from other top regions too, making the superb Cucao range as well as top red blend Acrux. It was founded by energetic entrepreneur, Juan Sutil, in 1995. The Lolol Valley, a sub-area in south-west Colchagua, is the Chilean home of François Lurton, of the famous Bordeaux wine family, who produces flavoursome biodynamic wines at Hacienda Araucano. Colchagua and Cachapoal grapes can be used together in wines labelled ‘Rapel’. Two hundred kilometres south of Santiago, the Curicó region, along with its neighbour, Maule, is relatively sheltered from the maritime weather by the coastal range, but the vineyards can be dry-farmed, without irrigation, to produce excellent reds and whites. Famous Catalonian wine producers, Miguel Torres, has been in Maule since 1979. These regions, from Maipo down to Maule, can all provide grapes for wines labelled ‘Valle Central’. Vineyards are also being planted in the Coastal Range near the Pacific Ocean, benefiting from the cooler breezes that blow inland. Just north of Santiago, the Aconcagua Valley is warmer, making very good Merlot-based reds. West of Santiago is Casablanca, on the way to the Pacific port of Valparaiso, which produces world class whites with brilliantly fresh flavours. South-west is San Antonio with its better-known enclave, the short Leyda Valley which is reputed for top quality Pinot Noir. In the southern region, at latitudes similar to Tasmania and NZ’s South Island, the vineyards of Bío-Bío, Itata, Malleco, Cautin and Osorno – these last two being in the Lake District – are most suited to aping Burgundy and Germany, such are the vagaries of the weather. Way north of Santiago, the vines of the Limarí, Chopapa and Elqui Valleys – in the Coquimbo region – need altitude and morning fog to mitigate against the intense heat. Sadly, they have been suffering from lack of water in recent years. Huasco is on the edge of the Atacama Desert whereas Copiapó is within it.

Argentina

Not just known for its footballing talent, there has been a massive explosion in popularity for Argentinian Malbec in recent years, and without doubt this has carried the perception of Argentina as a recognisable wine-producing country to the wine consumer. Rich and spicy reds are the order of the day in Argentina, often produced on the lower hillsides of the snowy Andes. It’s the slopes in the Mendoza province, with their deep alluvial soils brought down by rivers from the Andes, that produce stunning wines including Malbec which is now recognised as a world-class variety. These smoky, beefy Malbecs are backed up by dense, juicy Merlots and Bonardas, to say nothing of the spicy, sherbety delights of Viognier and Torrontés in the whites. With all that Latin blood from the early settlers, it’s not very surprising that the Argentinians get a lot of flavour and passion into their wines, making this range one of the most exciting we have!

United States

Worldwide demand for the top wines of California, and increasingly Oregon, is driving prices and investment up meaning the wines are getting ever better but also scarcer. We have periodic allocations of these super wines so keep an eye on our Oddments List and our email offers.

California is by far the biggest wine-producing state in North America. Two of the best-known regions, Napa and Sonoma, sit side-by-side to the north of San Francisco Bay. Carneros straddles the two and is the source of Doug Shafer’s Chardonnays whilst the winery is in Stag’s Leap, a district of Napa which is famed for its Cabernets and Merlots. Christian Moueix, the famous Right Bank Bordeaux producer, established Dominus Estate on the 43 Ha Napanook vineyard in 1983. Situated near Yountville in southern Napa, three wines are produced: Dominus, its flagship, Napanook and Othello. In Carneros, the Swiss-owned Cuvaison Winery has been perfecting superbly elegant Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays for nearly 50 years, while based in the north of Sonoma, Rodney Strong vineyards has holdings throughout the area and carefully matches grape varieties to the soil type and microclimates to produce excellent examples. Fred Cline of Cline Cellars in southern Sonoma produces some great wines from Rhône varieties that are terrific value. East of Napa is the city of Sacramento and the Clarksburg and Lodi wine areas, both great sources of excellent value wines from some different grape varieties. The Bogle Vineyard holdings run to some 650 Ha but remain firmly in family hands. The grapes are grown in a sustainable manner taking full advantage of the warmer climate. Near Livermore to the east of San Francisco Bay, is Wente Vineyards with 5th generation Karl Wente at its head. Founded in 1883, it claims to be the longest continuously operated family winery in the USA. Proximity to the water provides cooling fogs which protect the vines from the intense summer heat giving more elegant wines. Just by San Jose in the Santa Cruz mountains is Ridge Vineyards which champions single-vineyard wine production from across California.

Heading south again, towards Los Angeles, takes you through Santa Cruz and Monterey but such is the scale of this country that LA is still over a five-hour drive away! This far south the climate is noticeably hotter. This region is home to the ‘Rhône Rangers’: rich blends of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre/Mataro) which excel in the southern heat. The wines from the Pacific North-West comprise those of firstly Oregon and then Washington State as one travels north. Oregon is synonymous with world class Pinot Noirs made by small, family-run wineries. Its vineyards are concentrated in the state’s west and the Willamette Valley where, at the Willakenzie Estate, they make the most of the cool climate to fashion Burgundy-inspired wines, the name coming from a combination of the nearby Willamette and McKenzie rivers. On paper Washington State should be cooler than Oregon but the Columbia and Yakima Valleys are in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains giving a warm, dry, more continental climate that is ideal for grape production. The West Coast’s success means that the wines of the East Coast are largely overlooked by British wine lovers and critics. New York State’s Finger Lakes and Long Island regions produce some super, edgy Rieslings, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Virginia has a vibrant wine industry near the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a noticeably warmer and more humid climate where Chardonnay, Cabernet and Petit Verdot are doing very well.

Rest of Americas

The European explorers and subsequent settlers brought with them the culture of grape growing and wine-making the results are evident for all to see. Whilst the USA, Chile and Argentina are the most prolific producers in the Americas, Uruguay, Brazil and Peru all produce wines and we continue to be on the look-out for good bottles from these countries. Grape growing, and as a result wine production, has spread throughout the American continent but is generally concentrated on the more temperate regions. Brought by European pioneers, the grape varieties planted often reflect their geographic roots. There are some fantastic wines produced in Canada, Mexico and we are eagerly watching developments as the other countries of South America start to make inroads into our market.

Tanners Labels

Our own-label wines have to be extra good because the Tanners name and reputation rests squarely on their shoulders.

Enormous effort goes into the quality of these wines, after all, they should each be an exemplar of their particular grape or region. It is therefore very pleasing that Tanners own-labels are always among the company’s best sellers. Tanners doesn’t own any vineyards, instead we go to producers who are at the top of their game in their given region, and then blend a wine in partnership with them to a style that we believe our customers will like. Often this will be with long-term, trusted suppliers, for example Maison Sichel, from whom we have bought Bordeaux wines since the 1890s. None is selected on price alone, each must bring the identity of the region to your table and be a wine you can rely on – after all, they are made by some of the best winemakers in the world!

France still dominates the range, but we are expanding our New World own labels, watch this space for the imminent arrival of Tanners New Zealand Pinot Noir. Consistency between vintages is key, however where the character of the vintage is more dominant, we have taken to spot-buying very special parcels to go under the ‘Super’ label, namely Super Claret, but when they run out, they run out! These, and and the Tanners labels in general, tend to get some great reviews from the national press.

Tanners Whites

From Tanners White Burgundy, through Southern French varietal wines to Chile and New Zealand, explore Tanners’ carefully selected range of own label white wines. You will find whites with lovely aromatics, fruit, minerality and only ever the lightest touch of oak.

Tanners Reds

From Tanners Claret through Southern French varietal wines to Argentina and Australia, explore Tanners’ carefully curated range of own label red wines. You will find reds with beautiful bouquets, good body and ripe, smooth tannins.

Tanners Rosé

With only one own label rosé, Tanners Gascony Rosé is our best-selling rosé by a country mile.

Tanners Sweet Wine

With only one own label sweet wine, Tanners Sauternes has a tremendous following.

Tanners Port

There has never been a better time to polish up the decanter; Port is on a roll following the rare back-to-back vintage declarations of 2016 and 2017 and a succession of great wines since. Some shippers declared 2018 or 2019, many 2020 too, while there have been Single Quinta releases which we still rate very highly as well. All Ports come from the Douro region in northern Portugal with its spectacular main valley which has huge hillsides of cascading terraces of vines. Grape growing is organised into quintas, or farms, some of which are famous in their own right such as Quinta de Vargellas belonging to Taylor’s and Quinta dos Malvedos owned by Graham’s. Much production still lies in the hands of independent grape growers.

The greatest development in quality in the last decade or so has been the change of attitude to viticulture, with the city-based Port shippers (based in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto on the coast) taking a much greater interest in how the vines are managed, whether in their own vineyards or under contract. And quite a jigsaw it is with the Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Tinto Cão grape varieties all having their own particularities – and those are just the main black ones. The second biggest change has been the replication of foot treading by similarly soft pressing techniques of colour, flavour and tannin extraction as opposed to the almost exclusive use of the autovinification tanks that largely replaced foot treading in the 1960s and 1970s. A further development has been the interest in using a better quality of spirit to fortify the young Port. These days it is quite normal to go to Bordeaux to select fine French spirit, whereas back in the eighties, by law, they had to use rough old stuff from down by Lisbon!

The different styles of Port can be confusing, but we attempt to explain them below with classic Vintage Port being at the pinnacle which, with Single Quinta Vintages, Crusted, LBV and Ruby, make up Ports on the darker, fruitier side whereas Tawny and Colheita Ports belong to the paler, more figgy flavoured camp. Each house, or shipper, has preferences for different styles, sometimes according to their origins be it Portuguese, Dutch or British. The British presence in these parts dates from the 17th century and greatly benefited from trade wars with the French and the signing of the 1703 Methuen Treaty which gave preferential treatment to Portuguese wines. Many of the British named brands persist though few remain in the hands of the original founding families.

Fine Ruby, LBV & Crusted | Tawny Port | White Port | Single Quinta Vintage | Classic Vintage Port

Tanners Sherry

Sauvignon Blanc

Clean, vibrant with lots of flavour, Sauvignon Blanc actually ranges in taste from a grassy, asparagus style that the French prefer, all the way to full-throttle New Zealand Marlborough where generous passionfruit and cooked gooseberry flavours take over. Essentially it’s a friendly dry white that goes well with food and has bags of personality. You’ll find it in its driest form as the classic of the Loire (Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé), via the more intense, fruitier styles across the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa and Chile make a less aggressive style), back to the soft peachiness of Bordeaux and California, where it gets aged often in oak and called Fumé  Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is a truly international grape variety and wherever it is planted, it remains recognisable.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay proved so popular that it almost became a brand of its own, with many unaware it is the name of a grape. It is said to be the blank canvas on which the winemaker can demonstrate his art. It has a great affinity with oak and is responsible for all the great white wines of Burgundy e.g. Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet; it is a major component in Champagne; it is grown all over the South of France and in the Loire. Other countries such as Spain and Italy also have plantings. In the New World, most countries produce single varietal Chardonnay, though it can be blended in less expensive wines to add class and depth. There are great examples from all countries. It has a fine, deep lemony flavour with some bready notes and, when made in barrel, some round butteriness comes through while a zip of acidity maintains length and freshness. 

Pinot Grigio/Gris

Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, is a white grape variety originating from the Burgundy region of France. It is a mutation of Pinot Noir, characterised by its pinkish to greyish-blue skin colour. Pinot Gris is widely cultivated in Alsace, northern Italy, and increasingly in cooler regions such as New Zealand and England. The wine styles vary from crisp and refreshing to rich and full-bodied, depending on where it is grown and how it is made. Even rosé styles are possible, although up to 15% red juice is often added. Typical flavours you'll find include ripe pear, apple, peach, and honey, with spicy or floral notes. In Alsace, it is often made in an off-dry or sweet style - Vendange Tardive, or Moelleux written on the label. Pinot Gris pairs well with a range of dishes, including roast chicken, pork, creamy pasta, and mild cheeses. The richer, off-dry styles from Alsace are excellent with spicy Asian cuisine, duck, or foie gras.

Riesling

Riesling (pronounced Reece-ling not Rise-ling) vies with Chardonnay as the source of the greatest white wines in the world. Germany, in particular, produces sublime white wines in all styles from the very dry to super sweet. Somewhat unfairly the modern consumer often dismisses it as being too sweet, but the Germans, in particular, are making superb quality Trocken (or dry) wines. The wines have enormous potential to age. Unsurprisingly, it also does well in Austria and (just over the border,) in Alsace in France, where the wines tend to be drier. In the New World, it is mostly grown in Australia with some excellent example from the Clare Valley and Eden Valley where it produces dry, lime-scented wines that develop a ‘petrolly’ aroma with age. New Zealand is another country it does well in, favouring the cooler climate.

Viognier

When it’s good, Viognier is a peach-scented, round and rich white with a succulent edge and a nuttiness that gets more pronounced with age. Pronounced ‘Vee-on-yay’, this is an ancient variety believed to have originated in Dalmatia (present-day Croatia). It was brought to the Rhône Valley, its spiritual home, by the Romans. By 1965 it was almost extinct with just eight acres planted in the Rhône, mostly on the granite slopes at Château Grillet but since then it has undergone a renaissance and is now planted in many wine producing countries around the world. It is at its best in the Northern Rhône wines of Condrieu (it is also used in the production of many Côte-Rôties, with up to 20% permitted to ‘lift’ the Syrah) but you’ll find good examples, almost copies, from particularly Australia, as well as California,  South America and across the South of France.

Merlot

Merlot is a well-known grape the world over. Generally soft and friendly, it offers flavours of ripe plum, black cherry, and blackberry, often with hints of dark chocolate or savoury beef stock. Its approachable style makes it a favourite in both blends and single-varietal wines, where it fleshes out the middle palate. Merlot originates in Bordeaux, where it plays a starring role in many of the region’s finest clarets, particularly on the Right Bank, often comprising more than half the blend with Cabernet Sauvignon. Its name likely comes from merle, the French word for blackbird, referencing its dark, blue-black berries. Today, Merlot is widely planted globally, with significant cultivation in France, Italy, the United States (notably California), Chile, and Australia.

Shiraz/Syrah

Possibly the most successful variety worldwide, Syrah or Shiraz (they are the same) produces world-class wines in many corners of the globe. Recent DNA mapping shows it almost certainly originates in France, rather than Shiraz in ancient Persia or Syracuse in Sicily, both popular misconceptions. Usually dark, muscular stuff with a streak of black pepper character and a damson-fruited core, it’s a grape that lasts well too, taking on complexity with age. Australian Shiraz can have a eucalyptus note, or a mintiness on the palate. You’ll encounter great wines from the Rhône Valley, Languedoc, South Africa, Chile and California in particular, but Syrah is well-travelled and top quality. Petite Sirah is a different grape.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most celebrated red grape varieties, originating from Burgundy, France. Known for its thin skin and sensitivity to climate, it is often described as 'capricious', and has become somewhat of a Holy Grail for many producers and winemakers who pursue the star quality and desirability of great red burgundies grown in the Côte d'Or. Today Pinot Noir is grown most successfully in cooler regions like Burgundy, Champagne, Oregon, New Zealand, and parts of Germany, making light to medium-bodied red wines with bright acidity and fine soft tannins. Typical flavours include red cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, often accompanied by earthy, floral, and spicy notes. More complex expressions can develop aromas of mushroom and violet with age. In warmer climates like California, it tends to show riper fruit notes such as black cherry and plum. Equally you will find it as a key component of Champagne – pressed carefully no colour comes from the skins, allowing the Champenois to make ‘Blanc de Noirs’ exclusively from Pinot Noir and it’s close cousin, Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir is exceptionally versatile when it comes to food pairing. It complements dishes such as roast duck, salmon, mushroom risotto, and soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert. Its bright acidity also makes it an excellent match for lamb, pork, and earthy vegetarian dishes. With careful winemaking and the ageing potential it has, Pinot Noir can produce many of the greatest wines in the world.

Malbec

Shooting up the ‘fashionable’ table in recent years, Malbec is now the signature red grape in Argentina where is laps up the sun to make intense, supple and juicy wines which age nicely too. It is a very dark thick-skinned variety, originally popular in Bordeaux as a component of claret but in France it is now more usually found in the South West’s Cahors region where it makes the famous black wines. It is also quite widely planted in the Loire where you may come across it as Cot. 

Half Bottles

Explore Tanners' Extensive Range of Half Bottles - Perfect for Every Occasion.

Discover Tanners' extensive collection of half bottles, featuring an impressive variety from France, Spain, Italy, and beyond. As one of the largest selections in the UK, our half bottles include delightful options in champagne, red, white, rosé, and fortified wines. Whether you're planning a special dinner, a picnic, or simply prefer smaller portions, our handy halves cater to every occasion with convenience and quality. Explore our diverse range and elevate your wine experience with Tanners.

Magnums & Larger

From Champagne, the classic areas of France through to Spain, Portugal and Italy, Tanners has a great range of wines in larger formats. You will find gorgeous magnums of rosé, sumptuous double magnums of red and impressive jeroboams of champagne.

Tanners Oddments

Featuring rarities, classics and odds and ends from our cellars.

Indulge yourself in our unique compilation of fine and rare wines. Stored safely behind lock and key you can discover wines from across the globe that boast some of the most famous wine heritage. Often these wines are bought in finite quantities due to limited availability and are widely sought after. Along with the rarities you can seek out some unusual bottles too that are sure to intrigue. 

Organic Wines

We believe that working vineyards in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner reaps huge rewards in the quality of the grapes picked, accreditation from a governing body being a bonus. Despite the difficulties of growing grapes organically – particularly in cooler, wetter climates – and the rigmarole of becoming accredited, more and more of our growers have done so. Tanners is also accredited by the Soil Association to import organic wines, so you will find us to have a growing range.

Vegetarian & Vegan Wines

The fining process, whereby wines are clarified using a variety of fining agents is where certain wines become problematic for vegetarians and vegans. Thankfully an increasing number of wines are being fined using bentonite, a clay mineral, that has no animal connection whatsoever. Egg whites whipped up into the wine and casein (derived from milk protein) are sometimes used and are acceptable for vegetarians, but not for vegans. Isinglass, from the dried swim bladders of fish, and gelatine, from animal bones, is not acceptable for either, even if no traces remain in the finished wine. This selection includes vegetarian and vegan wines so please use the filter to see vegan wines only.

Lower Alcohol Wines

Whether you’re looking to keep it light on a weeknight or simply prefer your wine to have less of a kick – discover Tanners’ range of lower alcohol wines. This selection contains wines between zero and 11 percent by volume. It might seem simple to have a large range, but alcohol is a function of sugar in grapes which in turn is the result of climate, and that is getting hotter. So, you will find here wines from cooler climates, wines that have unfermented sugar and the best wines we can find that have been de-alcoholised. You can use the ABV filter to narrow your choice.

Champagne

Indulge in the elegance and sophistication of premium Champagne by purchasing from our exclusive online collection. Our curated selection features the finest Champagnes from renowned producers, perfect for any celebration or special occasion.

When you buy Champagne online from us, you are choosing a luxurious experience marked by exceptional quality and taste. Whether you're hosting an elegant dinner, toasting to a milestone, or gifting a bottle to a loved one, our Champagnes add a touch of sparkle and refinement to any event.

Our collection includes vintage and non-vintage Champagnes, each offering a unique blend of flavors and aromas that have been expertly crafted to perfection. From the delicate bubbles and rich notes of a Grand Cru to the vibrant freshness of a Rosé, our selection caters to all palates.

Shopping online for Champagne with us is not only convenient but also ensures that you receive the highest quality product delivered directly to your door. With detailed descriptions, expert recommendations, and secure payment options, we make it easy for you to find and buy Champagne online.

Celebrate life's special moments with the finest Champagne. Explore our collection and buy Champagne online today to experience the elegance, tradition, and excellence of these world-class sparkling wines.

Brut Non-Vintage Champagne

Non-vintage (NV) champagne is blended from dozens of individual cuvées and vintages, so that the ‘house style’ is consistent.

It must have spent a minimum of 12 months on the lees. They are usually a blend of grape varieties: Chardonnay for fruit and body; Pinot Noir for elegance and structure; and Pinot Meunier for softness and fruit. All three Tanners Champagnes – our house, spécial and rosé – are supplied by Beaumont des Crayères, based in Mardeuil, a village west of Epernay. A highly impressive small co-operative of about 250 growers, with 90 Ha under the control of Matthieu Château and, President of Board of Growers, Jean-Noël Plançon. The vineyards are mostly located around the village in the Marne Valley. We also offer Joseph Perrier – the Perrier family has been producing Champagne since 1825. We can also provide a wide range of different champagne bottle sizes, including quarters, half bottles, magnums, jeroboams and methuselahs.

Growers' Champagnes

Traditionally these small, family-run operations, such as André Clouet and Michel Arnould, used to supply the big houses with grapes or wines.

More recently some have decided to go it alone. Often this means you have a wine as good as, or even better than the well-known houses, punching well above their relatively modest price tag.

Vintage Champagne

Vintage champagnes are only produced in the best years. They have undergone a longer maturation than their non-vintage counterparts and consequently have more depth and complexity along with more bready flavours and aromas.

For champagne to be specified as ‘vintage’, 100% of the grapes must have been grown in the year on the label. Vintage champagnes spend a minimum of three years on their lees whilst some of the top champagne houses keep their wines on the lees in excess of five, or even ten years, in some cases. There is still good value to be had here in the likes of the Fleur Noire from Beaumont des Crayères.

Prestige Cuvée Champagne

A prestige cuvée is a wine produced by a champagne house to represent the pinnacle of their range – therefore it is not hard to see why they have a price tag to match!

Louis Roederer’s Cristal, Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon, Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill and Bollinger’s RD lead the roll call in the who’s who of Champagne. Krug bucks the trend slightly by only producing prestige cuvée wines. These are becoming increasingly sought-after so may not be available all year round.

Demi-Sec Champagne

Often overlooked, these wines are a great, decadent match to desserts.

They are usually a better match than their drier counterparts when served as a toast with cake! Pol Roger’s Rich has an excellent balance ensuring it is not too sweet but just sweet enough.

Rosé-Pink Champagne

Rosé or ‘pink’ champagne can be produced in two ways: either by the saignée method whereby the clear juice of black grapes is left in contact with its skins for a short time, or, more commonly, by adding a small amount of still Pinot Noir red wine to the sparkling wine blend.

Rosé champagne is one of the few exceptions in the wine world where it is permissible to create rosé by adding red wine during blending. This method produces a colour that can be replicated, so each year the champagne looks the same, as you will see with the excellent Billecart Salmon Rosé. As the saignée method is comparatively expensive and more difficult for the winemaker, there are very few producers that continue to use it: Laurent Perrier and Louis Roederer are two that do.

Halves & Quarters Champagne

Ideal for occasions when a full bottle is too much, though we are struggling to think of one!

Larger Champagne Bottles

As Winston Churchill famously said, “a magnum is the ideal size for two to share provided one of them isn’t drinking!”

For those who do want to share we have larger sizes too. A Jeroboam equates to four bottles; a Rehoboam is six; a Methuselah is eight; a Salmanazar is 12; a Balthazar is 16 and a Nebuchadnezzar is 20.

Tanners Label Champagne

Tanners Label Prosecco

Tanners Label Cava

Sparkling Wines

The continuing issues with the availability of champagne and the economic cycle are combining to put sparkling wines in pole position to benefit. Prosecco has put fizz on the map as an everyday drink and fuelled an interest in all things sparkling.

With lovely peachy fruit character in Tanners Prosecco, it is easy to see why this has become such a hit with our customers. Tanners Cava still commands its place in our range; with its weightier style, not only is it great to share for a toast, it also goes well with food. For those looking for a real champagne alternative Nyetimber’s English fizz is second to none, while the Blanquettede Limoux region predates Champagne in making sparkling wine. Te Crémants from France’s other regions, such as Jura, Alsace and Burgundy (Bourgogne) amongst others, are rapidly, and justifably, gaining popularity. For those wanting something a little more frivolous for the summer months, try the brilliant dry rosé ‘Malbec Bubbles’ from master craftsman Patricio Gouguenheim’s stable. Anyone eschewing alcohol should look at the So Jennie Alcohol Free from France as a good example.

Prosecco

It is a charming sparkler made from the Glera grape variety, sourced from the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy.

It is a charming sparkler made from the Glera grape variety, sourced from the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy. This light, dry, sparkling wine is perfectly suited to parties, summer evenings and/or serving as an apéritif. Prosecco is also the key ingredient for the classy Bellini cocktail: simply pour a measure of white peach purée into a flute glass and top up with well-chilled Prosecco to whet the appetite of your guests. Te recently added Prosecco Rosé DOC, with up to 15% Pinot Noir allowed, is proving a hit.

Cava Brut

Cava, one of the world’s finest sparkling wines, is made by the bottle-fermenting ‘traditional method’.

Cava differs fundamentally from champagne only in the grapes used for the blend: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier of France are replaced by Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel.lo from the Catalan region. Although Cava can be made from other grapes and other regions across Spain, its heartland is San Sadurni d’Anoia, south of Barcelona, where some 250 companies produce over 50 million bottles annually. The autolytic ageing of the wine in bottle, on the lees, is for a minimum of nine months, or 15 months for Reservas and 30 months for the top wines, though in practice this can be even longer. This extended ageing brings depth and a biscuity flavour, while the whole effect of good quality Cava is less piercing acidity and more smoothness with a creamy fizz in the mouth.

French Sparkling

Whilst dominated by Champagne, most wine producing regions of France also produce their own style of fizz, some of which are very good indeed. The best is produced in the same way as champagne, the traditional method, with a secondary fermentation taking place in bottle followed by prolonged ageing on the lees (the yeast cells, left after the fermentation has finished). First among equals must surely be Blanquette de Limoux. Documentary evidence suggests this sparkling wine, from the south-west of France, predates the ‘invention’ of champagne. Made from the Mauzac grape with the addition of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, the results are stunning and Rives Blanques produce one of the best. Sitting alongside this ‘band’ are the Crémants from across France such as: Crémant d’Alsace; Crémant de Loire; Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Jura. All made from the local grapes of each region, they offer refinement and elegance at a fraction of the price of champagne. From the next tier, still made using the traditional method, are the likes of Saumur Brut from the Loire; less ageing on lees means a less complex wine, but sometimes we don’t want too much complexity, just a decent glass of wine with bubbles!

English Sparkling

The belt of chalky soil, so prized by the Champenois in northern France, runs on north-west emerging in the southern English counties of Kent, Sussex and Hampshire (where Nyetimber straddles the county borders).

The grape varieties from Champagne, namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, therefore find themselves quite at home. In recent years English sparklers, which need, like all sparkling wines, a little acidity to maintain their balance, have been propelled to the top of the quality pile. With the improvements in technology, and a warmer climate, the future looks very bright for English sparkling wine producers. Two new listings this year demonstrate this rise in quality – Ashling Park Estate is on the chalky South Downs, whilst Fairmile Vineyard is also located on chalky, marl soils like Champagne, this time around the Chiltern Hills. Away from the South-East, improvements are also bearing fruit with some fine sparkling wine produced in the South-West, and in Herefordshire.

Other Brut Sparkling

In all parts of the vinous globe there are sparkling wines produced, maybe not on the scale of champagne or Prosecco, but nevertheless where people make wine, they also like to put bubbles in it.

Many follow in the footsteps of champagne using the same production methods and even grape varieties. There are some excellent examples: try the superb Pelorus from the Cloudy Bay stable in New Zealand; or closer to home the fizz of Ancre Hill Vineyards in Wales, where production is both organic and biodynamic, the potential of which is ably demonstrated by Richard Morris.

Rosé/Pink Sparkling

There is something irrepressibly romantic about pink fizz making it perfect for weddings and other events.

These wines do, however, have a more serious side; beautiful and stylish, they are great with food, often being more full-bodied than their white counterparts and demonstrating great versatility.

Sweeter Sparkling

The ideal accompaniment to desserts, the sweeter styles of sparkling wines deserve to be more popular than they are.

Elegant, light, fruity and often lower in alcohol, they are perfect to sip on their own and often suited to a toast taking place at the end of a meal.

Red Sparkling

A very small amount of red wine is turned into fizz.

In the case of Australian Sparkling Shiraz, it is given a little sweetness to counteract the tannins in the wine, the effect of which would be heightened by the bubbles. These rich, chocolaty reds are great with smoky barbecue foods.

Tanners Own Label Spirits: Premium Gin and Whisky Selection

Discover Tanners Own Label Spirits, featuring expertly crafted spirits like Tanners Hereford Gin, the smooth and flavourful Tanners Slow Gin, the bold Tanners Peaty Creag Whisky, and the renowned Tanners Glenfarclas 14-Year-Old Whisky. All are expertly sourced by the Tanners team to offer exceptional quality and value.

Brandy

Brandy’s sales have grown faster in last couple of years than they have for a while, this is leading to more investment in the region and the drinks. The big brands continue to dominate but overall things are looking more rosy here... The very finest examples come from France in the form of Armagnac from the South-West and Cognac from Charentes. These spirits are usually blended to offer consistency of style and quality. The age of the spirit indicates the quality level at which it appears, from the everyday VS level through to XO and beyond. The best of them offer a fantastically complex drink to round off any meal. The brandies of Spain tend to be fuller, a little sweeter and darker in colour, while those of Asbach from Germany’s Rhine valley are a little lighter.

Whisky

There is currently unprecedented demand for whisky, forcing many brands to eschew age statements for brand names, certainly at the entry level. At the same time, releases of age statement whiskies are met with high demand and sell out quickly. Whisky is now produced all over the world with some of the best coming from Japan, Ireland, the USA and, more recently, England and Wales. Scotland’s malt whiskies are fascinating and complex. From the light, ethereal Lowland to the elegant Speyside, through the rich Highland style and the peaty, smoky whiskies of the Islands, there is a whisky to suit all occasions, particularly with the raft of new ‘expressions’ released by the distilleries every year. The Irish style is generally softer, more approachable; look out for Teeling, one of the newer distilleries. Bourbon continues to grow rapidly in interest, the best now rivalling Scotch in terms of complexity, while the fledgling whiskies of England and Wales are beginning to show their quality. Japanese whiskies are very like Scotch, because that is where the Japanese distillers first learnt their craft and there are many superb examples. The subject of Scotch whisky can easily become a fascination: the source of the barley, the way it is malted, the water supply and the shape of the stills all influence the flavour of the spirit, and that is before the type of oak and conditions in which it is matured are determined! There remains strong interest in limited edition bottlings which can come and go quickly so do enquire or keep an eye on our Oddments List.

Gin

The gin market seems to have peaked but is still at a much higher level than historic levels. Gin is a very individual spirit. It is flavoured with juniper and a number of other ‘botanicals’, the proportions of which give each gin its individual characteristics and following. As with any flavourings, the job can be done well, and it can be done badly. We are very proud to have an extensive selection of quality gins available at Tanners to suit all tastes. The flavoured gins are finding great popularity, with rhubarb and honey seemingly the favourites. Don’t forget Sloe and Damson Gin which we classify under ‘Liqueurs’ because they are sweet.

Vodka

This neutral spirit can be made from virtually anything with sucrose in it: barley, rye, potatoes, apples, milk and more besides. Then there is the all-important distillation these techniques will have as much effect on the flavour as the base liquid itself. Many are distilled numerous times to make them as ‘clean’ and pure as possible. Many charcoal filter their vodka to increase its purity. Try Black Cow’s fascinating, creamy vodka, made from whey, or Chase’s amazingly clean and fresh potato vodka.

Rum

Rum is benefitting from the increased interest in fine spirits after the recent gin boom. This is bringing new players into the market, but it is starting with a much smaller base of drinkers. Some are curating excellent ranges source from the Caribbean such as Lost Years, while others are buying molasses and fermenting/distilling them and some even buying unrefined sugar and starting a new category. When it comes to after dinner drinks, the finest golden rums are more than a match for fine cognacs and malt whiskies. There is a tendency for these to come from the French West Indies, but nowadays there are plenty of ‘boutique’ producers around the rest of the Caribbean too. Many of these ’new wave’ rums have a much greater sense of place and are more individual in style than in days of yore, often coming from very small distilleries. Rum is closely associated with the Caribbean islands, but all rum needs is sugarcane which is grown in many tropical climates from Central America to Australia. The famous Demerara region is in Guyana in South America. Some production involves shipping molasses to be processed nearer their markets, and a recent trend has been the importation in bulk for local maturation in barrel. We have two large old wooden vats at Tanners which served just that purpose. Other styles are white and dark rums, as well as the newly-popular spiced rums.

Eaux de Vie

Eau de Vie, like Aqua Vitae, means water of life, and should be a full strength, twice-distilled, dry spirit, which is normally colourless. All Eaux de Vie – Schnapps in German – start life as clear distillates but may take on colour if aged in wood. They can be made from any fruit ranging from apples, through pears (the Williams variety is favoured) to raspberries and other soft fruits. Eaux de Vie made from pomace (skins and pips) is called Marc in France and Grappa in Italy.

Liqueurs, Apéritifs, Non Alcoholic & More

Liqueurs

Just about any fruit or herb you can think of, somebody, somewhere in the world is almost certainly macerating in sugar and alcohol. ‘Liqueurs’ covers a myriad of different styles and drinks but what they all have in common is that they are flavoured and sweetened spirits. We keep an eclectic range in addition to the usual suspects. Smaller producers make more interesting, better value liqueurs such as those from Massenez, based in Alsace. We include fruit gins in this category rather than mix them with dry gins. Complex and fruity liqueurs such as Tanners Sloe Gin and the other flavours from Foxdenton fit the mould perfectly.

Non Alcoholic Drinks

The popularity of gin in the UK has given rise to a number of non-alcoholic variants, which in turn has led to a broadening of the category. Some are distilled in the normal way, the alcohol is then removed, and flavouring added. Others have no alcohol at all in the process just a maceration of the flavourings in water. A variety of different base flavours are used, and they can, served with a good mixer, make an interesting alternative to soft drinks for those looking for something different.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The Sesti family have a wonderful estate: Castello di Argiano near Montalcino in Tuscany. When we ship their lovely Rosso and Brunello wines, we can never resist adding some cases of their intensely flavoured extra virgin olive oil to the orders. We do the same from Riecine in Chianti, a real treat!

Michel Arnould & Fils

A family owned and run company comprising 12 hectares of hillside vineyards all in the Grand Cru of Verzenay. All the grapes come from their own vines and none are bought in from outside.

The very oldest vines were planted in 1950 however the overall average vine age is 35 years. 80% of plantings are Pinot Noir trained on the ‘Cordon de Royat’ system and 20% Chardonnay trained on the ‘Chablis’ system. The estate’s history dates back to the end of the nineteenth century under the stewardship of the Lefevre family when grapes were grown and sold on to the top Champagne houses in Verzenay. In the early 1930s Henri Lefevre took the next step and made his first champagne. His son André increased production, after purchasing a tank and a ‘Coquard’ press, and started selling all across France. The marriage of André’s grand-daughter Françoise in 1960 to Michel Arnould marked the birth of Michel Arnould Champagne as we know it today. Their first Champagne was produced in 1961 and in 1972 they started exporting to England. Their production now exceeds 70,000 bottles, of which 40% is exported. Today Michel’s son Patrick Arnould and son-in-law Thierry are at the helm, and will in time hand over to their own children who are the sixth generation of the original Lefevre family.

Sichel

Maison Sichel is one of Bordeaux's foremost négociant houses and has been supplying wine to Tanners for over 100 years.

They first set up a simple acquisitions office in Bordeaux, at 19 Quai de Bacalan, in 1883 which procured wines for their companies in Mainz, London and New York. This office still exists and today is the group’s elegant headquarters. Six generations of the Sichel family have been at the helm since. In 1938, Allan Sichel along with other partners bought a dilapidated Château Palmer, and in 1961 Peter A. Sichel purchased Château Angludet. Both properties saw extensive renovation and development over four decades, and today are very highly respected Bordeaux properties. In 1967 Sichel built and became the first Bordeaux merchant to have its own winemaking facility. Today they have very modern production and high tech storage facilities outside the city. Their collection of wine estates currently covers 350 hectares of vines, and ever continues to expand.

Churchill's

Johnny Graham left Cockburn’s as a director in 1980 to set up the first independent Port house in seventy years in Oporto. The old Graham’s ‘family’ business and its name had been sold to the Symingtons in 1970 so he chose instead to adopt his wife’s maiden name of Churchill. With the purchase of Quinta da Gricha and Quinta do Rio, both renowned Grade A vineyards in the premium Cima Corgo region of the Douro, Churchill’s is now in control from grape to bottle. As well as producing very fine, well-structured Ports, Johnny has been at the forefront of Douro Red wine production.

Beaumont des Crayères

Beaumont des Crayères is in Mardeuil, a village west of Epernay and supplies all three Tanners Champagnes: our house Brut, spécial and rosé.

Established in 1955 it is a highly impressive small co-operative of about 230 growers, with 75 ha under direct control of Chef de Cave, Gauthier Quatrevaux. The vineyards are mostly located around the village in the Marne Valley, with a small number in Cumières, Damery, Dizy, Epernay, Hautvillers, Pierry and Vinay.  Pinot Meunier is the main grape variety grown accounting for 60% of plantings - it performs extremely well on the cooler north-facing slopes and makes wines with a lovely soft fruity expression. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up the balance. Pinot Meunier gives fruit character and roundness; Pinot Noir length and body; and Chardonnay finesse and freshness. The co-operative uses only its own grapes, and is driven in its pursuit of quality employing strict selection to produce the best Champagnes. Most of the work in the vineyard is by hand from tending the vines to harvesting at vintage time. Their first vintage was in 1958 and today they produce 600,000 bottles a year which is exported globally. The name Beaumont des Crayères comes directly from one of the finest hillside vineyards in Mardeuil, ‘Beaumont’ translating as ‘beautiful hill’ and Crayères referring to the hill’s chalk subsoils on which the vines grow.

Château La Tour de By

The situation of these vineyards is quite stunning, overlooking the Gironde estuary. The gravel soil of the area forces the vines to set down deep roots and the wines are extremely consistent with quality fruit being the key. Cousins Frédéric Le Clerc and Benjamin Richer des Forges have 94 hectares under vine at La Tour de By, and produce excellent full-flavoured wines with lovely aromatics which develop further with extended bottle age. This is very traditionally styled Médoc.

Duorum

Made by Duorum, a joint venture between João-Portugal Ramos of the Alentejo and José Maria Soares Franco, ex Barca Velha. The vines are in two sites in the Douro: in the Cima Corgo (middle Douro) and the Alto Douro, where there is a large investment in a winery and 45 Ha of new plantings at the beautifully situated Castelo Melhor, perched above a remote section of the Douro. 70 Ha of vines are also rented. José-Luis Moreira da Silva is the oenologist and João Perry Vidal is the viticulturist.

Bollinger

Bollinger’s distinctive dry, biscuity style has long been favoured in England, the most important market for this is relatively small, but well-formed Champagne house. The style owes much to fermentation of the wine in oak barrels which is unusual in the Champagne region. Madame Lily Bollinger famously had an excuse to drink Bollinger in any state on mind. She and her nephew, Christian Bizot, after a good lunch, were also game enough to push start an old Tanners van when Richard Tanner was doing his first foray around the French vineyards in 1957!

Pol Roger

The floral, elegant, slightly citrusy champagnes of Pol Roger lead many to assume that Chardonnay is the dominant grape here, when in actual fact black grapes play a more important role in most of Pol Roger’s champagnes. That elegant style means that perfectly healthy grapes have to be used which is easier for Pol Roger because have their own extensive vineyard holdings. The Pol-Roger family and their cousins the de Billys still maintain ties with the family of Sir Winston Churchill, the most famous fan of Pol Roger champagnes. He even had a racehorse called Odette Pol-Roger! Hubert de Billy did a wonderful tasting for customers at Wyle Cop a year or two back.

André Clouet

The Family Clouet have been living in and around the grand cru village of Bouzy, in the Montagne de Reims vineyards since 1492. The Montagne, the highest point between Germany and the UK if you look down a straight line, has been fought over for centuries - Attila the Hun camped on it in 451 AD, but it is the Pinot Noir grape which is now the King of this particular hill! The soil is volcanic schist over a chalk base, and the vines work hard giving quality and concentration to the wines. Jean-François Clouet is an ebullient character, larger than life, who believes passionately in himself. His goal is to turn Pinot Noir (and he only uses Pinot Noir) into the best grower’s champagne on the market. By appointment to, and on first names with the Royal Family of Sweden, he regularly welcomes dignitaries and pop stars from all over the world, many of whom now arrive by helicopter to collect a case or two of his fabulous wines.

Latest Offers

Discover Our Newest Offers: Premium Wines at Exclusive Savings

Explore Tanners Wines' latest offers on a selection of outstanding bottles, each at a special price. We've handpicked wines from renowned producers and regions.

Whether you're stocking up on favourites, trying something new, or searching for a gift, our collection includes a range of reds, whites, and sparkling wines to suit every taste and occasion.

Mixed Cases

Convenient Pre-Selected Mixed Wine Cases - Perfect for Any Occasion. 

When time is of the essence and you're unsure what to choose, our expertly curated pre-selected mixed dozens and half-dozens are the perfect solution. These mixed wine cases are not only convenient but also offer a chance to explore new varietals and blends. Ideal for stocking your wine rack, trying something new, or giving as thoughtful gifts, our mixed cases simplify your wine selection process while ensuring variety and quality.

White Burgundy

Red Burgundy

Douro

Gift Boxes

Wine makes great presents and Tanners has huge experience in successfully delivering them. Just make your selection, add a gift box and enter your message at checkout. Even easier is to select one of our hand-selected dozens, half dozen or gift packs, all beautifully packaged and ready-to-go.

Award Winning Wines

Wines stocked by Tanners have won a multitude of awards over many decades, making a great endorsement of our buying skills. Here is a selection of recent award winners and what they have won.

Mixed Case Offers

Special Offers on Pre-Selected Mixed Wine Cases - Discover New Favourites

Take advantage of our special offers on pre-selected mixed dozens and half-dozens! Perfect for busy times when you need to stock up quickly or want to explore new wines, these mixed cases offer convenience and variety. Whether for filling your wine rack or as thoughtful gifts, our discounted mixed cases provide an excellent opportunity to discover new favourites without compromising on quality. Don’t miss out on these limited-time offers to elevate your wine experience!

Multi-buy: Buy 3 or more, £1.50 off each

Multi-buy: Buy 3 or more, £6 off each

Multi-buy: Buy 6 or more, £6 off each

Multi-buy: Buy 2 or more, £2 off each

Aalborg Akvavit

When he was still a teenager a bright young Dane, called Isidor Henius, came up with a new formula for akvavit. It was first sold on a commercial basis in 1846 and has gone from strength to strength.

Akashi Tai Brewery Co Ltd (Japan)

Aldonia

Alovini

Angel Bodegas

Antinori

The Antinori family have been involved in winemaking for over six hundred years, since Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild in 1385. Throughout 26 generations, the family has always managed the business making innovative and courageous choices, whilst respecting tradition and the land. Until the 1960s Antinori had in addition to vineyards cultivated cereals and fruit trees.

The years following WWII proved hugely challenging for Italy, many historic vineyards fell into neglect and new plantings of poorer quality vines gave rise to poorer quality wines. In 1966 Piero Antinori, 25th generation of the Antinori family, took over from his father Niccolò and set his mind to reviving the fortunes of not just Tuscan but Italian wines in general. Two decades of big investments, bankrolled by several huge financial gambles, paid off and have seen the company blossom into Marchese Piero Antinori’s extraordinary vision. He has been a hugely influential and inspirational figure, and the catalyst for so many of the leaps and seismic changes in Italian winemaking. They have been a major force in getting Italian wine noticed and in bringing about the regulation changes that improved the quality of wine from Chianti. Antinori estates and vineyards can be found across Chianti and in Orvieto. Tenuta Tignanello is their flagship estate, where their legendary Tignanello and Solaia are made. After decades of Marchese Piero Antinori heading up the company, today his daughter Albiera Antinori is the company's president and is closely assisted by her sisters Allegra and Alessia.

Ardbeg Distillery

Ashling Park Estate

Aber Falls Gin

Absolut (The Absolut Company)

A major brand of the Vin and Spirit Monopoly in Sweden. Founded in the early part of the 19th century by Lars Olsson Smith who had the largest distillery in Europe and produced a very pure spirit from potatoes. The name derives from this 'absolutely pure' - absolut.

Alain Gras

Alejandro Fernández

Amanti del Vino

We source the Amanti del Vino wines from an excellent winery in Italy however this source of supply may change from time to time due to variations in the market for grapes between vintages. Our overriding ambition with these wines is to maintain the highest quality at competitive prices, with the wines being true to their grape variety whilst also guaranteeing a continuity of style between years.

Angel’s Flight

We source the Angel’s Flight wine from an excellent winery in California however this source of supply may change from time to time due to variations in the market for grapes between vintages. Our overriding ambition with this wine is to maintain the highest quality at competitive prices, with the wine being true to its grape variety whilst also guaranteeing a continuity of style between years.

Argyros Estate

Aston Estate

Ayala

Agricoltori del Geografico

The Agricoltori del Geografico was formed in 1961 by 17 farmers seeking to improve the quality of their produce and its commercial potential. Today the group ‘Geografico’ comprises 170 members and 60 winemakers in the most prestigious areas of Tuscany, covering an area equivalent to 571 hectares, and is owned by Piccini who added it to their portfolio in 2019.

Most of Geografico’s land falls under the DOCG quality standard with the main production areas being: Chianti Classico, Chianti Colli Senesi and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Chianti Classico is produced from 250 hectares in the south of the region, at an altitude of between 280 and 600m above sea level, and in the province of Siena, a total of 160 hectares of vines produce Chianti Colli Senesi. Geografico’s aim is to produce wines that respect the traditions of Tuscany’s various regions while paying close attention to technical innovations that might further benefit their wines. Their headquarters, situated between Castellina in Chianti and Poggibonsi, is a vast warehousing, bottling and winery complex with oceans of room for further expansion. Environmentally mindful, a vast solar array provides a lot of their electricity, while they use their own ground water for washing thousands of bottles every day and recycle carefully.

Alliance Loire

Ancre Hill Estates

Angostura

André Perret

André Perret is one of the most famous names in all the Rhône, and one of the humblest people around. He took over his family farm back in 1982 after studying biology and realising he wanted more of an outdoor lifestyle.

When André returned to his village there were just two other winemakers located there, he has been influential in developing the area and encouraging young winemakers to set up shop there. He has also been instrumental in rejuvenating the fortunes and reputation of Viognier in northern Rhône and is now widely regarded as one of the top producers in Condrieu. Since 2020 André has been joined by daughter Marie, after she finished five years study at agricultural school and a vintage in Cachapoal, Chile. After starting with just half a hectare, they now have 13 ha of vines on some of the steepest slopes of the region, the vineyards are terraced and labour intensive. There are 5.5ha in Condrieu, 5.5 in Saint-Joseph (1 white, rest red), the remainder is VdP Rhodaniennes. The Saint-Joseph and VdP Rhodaniennes wines are certainly worth seeking out too.

Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal

Barbanera

"The family firm of Barbanera is situated in the beautiful south-eastern corner of Tuscany in a district known as the Colli Senesi. They are near the town of Montepulciano, the home of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and some of their best vineyards are within this appellation, the rest lying in the rolling hills below the imposing Monte (Mt) Cetona.

Framed by majestic and ancient olive trees the ultra-smart façade of the new building, at Barbanera’s head office in Cetona, backs onto their bottling plant and the original warehouse from the company’s early years. Founded in 1938 by Altero and Maria Franceschini, their grandsons Marco and Paolo Barbanera started as wine bottlers in 1978 and then diversified into producing their own wine. Today it is a dynamic, modern winery with state-of-the-art bottling technology which exports all over the world. Finished in 2017 the winery nestles in vineyards a short drive away, boasting shiny stainless steel and refrigerated tanks that use an inbuilt pipe system to keep the grapes fresh, all fed by gravity to minimise stress on the fruit. Grapes brought to the winery have been either basket harvested by hand or machine harvested. Their portfolio is extensive, ranging from wines made exclusively in stainless steel through to structured barrique aged examples, and of those for immediate enjoyment some are made in the Appassite and Governo styles. Once finished and ready for bottling, wines see only a micro-filtration to remove yeasts/sediments while retaining maximum character and undergo stringent tests in their dedicated on-site lab to ensure the very highest quality is being constantly maintained. A continuing programme of investment in equipment, space and above, all people, is the secret behind the impressive improvement in quality, value-for-money and consequent rapid growth in the last few years."

Belvedere Vodka

Polmos Zyrardów produce this elegantly packaged Vodka in the town of Zyrardów, to the west of Warsaw. The bottle features the Belvedere Palace which was the residence of the Polish Royal family and later the Presidents. Distilled four times it is a very pure and creamy spirit at the luxury end.

Billecart Salmon

Bodega Malma

Bodega Malma, meaning pride in the local dialect, is situated in the Neuquén region of Patagonia at 39° south. This is a relatively new region with production only beginning in the early 2000s and only 1700 ha of vines planted but it is seen as very important for the development of wine growing in an area which currently has a very limited number of wineries.

Here, there is a big variation between day and night temperatures which gives slow ripening, leading to good concentration and acidities, while breezes and relatively low humidity keep the vines healthy. The soils are alluvial, deep, complex and mineral rich. The winery has 127 ha of vines planted with a drip irrigation system. These are mainly Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon and Chardonnay with great care being taken to match the varieties to the best terroir for them. The winery is owned by the Viola family who produced their first vintage here in 2004 from vines planted in 2001 and are pioneers for the entire region. Hans Vinding-Diers is employed as consulting oenologist. The winery itself has a capacity of 1.8 million litres with 200 barrels and storage capacity for 400,000 bottles. It’s constructed to blend in with the landscape, combining advanced winemaking technology with the aesthetics of the surrounding mountains and, as well as the winery, comprises a restaurant and accommodation on the site. Patagonia is well known for having a Welsh speaking community, located in the Chabut Valley, south of Neuquén.

Bodegas Gancedo

Bodegas Vega Sicilia

Bombay Sapphire

Bottega Carpano

The history of Carpano dates back to 1786 in Turin when Antonio Benedetto Carpano first invented Vermouth. He trained a a herbalist and it was he who came up with the idea of steeping herbs and spices in the local moscatel wine. It remained in the Carpano family until 1982 when a 50% share was aquired by Fratelli Branca Distillerie, the owners of Fernet Branca. This process was completed in 2001 when production was moved from Turin to Milan.

Braida di Giacomo Bologna

Giacomo Bologna took over the family winery in the early 1960s. A larger than life character he had a flair for experimenting and producing wines of exuberance and style. His children Raffaella and Beppe continue the tradition with his widow, Anna. Braida is the name of the winery.

Bunnahabhain Distillery

Bagordi

An unassuming bodega just outside Andosilla, Bagordi has been fully organic since 1997 and produces about half a million litres per year. The vines are grown on the plateau to the north, all of them in the Rioja Oriental (originally called the Rioja Baja).

Their main vineyard lies by the banks of the Ega and Ebro rivers, between the towns of Andosilla and San Adrián. The soils are poor, mostly alluvial and free-draining and natural vegetation is sparse and scrubby. Tellingly, nothing is planted across their northern boundary – in Navarra. Owner Luis Carcar is very ‘hands-on’ with the vineyard, while the style of wines owes much to non-intervention wine making, long macerations and cold fermentations. Dry summers followed by cold winters are ideal conditions for growing organic grapes as they allow the winemakers to dispense with the need for chemical compounds. Acidity is correspondingly quite high, with marked freshness in the wines. The red wines are quite dark often with a relatively high proportion of Graciano in the blend, a variety that does well in this drier, more southerly area. Their rosado is traditional; dry with a strawberry pink colour and made entirely from Garnacha.

Barbeito

Ben Glover

Bernard Dugat-Py

Boas Quintas

Bodegas Aquitania

Bodegas Aquitania produces pure, aromatic and fresh Albariño from vineyards heavily influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The enterprise was begun by a local businessman, José Aguin, who returned to his family's winemaking roots in 2000 and took over a small bodega turning it into a modern, well-equipped winery. He also employed Cayetano Otero, one of the foremost winemakers of the region, as technical consultant. 12 ha of vines are all situated within 8 km of the winery in the Salnés Valley zone of Rías Baixas so right in the heart of the best area for Albariño, on a promontory with the sea all around and never further than a kilometre away. On well-drained decomposed granite and sand slopes – vital in this area of high rainfall – the Albariño vines are up to a hundred years old. They are grown on the typical pergolas held up by tall granite posts which they believe optimise the leaf exposure to the sun. With their cellars dug into the ground, the grapes move by gravity with minimal intervention. Furthermore, temperature control and great care to avoid contact with oxygen ensures the freshness of the wine, while ageing on lees helps the texture.

Bodegas Luzón

A long established estate in warm Jumilla, Bodegas Luzón makes wines with a modern twist. Bodegas Luzón is situated in the south east of Spain, north of Murcia.

The climate is continental, influenced by the Mediterranean sea, so warm days, not a lot of rain and fairly cool nights, which is ideal for growing grapes with good ripeness and sugar levels, while still maintaining freshness. The winery was established in 1841 by Don José de Molina on his return from the Philippines where he was the army commander on the island of Luzón, and it then passed down through his family until 2005 when it was bought by the Fuertes family who have since undertaken considerable investment in the winery. There are now 300 ha of vineyards directly owned, with a further 1,200 managed by the winery. Monastrell (Mourvèdre) is the main variety, supported mainly by Garnacha with some Tempranillo and Syrah for the reds, Macabeo and Airén for the whites. The grapes are sorted and totally destemmed before fermentation which is mainly in stainless steel after being cooled to prevent any spontaneous fermentation. After malolactic fermentation, the top wines are matured in oak for varying lengths of time, the younger wines bottled early to keep freshness and fruit after a light filtration. Although this is one of the oldest wineries in the region, methods are modern and progressive with care taken to reach environmental standards. Some organic wines and some without added sulphites are also being produced.

Bodegas Solar Viejo

A medium-sized Rioja bodega just to the north of Laguardia, next to the ‘wave’ building that is Bodegas Ysios. They own six hectares, but have 100 more under contact with growers, and aim to expand now they are part of Freixenet, and most of these are in the Rioja Alavesa.

The views are great, with ‘Lion Mountain’ away to the north brooding over a patchwork of small vineyards. Grapes are all hand-harvested, the winery modern and functional rather than state-of-the-art. They have 5,000 barrels, 60% American oak, and change a fifth every year. They produce 3 million bottles a year. The style is soft, with a good lick of oak but correspondingly ripe fruit and acidity to balance it.

Bogle Vineyards

A family owned and run enterprise established in 1968 by father and son team Warren and Chris Bogle, the fourth and fifth generations to farm the California Delta, in Clarksburg, California - about 90 minutes drive north east of San Francisco, close to Sacramento. They have over 1200 acres, produce over seven different varietals and annual production is in excess of 1 million bottles.

Today Patty Bogle runs the estate aided by her family: Warren, who runs the vineyards and the winery, Jody and Ryan. Wine-maker Eric Aafedt completes the team. Like his father and grandfather, Warren understands that in order to produce quality wines, you must first produce quality grapes. This tradition of respect for the land and the vines is crucial to the huge success of Bogle wines.

Bouchard Finlayson

Bruichladdich Distillery

Buisson-Charles

Burrowing Owl

Balvenie Distillery

Owned by Grants and next door to Glenfiddich although the style could not be more different. It is aged and matured in Bourbon and Sherrywood casks and is distilled using tall stills. The house style is big rich, honeyed, sweet and malty - a perfect after dinner malt.

Beeslaar Wines

Bird in Hand

Blandy's

Bodega Abadía de Acón

Bodegas Ayuso

Bodegas Taron

Bonnet-Huteau

Their 40 ha have been cared for in an environmentally friendly manner since 2005. They received organic status in 2009 and today are fully accredited biodynamic producers, a dedicated thing to do in the cooler, damper climate of the Muscadet region.

At the heart of the estate is a ruined 11th century manor house. In 1959 the estate gave up other forms of agriculture to concentrate on wine production. The soil types across the domaine are diverse. The Dabinières vineyard is mica- schist and gneiss; Gautronnières is gabbro and amphibolite, both igneous rocks and Goulaine is a mix of schist and gneiss. The winemaking is largely traditional with relatively low levels of sulphur used just prior to bottling but they are experimenting with skin contact and even partial malolactic fermentations to add weight. The wines are aged in stainless steel and glass-lined tanks for a minimum of six months to over 24 months for the Goulaine.

This family-owned and run property is farmed by brothers Rémi and Jean- Jacques Bonnet. Rémi joined the family business in 1982 then Jean-Jacques followed in 1988 Producers of biodynamic Muscadet, brothers Rémi and Jean-Jacques Bonnet run their family estate with great care and dedication.

Brockmans Gin

Brunier Family

In 1898 Hippolyte Brunier planted the first vines on the stony soils of the Crau plateau, which lies in the southeast of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. Fourth generation, Fréderic and Daniel now run the 72 hectare property of the magnificent Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe and continue to build on the work of earlier generations.

The Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe estate takes its name from the tower on the hillside built in 1792 by M. Chappe. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe produces only four wines, their top cuveés from their oldest vines: the complex Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Red from Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, and the powerful Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe White from Clairette, Grenache, Roussanne and Bourboulenc; and their two second wines the red and white Le Télégramme. Also under the Brunier stable are Domaine la Roquette, purchased in 1986 as a lighter faster maturing style of Châteauneuf compared to Vieux Télégraphe, and Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas where the previous owner Pierre Roux had no heir to succeed him. Methods at Pallières are very traditional and the vines average at least 50 years of age. Les Pallières had been in the Roux family since the 15th century.

Bulleit Distilling Company

In the 1830s Augustus Bulleit, a tavern keeper in Louisville, Kentucky set out to produce unique bourbon, after a long period of experimenting he came up with Bulleit Bourbon. Tragedy struck when, whilst transporting barrels of his bourbon from Kentucky to New Orleans he disappeared never to be seen again.

In 1987 his great-great-grandson, Thomas E. Bulleit Jr, decided to revive his family’s bourbon legacy, leaving a successful law firm and starting up the Bulleit Distilling Company. Their high-rye whiskey, from 95% rye and 5% malted barley, mashed with Kentucky limestone filtered water and fermented with secret yeast strains, is aged in charred American oak, and matured to taste before bottling. It is bold and spicy yet distinctively smooth.

Bushmills Distillery

Close to the Giant's Causeway the water supply for the Bushmills distillery runs through the basalt rock and then through peat. The location has been associated with distilling since 1608 when a licence was first granted. The current operation was established in 1784.

Canadian Club

Hiram Walker first introduced this blend in 1858. He was a grain merchant and used a particularly slow distilling process to obtain a soft and clean spirit. Unusually this is blended prior to aging. Lightly smoked and mellow in style.

Cantine Fina

Cape Elevation Vineyards

Casal Branco

The Casal Branco Estate is situated on the left bank of the Tagus River, at Almeirim in the Ribatejo region of southern Portugal. This impressive property has been in the same family for over 2 centuries.

The large estate is 660 hectares in total of which about 140 hectares are given over to growing grapes for the estate's wines. The estate specialises in native Portuguese varieties but has some international varieties as well. The winery building dates back to the 18th Century though more modern techniques and equipment are employed inside it! The vineyards of the estate now cover what was once one of the largest royal falcon hunting grounds in Portugal. The estate also has a renowned stud farm breeding pure Lusitano horses.

Catherine Marshall Wines

Cathy Marshall has taken over some disused apple sheds to give a proper home to her miniature winemaking operation. There is a basket press, an assortment of small tanks and some fibreglass tubs. In fact this is all you need to make great wine as long as you have the same know-how, dedication and energy that Cathy has ... and some sources of truly good grapes!

Cave des Clairmonts

The bulk of Cave des Clairmont's vineyards are in Crozes-Hermitage, with 42 hectares split between six local families. This alliance was set up in the 1970s so that each member could maximise their potential. The modern winery is located in Beaumont Monteux and the wines are consistently good.

Celler Cal Pla

Chanson Père & Fils

Charles Joguet

Charles Joguet took over his family's mixed farm while studying art in Paris, following the death of his father. The eponymous domaine was founded in 1957. He did away with the other forms of agriculture to concentrate on grape production.

In order to continue his first love of art he joined up with Jacques Genet in 1985. Charles had no family so passed the estate on to the Genet family when he retired in 1997 to dedicate more time to painting and sculpture, and he is still painting today. Since 2006 the estate has been run by Jacques' daughter, Anne-Charlotte Genet, with the help of winemaker Kevin Fontaine. They have 36 ha of Cabernet planted as well as 3 ha of Chenin Blanc. The soils are mostly the classic limestone Tuf soils of the region but they have a portion grown on sandy soils at the confluence of the rivers Vienne and Loire, which goes in to the Silènes cuvée. The vineyards have been certified organic since 2016 but the organic philosophy has been practiced since 2006. The vineyards are grassed through and they also restrict yields by late pruning, de-budding, de-leafing and doing a green harvest. All the harvesting is by hand with many plots picked successively to ensure the grapes are picked at optimum ripeness. They ferment in temperature controlled stainless steel vats and age their single vineyard cuvées in 400L barrels as well as using microoxygenation to give smoother tannins in the wines.

Château Argadens

This 45 hectare property in the Entre-deux-Mers region was purchased by Maison Sichel in 2002. Originally called Salle d'Arche it was renamed in honour of its owners and probable founders in the 14th century, the Argadens family. Sichel have embarked on an ambitious programme of restoration and expansion to restructure the vineyard and cellars and it now ranks as one of the top Bordeaux Supérieur wines on the market.

Château Batailley

This Pauillac property is owned by the Castéja family and was split from Haut Batailley in 1942 to prevent inheritance problems. It comprises 90 hectares planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking is traditional and the wines are textbook Pauillac with good weight and character and offer good value.

Château Bélair-Monange

Château Bourgneuf

Owned by Monsieur and Madame Xavier Vayron this is an estate of some 9 hectares on the plateau of Pomerol, next door to Trotanoy. Vinification is very traditional and the wines show good structure with an underlying elegance and finesse. It has great potential.

Château Brisson

Château Brisson is situated in Belvès de Castillon on the north bank of the Dordogne east of Saint-Emilion. Since 1980 the property has been owned by Paul Valade and comprises 18 hectares of mainly Merlot vines which average 30 years of age. Paul works with his son and together they concentrate on making well balanced flavoursome wines.

Château Clinet

Château Coutet

This is one of the oldest estates in Sauternes. The earliest part of the Château dates from 14th century. Owned by the Marquess de Lur Saluces since the end of the 18th century, it was purchased by Marcel Baly in 1977. The vineyards and cellars have been renovated, and the 38 hectares continue to produce 1st growth Barsac.

Château de Beaucastel

The Beaucastel estate sits near the small commune of Courthézon in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and has a long history, having been in the Beaucastel family since 1687 when it was given to them by King Louis XIV.

Since 1909 it has been in the safe and capable hands of the Perrin family, with Jean-Pierre and François in charge since 1978. After 40 vintages 2018 was officially François’ last, and his thirty-two year old son, César, (who has just married a Brunier of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe!) is now at the helm. A true farmer, César shuns paperwork in favour of the vineyards and has completed vintages in Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux and Burgundy (at Romanée Conti). The Perrin family produce some of the longest lived wines of the Rhône Valley, and are great believers in respecting the land and surroundings in which they farm and, as such, have farmed biodynamically since the 1970s, though this is not stated on the label; they are organically certified. Unlike many of its neighbours, Grenache is not the dominant grape here but rather they have a relatively high proportion of Mourvèdre and use all of the 13 permitted varietals. Big plans are in place for renovating the winery to become self-sustaining – recycling water, using solar and wind energy, and reusing the materials from their own ground. White wines account for 7% of their production. Beyond Beaucastel the Perrin family also own and run a négoçiant business including brands such as the very reliable Famille Perrin wines.

Château de la Solitude

Château de Tiregand

Château de Tiregand is the leading producer in Pécharmant, an enclave within the Bergerac appellation where its best red wines are made. Like Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, Pécharmant is situated on the northern bank of the Dordogne River, its boundaries delimited in 1936 according to an area of gravel over manganese-rich blue clay, very like that of Pomerol. Part of the old château-fort – much reduced during the Revolution – forms the chai. The elegant, present-day château sits on a bluff nearby, above the road if you have travelled from Bergerac up to Sarlat or La Roque-Gageac. The 43 ha of vineyards are largely on the plateau behind, but some are on the warmer south-facing slopes of the valley. Côme Piat and his family have owned the vineyards since 2023 and have set about conversion to organic, adopting the same regime as his father and brother at Château La Couronneau, 40 minutes away at Saint-Foy La Grande. Côme has set about extending and modernising the chai, but sympathetically as these are some of the prettiest in the region, very Périgordin. The reds, made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a little Côt (Malbec), have a claret-like structure, finesse and ability to age. The Sauvignon Blanc – from just 1.2 ha – has been a staple of the Tanners list for the 40 odd years that we dealt here with the Saint-Exupery family, distant cousins of author-aviator Antoine. After just shy of 200 years, they sold to the Piat family, the château passing into separate hands. 

Château Doisy-Daëne

The Dubourdieu family bought this 14 hectare property in 1924 and produced the first dry white in a sweet wine area in 1949. Production is split between the two wines, the dry Bordeaux Grand Vin Sec and the sweet 2me cru Sauternes, using modern methods and judicious quantities of new oak. A tiny amount of the extraordinary L'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne is made in the best years, and rivals Yquem in every dimension.

Château du Hureau

Château Durfort-Vivens

This is one of five second growths in Margaux. The château remained in the ownership of the Durfort de Duras family for seven centuries, before being bought by M.Vivens in 1824. With 37 hectares of fine vineyards, it was purchased by Lucien Lurton in 1961 who passed it to his son Gonzague in 1992. He achieved biodynamic certification for the property in 2016.

Château Gaudrelle

Château Gaudrelle dates back to the 17th century and has been home ot the Monmousseau family since 1931. Alexandre Monmousseau took the reins of the family estate in 1984 after completion of his studies in Beaune.

In 2009 he moved the wine-making from the château to a vast rock-hewn cellar on the river front. This enabled him to expand the use of modern stainless steel temperature controlled vats and state-of-the-art presses and gives plenty of space for storage. The vineyards run to 22 ha and are solely planted with Chenin Blanc. There are two distict soil types, the flinty Perruches and the limestone Tuf. Alexandre likes to reduce yields in the vineyard by pruning, grassing through the vineyards, de-budding, de-leafing twice a year, and crop thinning, this improves the health of the plants as well as reducing yields meaning he needs to treat less often with chemicals. He describes this method as Raisonée plus. Dry-ice is used at harvest time and in the winery to help preserve the delicate flavours of Chenin and to prevent oxidation, thereby reducing the use for sulphur dioxide. His fermentations are long and slow in stainless steel vats or large 500L wooden barrels. Alex is an exponent of the sec-tendre style of Vouvray meaning just enough sugar is left in the wine to balance the Chenin Blanc's natural acidity.

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Château Haut-Bages Libéral

A narrow country lane separates half of the vineyards of Haut-Bages Libéral and those of Château Latour with the other half bordering those of Pichon Baron on the Bages plateau. The gravelly vineyards overlook the Gironde and offer a prime site. In 1982 the estate was bought by Bernadette Villars and her daughter, Claire, is now in overall control producing great wines and moving the estate towards organic and biodynamic viticulture.

Château Lafon-Rochet

Château Les Hauts-Conseillants

This is a small 10 hectare property in Lalande-de-Pomerol. In 1973 Paul Figeac bought a 5 hectare neglected vineyard. His daughter married a vigneron, Pierre Bourotte who enlarged the property with a suitable plot on the Chevrol plateau in Néac. The Bourotte family are also the owners of Clos du Clocher, Bonalgue and Monregard La Croix all in Pomerol and du Courlat in Lussac-St-Emilion. The production is around 50,000 bottles per annum.

Château Lespault Martillac

Château Lynch-Bages

Jean-Charles Cazes bought this 90 hectare estate in 1936. He devoted years and huge amounts of energy to the wines of Lynch-Bages and his grandson, Jean-Michel is now restructuring the estate and following in his grandfather's footsteps. Offering great value for money this can often be looked at as mini Mouton Rothschild and is always one of the most popular en primeur releases.

Château Mauvesin-Barton

Château Montaiguillon

Owned and run by the Amart family, this excellent property is in Montagne-Saint-Emilion, one of the satellite appellations of Saint-Emilion to the north-east of the town.

In 1973 the towns of St Georges and Pairac were combined to create Montagne. A sizeable estate of 31 hectares of vineyard producing about 180,000 bottles a year. An ancient villa that is said to date from the fourth century, that some historians believe belonged to the poet Ausonius who gave his name to Ausone, is at the heart of this attractive and traditionally-run estate.

Château Musar

Château Olivier

Château Olivier was an old seigniory dating back to the middle ages, where it is said, the Black Prince used to visit to hunt in the forests hereabout. Since the 19th century it has been owned by the Bethmanns, an old Bordeaux Family. Jean-Jacques de Bethmann is the current owner and has overseen a considerable improvement in the quality here. A classic mix of tried and tested techniques and the most modern thinking are applied in the winery and the vineyards, where they produce both red and white wines.

Château Puygueraud

The Thienpont family, originally from Belgium, bought this property in 1946. The 47 hectares are on a rocky outcrop above the Dordonge and around a 15th century castle.

Today, the property is run by Nicolas Thienpont and his son Cyrille with the assistance of top consultant, Stéphane Derenoncourt.The other nearby properties belonging to the Thienponts such as La Prade and Laclaverie are also made here. The vines are mainly Merlot on a clay/limestone soil. A small amount of white is also produced.

Château Rieussec

Château Rieussec has been owned by many different parties, with a fair amount of re-planting taking place in the early 1970s.  Since 1984 its 90 hectares, which spread out over the hillsides of Fargues and Sauternes, have been in the capable hands of Lafite-Rothschild. Great investment, low yields and attention to detail result in hugely concentrated, elegant wines that see a lot of new oak.

Château Talbot

Châteaux Léoville & Langoa Barton

The Barton family continues to produce fine, elegant clarets that represent exceptional value for money. Léoville has no château so the wine-making is done at Langoa. One of the hallmarks of the wine is the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon used in the blend which is greater than in other St-Juliens.

Cline Cellars

Cloudy Bay

David Hohnen established Cloudy Bay in 1986 as an outpost of Cape Mentelle in Western Australia. Under the guidance of Kevin Judd, it became a cult producer with people queuing up for its Sauvignon Blanc in particular.

Cousiño-Macul

Family owned since 1856, Cousiño Macul is one of the 'grandees' of Chilean wineries, the estate complete with racing stables extends to some 267 hectares of vineyards, situated between the sprawling suburbs of Santiago and the wall of the Andes Cordillera.

Founded by Mathias Cousiño, it was his son Luis who travelled to France in 1860, just before the outbreak of Phylloxera, to purchase vines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Pauillac and Margaux; Sauvignon Blanc from Martillac in the Graves; and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Today Viña Cousiño Macul is considered a '1st growth' of Chile. The original estate can be found amidst the extensive recent house-building on the southern edge of the city, and has several avenues of English oaks in formal gardens, which look surreal against the Andes. Although steeped in history, with bottles in the cellars dating back to 1927, this forward looking company has a modern, state-of-the-art winery in the middle of its vineyards near Buin in the southern Maipo valley, now called Alto Maipo. Particularly strong in Cabernet Sauvignon based reds, it is their top blends like Lota which have reinforced the quality and ageworthiness that Chilean wineries need to demonstrate to compete on the world stage.

Crissante Alessandria

CVNE

CVNE, or Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, is one of the traditional Rioja bodegas. It was founded in 1879 and dominates the town of Haro. CVNE owns about 400 hectares of vineyards which supply most of their needs. They specialise in Reservas and Gran Reservas made in the traditional style with long ageing in American oak.

Château Pipeau

Cantele

Cantine Franzina

Castillo de Monjardin

Cave Coteaux du Rhône

La Cave Coteaux du Rhône Sérignan-du-Comtat is a co-operative based at the medieval village of Sérignan du Comtat to the north east of Orange in the southern Rhône.

Founded in 1926 their 300 members have vines covering 1100 hectares in many of the villages including Massif d’Uchaux, Vacqueyras and Plan de Dieu with the main part of the production being in Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages. All the local grapes, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, amongst others are grown on the stony soil typical of the area and all the wines are made, and the élevage done, at the co-operative which has 13 full time employees. The winemaker is Marc Thomas who is very up to date in his methods, harvesting by night and by parcel and using appropriate vinification methods for different parcels. Originally much was sold in bulk and from the cellar door but the bottled wine and export trade is increasing due to the excellent price quality ratio that can be found here.

Caves Castelmaure

Ceritas

Château Ausone

Château Belgrave (Haut-Médoc)

Belgrave is a large, 55 hectare estate that was much neglected until the large négociant firm of Dourthe took over the running of the estate in the 1980s. Significant investment and some replanting has led to a change in style which is due, in no small part, to the expertise and advice of wine consultant, Michel Rolland. This is very much a property on the up.

Château Branaire-Ducru

Descendents of the Branaire family held onto the estate despite the turmoil and changes of the French Revolution until 1919 when the estate was sold to the Tapie family who in turn sold it to Patrick Maroteaux in 1988. His son, François Xavier, now holds the reigns with the able assistance of manager Jean-Dominique Videau. Good for medium-term ageing.

Château Calon-Ségur

Château Cantemerle

This estate was family owned and run until 1980 when it was taken over by the SMA insurance group and managed by Cordier. In 1993 SMA decided to take the running of the property back 'in house' and created their own team and returned to the Bordeaux 'place' at the same time. Since then much renovation has taken place in the vineyards, both in terms of replanting and a 'greener' approach to vineyard management.

Château Cissac

Owned by the Vialard family, who are dedicated to their wine producing, this is Cru Bourgeois that consistently out-performs its classification. Since the 2000 vintage the wines have undergone more modern extraction methods under the guidance of Marie Vialard giving the wines more fruit and more balanced tannins.

Château d'Armailhac

This property is under the same ownership as Mouton-Rothschild with the chai located next door and the 50 hectares of vines in three parcels neighbouring Pontet-Canet and Mouton.

It has gone through several name changes, originally Mouton d’Armailhacq, then Mouton-Baron-Philippe after the estate’s acquisition by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, and then in 1933 gender change to Mouton-Baronne-Philippe. It reverted back to d’Armailhac in 1989. The estate is planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot. Less Cabernet dominated than its neighbours and generally lighter in style, it can often excel in lesser vintages. Recent improvements in the chai and greater use of new oak have led to recent vintages being bigger and richer.

Château de Tracy

Château de Tracy is an historic property with over 600 years of winemaking history in the Central Vineyards region in the heart of France. Wine production at this ancient property can be traced back over 600 years.

Originally from Scotland, the Stutt family sided with Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years’ War. In 1586 Françoise Stutt married the Lady of Tracy. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that the vineyards became organised and the property started to sell Château de Tracy wines. In the 1950s the vineyards were restored by Jacqueline de Tracy and her husband Comte Alain d’Assay. Their younger daughter Juliette runs the estate today. There are 33 ha of vineyards all run on environmentally friendly grounds, they have level 3 (the highest) Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification from the French government. All the vineyards are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyards are on gentle slopes overlooking the Loire with a south-west exposure. The wine is vinified in a mix of 600hl concrete and stainless steel vats and the lees are regularly stirred to add weight and richness to the wines.

Château du Tariquet - P Grassa

Domaine Tariquet produces exceptionally fine Armagnac in the very heart of the Bas-Armagnac district. Beside the honey-coloured château, with its squat round towers, is the still room and inside are two traditional, wood-fired Armagnac stills. On wheels with lots of polished brass, they look like to stripped down old steam engines. These are continuous stills that produce spirit of 53 to 56% by volume which is then matured in lightly toasted Alliers and Nièvre oak barrels. With no added colouring or sweetening agents, Domaine Tariquet Armagnacs are naturally pale. Armagnac production here goes back to 1683 while the estate has been in the hands of the Grassa family since just before the Great War. Brothers Armin and Rémy Grassa are now in charge; in the early days of dealing here we used to see their grandparents. It is a big operation today, largely due to the enormous success their father Yves had with dry white wine which we sold for many years as Domaine de Rieux. At 1125 ha, it is probably the largest wine domaine in France, the grapes harvested by eight machines and grapes delivered to what is one of the largest press halls in Europe. Freshness is maintained by immediately cooling the grapes and texture is improved by working the must on the lees for a fortnight before fermentation. They still bottle to order today, keeping the wine in tank and almost frozen, meaning that the wine in bottle is as fresh as humanly possible.

Château Ferrière

With only 8 hectares under vine this is one of the smallest château and for many years when under the control of Château Lascombes the property was vitually unknown. In 1988 it was bought by the Merlaut family and given to Claire Villars after the death of her parents. She has completely renovated the property achieving organic status in 2015 and biodynamic in 2017. The wines are classic, elegant Margaux.

Château Gruaud-Larose

This large 82 hectare estate has belonged since 1997 to the Taillan group which is owned by the Merlaut family. It is typical Saint-Julien with good rich fruit backed up by supple tannins. Recent developments here include a tower giving superb views over the vineyards.

Château La Mission-Haut-Brion

This illustrious property has been in the ownership of just five families throughout its history. From its creation in the sixteenth century it has maintained a fine reputation which continues to be nurtured by the Dillon family who bought the estate in 1934. Classy and harmonious, this brilliantly complex and aromatic Pessac-Leognan is undoubtedly one of the world's greats.

Château Isle Fort

Château La Pervenche

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Lafont Menaut

This well sited château is owned by Philibert Perrin, owner of Château Carbonnieux, amongst others. There are fifteen hectares of vineyards on fine, gravel soils. The wines display typical Pessac smokiness and are aged in oak (of which 20-30% is new) for 15-18 months, to add to their finesse and complexity.

Château Lanessan

Chateau Laroque

Château Laroque is situated close to St Christophe des Bardes in St Emilion on a plateau of limestone rock. Its history dates back to the 12th century, with a tower from that time still dominating the estate.

It has passed through several families since and is now owned by the Beaumartin family and is the largest estate in St Emilion with 61 hectares and was promoted to grand cru classé in 1996. More recently well known St Emilion winemaker David Suire has been bought in and the property has achieved new heights. Although planted in one block the make up of the limestone varies as does the exposition around the château, on slopes or on terraces. Merlot is the pre-dominant grape variety with a small amount of Cabernet Franc and the vines are about 50 years old on average. Wine making is traditional with maturation in oak, the length of which depends on the vintage conditions. There is also a second wine produced, Tours de Laroque for more immediate drinking.

Château Lilian Ladouys

Château Margaux

Owned by INFIT and the Mentzelopoulos family since 1976, Margaux has had much time and effort spent on it, whilst the quality of the wines has remained as high as ever.

The investment has allowed for new planting, more rigorous selection and earlier bottling. 81 hectares of prime vineyards receive meticulous care, 12 of which are planted with Sauvignon Blanc and produce the oak-fermented dry white Pavillon Blanc. Famous and fine, multidimensional, opulent and complex reds. The second wine (red) is Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux.

Château Meyney

Château Montifaud

Château Palmer

Château Pédesclaux

Château Phélan-Ségur

One of the estates in Bordeaux with its Irish origins showing in the name. It now comprises 66 hectares located between Montrose and Calon-Ségur and was sold in 2017 to Belgian shipping magnate Philippe van de Vyvere. The property and grounds are very impressive, on slopes above the Gironde.

Château Rives-Blanques

Domaine Rives Blanques is a thirty hectare estate situated between Carcassonne and Limoux in the Languedoc. The vines grow at an altitude of 750 metres within sight of the snow-capped Pyrenees, after which the domaine takes its name. Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and the local Mauzac are the specialities; indeed Limoux is the only AOC Chenin in the South of France. Started by Jan and Caryl Panman at the turn of the millennium they retired in 2022 and the estate has been purchased by Pierre Bories the well-known owner, in the region, of Château Ollieux Romanis. The plan is to continue to run it as a separate entity and to continue the Panman’s legacy. The vineyards have now regained their organic status and this remains the underlying philosophy of the new owner.

Château Semonlon

This property is tucked away in the Haut-Médoc at Avensan close to Margaux and Château Citran. The seven hectare estate is family owned by the Dumora family and is planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot which grow on, with vines growing on gravelly soils. Harvesting is by hand and the wine is aged in two year old barrels to maintain the excellent fruit characteristics.

Château Teyssier

Jonathan and Lyn Maltus rescued this château in the 1990s and immediately set about an extensive renovation programme.

Investment in new technology and state-of-the-art equipment has brought the estate to the forefront of wines in Saint-Emilion. They also own other properties in the area which score very highly with critics, but the 26 hectares of Château Teyssier remain at the heart of the operation.

Clos de Gat

Clos Malverne

Collovray et Terrier

Les Vins de Personnets is the merchant side of Domaine des Deux Roches in Davayé near Mâcon. Buying in grapes and must only from trusted growers, Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier make modern style wines at very fair prices.

Cotswolds Distillery

Croft

Cappella Sant' Andrea

Cave de Viré

Cave de Viré, makers of Tanners White Burgundy, is a top quality co-operative situated just north of Mâcon and has over 220 members producing mainly Viré-Clessé but also all the other local appellations.

It was originally founded in 1928 and has developed over the years with extensive modernisation programmes in the cellars and in persuading its members to follow lutte raisonée principles. They were also successful in 1998 in establishing the Viré-Clessé AOC. Total production is now over 27,000 hectolitres a year and their wines regularly win prizes at national and international level.

Champ Divin

Charles Ellner

Chase Distillery

Château Angludet

Château Angludet is owned by the Sichel family, wine merchants in Bordeaux for 6 generations. They also own a share of the more famous Château Palmer. Angludet has been the Sichel family home since 1961. It is one of the oldest properties in the Médoc dating back to the 12th century. The 32 hectares of vineyards are all within the Margaux appellation, and the wines are classified as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

Château Chasse-Spleen

Old fashioned methods and a firm adherence to tradition has kept Chasse-Spleen on top form, regularly out-performing its status. Today the property is run by Céline Foubet and her husband Jean-Pierre.

Château Climens

Château Climens was purchased by the omnipresent Lurton family in 1971. The entire 29 hectares are planted with Sémillon. The vines regularly develop botrytis ahead of the neighbouring vineyards and Climens is amongst the first to start harvesting. The wines spend 18-24 months in new oak.

Château Courac

Château d'Yquem

This famous estate belonged to the English crown from 1152 - 1435. Eventually it was bought by the Lur-Saluces family in 1785 and sold to the LVMH group in 1999. The wines remain unequalled in quality and class.

There are 113 hectares under vine magnificently overlooking surrounding premier crus classés' vineyards from Yquem's hilltop position. Capabable of ageing gracefully for decade upon decade, upon decade, Yquem is an almost magical combination of power, luxuriousness and richness. There is no other in the wine world to surpass Yquem.

Château de Fieuzal

In 1974 Gérard Gribelin took over the estate and revitalised it and the wines, restoring the reputation of this high quality estate. In 2001 it was sold to Brenda and Lochlann Quinn who have continued to improve and develop the property as a producer of classic red and white Graves.

Château de la Roulerie

Château de la Roulerie is a 36 ha estate at Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné in the Coteaux du Layon area of Anjou. The vineyards were established in the 14th century and the estate dates from the 19th century. It was purchased by Bernard Germain in 1994 before passing to his son Philippe Germain and daughter in-law Marie in 2004.

The Germains are a long-established family in the area with Philippe’s brother owning a nearby property and their father an ex-owner of the famous Château de Fesles. Planted with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon on well-positioned, south and south-west facing schistous slopes, the vineyards produce Anjou red and white as well as Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux du Layon Chaume. Philippe has renovated the buildings and equipment and moved the winemaking, which was at another of his father’s properties, back to the estate. In 2011 he started the conversion to organic and biodynamic viticulture, achieving certified organic status in 2015. Yields are low – generally around 30 hl/ha – and the wines are made using minimal intervention favouring freshness and elegance. There is no malolactic fermentation, skin contact or bâtonnage and only old, large oak barrels of 600-700 litres are used so the influence is restrained. There is minimal use of sulphur to keep the freshness and vibrancy in the wines and no finings are used with only a very light filtration, so all the wines are vegan friendly too.

Château Duhart-Milon

Château Grand Puy Ducasse

The château is on the quayside in Pauillac but the vineyards are spread throughout the appellation with some adjacent to parcels of Mouton-Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild. The wines are classic Pauillac that regularly perform above the standard of their classification. Extensive replanting and renovations have taken place since 1971 and the wines offer good value at reasonable prices.

Château Guiraud

Over 100 hectares of vineyards are owned by a group, including Stephan von Neipperg of Canon la Gaffelière and Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, which took over in 2006 from Hamilton Narby who had undertaken a great deal of investment at the property.

The money mainly came from Robert Peugeot of the car makers Peugeot. The estate was managed by Xavier Planty during the Narby years and is still under his management. Rich, concentrated wines with plenty of botrytis are made and they also make an excellent dry white mainly from Sauvignon Blanc.

Château Haut Lariveau

The property was connected to the founding fathers of the Knights of St.John Hospital at Là-Riveau. It is now run by Bénédicte and Grégoire Hubau. Michel Rolland acts as adviser here and the results are balanced and harmonious.

Château La Lagune

Château La Prade

Château Laclaverie

Georges Thienpont took over the vineyards at Château Laclaverie in the 1970s. His son, Nicolas, has had control of the estate since the mid 1980s and produced the first vintage in 1985. The Thienponts have been at the forefront of the Côtes de Francs renaissance.

Château Le Fagé

Château Le Fagé is a brilliant Monbazillac sweet wine estate, and a superb producer of dry white, red and rosé wines. The pavilion-like château is very pretty, the vines sweeping down the slopes in front to the winery below, with huge views over the Dordogne Valley to Purple Périgord beyond. This is the fabled Côte Nord of Monbazillac – just a few kilometres south of the town of Bergerac – where climatic conditions for making noble rot sweet wines approach those of Barsac and Sauternes. Here the Gérardin family, led by Benoît with his wife Dorianne, have 39 ha of vines while they have a further 18 ha in the rolling country to the south, some from Dorianne’s family. The vines are up to 100 years old and often they will do four tris (passes) through the vines to pick the ripest grapes, such is the attention to quality. We discovered Le Fagé after detailed research during many holidays in the area and ever since have charted Benoît’s ascendancy in renovating the winery, replanting vines more densely and generally improving the wines. He took over from his father in the year 2000 and represents the family’s eighth generation in wine, the original name being Géraud until World War II when the son was killed, and the property passed down through the female line. Le Fagé’s is a super range of wines and very emblematic of this beautiful part of the Dordogne.

Château Malbat

Made by Vignobles Rochet the vineyards of Château Malbat consist of 65 hectares in the southern part of the Gironde on the hills overlooking the River Garonne. The clay and limestone soils produce quality grapes that are vinified traditionally producing soft, easy drinking wines.

Château Marjosse

Château Moulin de Mallet

Château Moulin de Mallet is situated in the commune of Pujols just south of Saint-Emilion. This plateau was originally dotted with windmills (Moulin) one of which forms the Château which is home to the Couderc family.

The estate has been in the same family since 1898 and through five generations. Serge Couderc and his son Julien, a qualified viticulturalist and oenologist, have overseen a complete modernisation of this property.

Château Pibran

This vineyard belongs to AXA Millésimes and is managed by the same team as Pichon Baron under Christian Seely. It was purchased by them in 1987 and the excellently situated vineyards, to the north of Pauillac close to Mouton Rothschold and Pontet Canet, were expanded to 17 hectares in 2001. It has a high percentage of Merlot for the Médoc at about 55%.

Château Potensac

Château Puy-Blanquet

Château Sainte Eulalie

Château Suduiraut

The vineyards of Château Suduiraut border those of Yquem and it is the largest estate in Preignac. No longer privately owned it is run AXA. Nearly 90 hectares are under vine with a predominantly gravel soil with clay and sand. The château was re-built in the 18th century and the gardens laid out by Le Nôtre.

Château Tour de Luchey

Château-Fuissé - Famille Vincent

Chilton Liqueurs

The Chilton Liqueur project was started in Shropshire back in the 1970s. It was subsequently taken up by Richard Strachan and is today run by his niece Fiona Rogers-Coltman. They take the native Shropshire prune, a type of damson, from around their farm near Bishop's Castle in South Shropshire and steep it for 8 months in Greenall's Finest Gin.

Churton

Sam Weaver, a Shropshire Lad, determined to produce his own wine and was lured to New Zealand in 1989. By 1997 he was able to fulfil his ambition and produced his first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc. His wines have succulent fruit, plenty of finesse and a mineral quality that is developing with every vintage. His wines are always a pleasure to drink.

Clos Haut Peyraguey

Superbly situated property close to Château d'Yquem. Its history dates back to the early 17th century and it was classified Premier Grand Cru in 1855. Howwever, in 1885 the Peyraguey estate was split in two, the other half being Lafaurie Peyraguey. In 2012 it was acquired by Bernard Magrez, owner of Pape Clément in Pessac. It now consists of twelve hectares, 95% Sémillon with a bit of Sauvignon. It produces a traditional rich and concentrated Sauternes.

Cockburn's

Coriole Vineyards

Courvoisier

Famous for its historical link with Napoleon in the 18th century when Emmanuel Courvoisier supplied the Emperor's court from his well-established business in Paris. The current dynamism of the company comes from Ivan Braastad whose family became involved after World War II.

Cramele Recaş

The estate started in its current incarnation in 1991 when Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, along with two other families, took over a state farm bringing with them significant investment and innovation. Documents lying in the regional museum show vines have been grown on their plot in the Recaş PDO area continually since 1447.

Cramele Recaş is now the largest wine estate in Romania, but don’t let that put you off: the quality they consistently produce is impressive. They have 1200 ha of vines, cultivate 22 different grape varieties, and the wines are made in a state-of-the-art modern winery, with capacity for 39 million litres. It is a sight to behold; gleaming stainless-steel tanks, vast solar panel arrays and a wastewater reprocessing plant sit next to deep, ancient, barrel-filled cellars lit by candle.

Head winemakers, Australian Hartley Smithers and Spaniard Nora Iriarte, have worked together here for nearly 20 years and are supported by their team of five female winemakers. They produce modern, fruit-forward wines of a consistently high quality. Each grape variety is allowed to demonstrate its varietal characteristic and, with their focus on continually improving sustainability, are bottled in 350-gramme light-weight bottles. All the wines are vegan-suitable and receive no heavy fining. Sulphur is kept to an absolute minimum and the winery itself is certified organic. Theirs really is a story of tradition meets modernity. To our minds the wines are all the better for it!

Cuvaison Estate Wines

Cuvaison's estate consists of 162 hectares of vineyards in the southern part of Napa Valley. John Thacher is the winemaker and concerns himself with making the uniqueness of the estate's grapes shine through in his wines, which are balanced, elegant and consistent.

D'Oliveiras

This well-established family owned company was founded in 1820 and has a reputation for lighter, drier styles of Madeira that have good balancing acidity. An extensive range of older vintages are available from their shop in Funchal which is well worth a visit.

Dalwhinnie Distillery

The Dalwhinnie distillery was built in 1898 and stands in an exposed location on the side of the road through the Drumochter Pass. At 1,075 feet above sea level it is the highest distillery in Scotland . With a slightly chequered history it is now owned by United Distillers. The whiskies have a long slow maturation in some of the harshest Scottish weather.

Delamain

Established by James Delamain in 1821 it is the 11th generation of the family that are now at the helm. A firm steeped in tradition and one of the last independent producers in Cognac. They do not own any vineyards but store and mature carefully selected eau-de-vie from small growers.

Diamantakos

This is a 4.3 hectare estate in Naoussa in Macedonia in the north of Greece. It is a family owned estate, today run by third generation George Diamantakos and they have been bottling their own wine since 2000 after planting began in 1979. The vineyards are situated at 300 metres altitude on limestone and schist soil with most of the plantings being thThis is a 4.3 hectare estate in Naoussa in Macedonia in the north of Greece. It is a family owned estate, today run by third generation George Diamantakos and they have been bottling their own wine since 2000 after planting began in 1979. The vineyards are situated at 300 metres altitude on limestone and schist soil with most of the plantings being the Xinomavro grape variety although there is one hectare of Prekniariko for white wines.

The vines are planted on protected eastern facing slopes protected from northern wines and with a warm summer climate. The winery is at the heart of the vineyards and after harvesting by hand the grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats followed by maturation for six to twelve months in a mixture of French and American oak. Xinomavro produces aromatic and full flavoured wines which are often compared to Barolo.e Xinomavro grape variety although there is one hectare of Prekniariko for white wines. The vines are planted on protected eastern facing slopes protected from northern wines and with a warm summer climate. The winery is at the heart of the vineyards and after harvesting by hand the grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats followed by maturation for six to twelve months in a mixture of French and American oak. Xinomavro produces aromatic and full flavoured wines which are often compared to Barolo.

Domaine André Colonge et Fils

André Colonge set up this family domaine in the early 1960s with vineyards in Lancié and Fleurie. They produce just two wines, a fragrant and interesting Beaujolais-Villages and the pretty and silky Fleurie. André's son Serge now takes a more leading role with his son, Landry.

Domaine Balland

Domaine Borgeot

Domaine Bruno Sorg

Based in Eguisheim, south of Colmar, Bruno Sorg established the estate in 1970. His son, François now runs the estate, and believes wines are made in the vineyard and that the wine-maker has a duty to work with nature. Yields are kept low and the Sorg style is definitely one of rich fruit, residual sugar and finesse. He has 10 hectares of wonderfully situated vines, half of them in grand crus. Old vines and sandstone soil give great concentration and flavour.

Domaine Clavel

Domaine Dagueneau

Domaine la Cendrillon

Domaine des Bernardins

Domaine des Bernardins is an historic property that was once owned by Bernardins (Cistercians) monks before winemaking started here in the early 19th Century. Owned by the Castaud-Maurin family, it has been a family estate for six generations.

The youngest active member Romain (Romain’s first baby was born in the summer of 2019) makes the wines whilst his father Andrew Hall and mother Elisabeth Castaud-Maurin manage the cellar and vineyards. Having studied Oenology, a placement at a large co-op in Montpellier taught Romain much about winemaking and about how he would, and wouldn’t, like to do things on the family estate. They have 25 ha of vines of which 90% is Beaumes de Venise or Muscat Beaumes de Venise. 70% of plantings are white but, due to the demand, recent years have seen an increased proportion of red vines planted. No herbicides are used and techniques are as manual and natural as they can be, making their own organic compost. Natural grass cover, bud and leaf removal all help preserve the natural biodiversity of the vineyards. Hand harvesting, temperature control and 24 hour a day monitoring of the vats during vinification ensure perfect balance in the wines. The winery, built 7 years ago, enables all work to be done via gravity ensuring delicate handling of the grapes. Old Muscat à Petis Grains vines produce superbly elegant wines with lots of character, whilst the red Beaumes de Venise is becoming increasingly sought after with a string of positive press mentions.

Domaine des Forges

Domaine des Forges is excellent family-owned and run domaine that is now in the hands of the fifth generation of the Branchereau family. This superb domaine was founded back in 1890 by Pierre Robineau, a local greengrocer, who purchased two hectares of vineyards.

One of the parcels was called Clos des Forges which later gave its name to the whole domaine. His granddaughter, Hélène, married René Branchereau and by 1945 they had expanded the holdings to seven hectares. Their son Claude further expanded the vineyards and was joined in turn in 1996 by his son Stéphane the current incumbent. Claude is still around helping, but it is Stéphane and his wife Séverine who run things now. Their holding now extends to 47 ha, including vineyards in Quarts de Chaume and Savennières. The farming is very hands on, and the wines are made in a modernised winery with up-to-date equipment. All picking of Chenin Blanc is done by ‘tris’ to ensure optimum ripeness, and yields rarely exceed 25 hl/ ha. He also filters his sweet wines after fermentation which hugely reduces the amount of sulphur necessary in the wines. Stéphane Branchereau is an unassuming sort of fellow but is increasingly making his mark on the region, including helping Chaume and Quarts de Chaume gain premier and grand cru status respectively. These are special enclaves within the Coteaux du Layon appellation. The practices in the winery are very traditional with a mix of tanks and oak barrels. They produce all styles of wine from the region.

Domaine du Colombier

Florent Viale is a tall, willowy man with a passion for his wines. He took over the family domaine in 1991 from his father (Gaby). Prior to Florent’s arrival the wine was sold to négociants, but he has now reinvented the estate and it is one of the most prominent in Crozes and Hermitage.

He now has 18 ha of vines (in Crozes and Hermitage) and 16 of apricot trees. All the vines are around the domaine and the village of Mercurol. They have just 1.6 ha of red vines on the hill of Hermitage in the sought after Beaume, les Dionnières and Croix du Torras areas, plus 0.24 ha of white Hermitage. Lutte raisonnée is practiced in the vineyards, as stricter organic or biodynamic approval is almost impossible due to the fragmented nature of the vineyards. His methods are traditional with all wines spending 2-3 years in 600 litre demi-muids, and the wines are bottled without filtration or fining to retain maximum character and complexity. Axel, Florent’s son, usually found hands-on in the vineyard with his father is currently taking a sabbatical in Peru. They make intense and powerful wines that have good structure and age well

Domaine Fèvre

Domaine G Roumier

Domaine Mucyn

After starting out with just half a hectare of Crozes-Hermitage they now have 20 ha including 13 in Crozes-Hermitage (11 red and 2 white), 1.6 ha Cornas, 2.8 ha St Joseph red, 0.9 ha St Joseph white and a little 0.7 ha IGP near St Joseph. Jean-Pierre and Hélène are clearly very passionate about what they do and are continually striving to make improvements.

They are now fully organic, with 2021 marking the final year of conversion. Their range of wines is excellent, with a clear mineral quality, elegance and fruit rather than power and oak. They also make a rather delicious apricot conserve!

Domaine Pey Blanc

Domaine Rollin Père et Fils

Domaine Tollot Beaut

Domäne Baumgartner

Dominus Estate

Dominus is the Californian outpost of famous Pomerol and Saint-Emilion producer, Christian Moueix. Christian Moueix established Dominus Estate on the 43 ha Napanook vineyard in 1983. Situated near Yountville in southern Napa, three wines are produced:

Dominus, its flagship, plus Napanook and Othello. In the late 1960s Christian completed his oenology studies at the University of California at Davis. He then returned to Bordeaux to take up the reins of the family business including managing such châteaux as Pétrus, Lafleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy and Magdelaine. He never lost his interest in California and in 1981 he discovered the historic, 50 ha Napanook vineyard in Yountville in the Napa. The following year he entered a partnership to develop the vineyard and became the sole owner in 1995. He called the estate Dominus. The first vintage of Dominus was 1983, followed in 1996 by Napanook. In 2008 he added a 16 ha site in Oakville, about one mile to the north. Finally, 2012 saw the release of Othello, a more immediately appealing, early-drinking style. There are currently 42 ha under vine at Dominus, all of which are dry-farmed, and work is done across the estate to minimise water loss and preserve the gravelly, clay-loam soils. A winery was added in 1997 which is integrated into the landscape. Cabernet Sauvignon predominates with some Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are hand-picked and the shaded side of each vine is harvested a few days after the more exposed side. The grapes are carefully sorted to ensure only the best fruit makes it to the vats and it then undergoes a very traditional winemaking and ageing regime.

Doorly's

The family firm was established back in 1920 in the most luscious parish of Barbados, namely St. Philip. Great care is taken to work in harmony with the environment and this long established area of plantation is home to many varieties of the macaw family.

Dow's

Drambuie Liqueur Company

Legend has it that following the battle of Culloden in 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to Skye and was offered sanctuary by Captain John MacKinnon who was then rewarded with the recipe for Drambuie. Historians seriously dispute this version of events claiming it was made up to sell more drink! Today it is produced by the Drambuie Liqueur Company in West Lothian and it has been commercialised since 1910. Originally it was thought to have medicinal properties.

Dà Mhìle Distillery

Despagne Vignobles

Dolin

French competition with Italian vermouth producers in the early 18th century led to the development of the traditionally dry French vermouth. Dolin was established in 1821 in the Savoie region where it produces vermouth that are a cross-over between the Italian and French styles.

Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils

Domaine Boudau

Domaine de Chevalier

Domaine de la Chaponne - L Guillet

Laurent Guillet has 11 hectares with vines of up to 90 years of age on superb, steeply sloping sites such as Grand Cras and Côte de Py. Unusually concentrated in style, his wines have a surprising depth and power to them that makes them far from run-of-the mill, and capable of aging well.

Domaine de Pellehaut

Domaine de Pellehaut is the real-deal Gascon estate with a solid 18th century château, barrels of Armagnac quietly maturing in its cellars, 300 ha of vines and 300 ha of land put over to cereals and a large herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle. The vines occupy the slopes while the cattle graze the valley bottoms. It’s a circular ecosystem, in fact they are very into sustainability, holding Level 3 Haute Valeur Environnementale since 2015.

The Béraut family has been here for almost four centuries, the present generation being brothers Martin and Mathieu, with the latter’s wife Aurélie being in the business too. The winery is very modern with the best presses and gleaming stainless-steel tanks outside. The highest gantry affords those with a head for heights amazing views over the rolling countryside to the forests of the Landes beyond. This kit represents a huge investment in their quest to making clean, fresh whites and rosés. Freshness is key and Aurélie stresses their “climat oceanique” referring to the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The depth of flavour in the wines is augmented by only using their own indigenous yeasts and carefully working the lees. Their aim is: “To make wines with a natural balance where the expression of our soils is put first.” In our book that they succeed very well, making them the ideal Tanners own-label suppliers. 

Domaine des Carabiniers

This is a 50 ha estate on the west bank of the Rhône not far from Châteauneuf-du- Pape. It is owned by the Leperchois family who originally came from Italy and started growing grapes here in the 1930s.

In the 70s and 80s Christian Leperchois greatly extended the domaine, built a winery and started selling wine in bottle. In the 1990s the domaine converted to organic viticulture achieving Ecocert certification in 1997. In the 2000s Christian’s children – Magali and Fabien – took over, becoming the fifth generation to run the estate. They increased the domaine to its current size and started the conversion to biodynamic viticulture leading to Demeter certification in 2007. All 50 ha are worked biodynamically. The name of the estate dates from the time of the Pope’s residence at nearby Avignon when his mounted guards were known as Carabinieri and had stables on the site of the winery. This is commemorated by the horse logo of the domaine. The majority of the vineyards are in Côtes du Rhône with 23.5 ha, followed by Lirac with 17.5 ha, then 4 ha in Tavel and the balance in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Pays d’Oc. Winemaking uses natural yeasts, no additives and with as little sulphur as possible – small amounts are added at bottling to some products but the aim is to reduce it further. Grape varieties are the Rhône standards, mainly Grenache and Syrah.

Domaine des Lauriers

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze

Domaine Fief de la Brie

For five generations the Bonhomme family has been farming and producing wine at Gorges in the heart of the Muscadet region. The Fief de la Brie estate was founded in 1870 and consists of some 30 hectares of beautifully situated vineyards in the commune of Gorges to the west of the Sèvre Nantais river.

The estate is planted soley with Melon de Bourgogne, also known as Muscadet. François Bonhomme took over the reins in 1994 and has over seen the introduction of more modern wine making techniques including, in the 2000s, a move to fermenting and ageing in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and away from the tradition glass tile lined tanks which were more commonly found across the region at the time. More recently they merged with neighbours, Drouet Frères, and have been subsequently taken over by Ackermann, and now trade under the umbrella groupe of Orchidées, Maisons du Vin.

Domaine Giraud

The domaine began in 1974 when Pierre and Mireille Giraud, both from vine growing families, took on 4 hectares of vines as tenant farmers. Over the years they gradually increased the size of the domaine through purchasing rented vineyards and through inheritance.

They also turned an old distillery into a winery and barrel-ageing cellar. In 1998 the estate passed to their children, Marie and François. There are now 19 hectares of vineyards in three parts of Châteauneuf although split into 64 parcels, 8 on the Crau plateau in the centre of the appellation known as the ‘Terres Blanches’, 8 in the Gallimardes area at the south of the appellation, an area with a very stony terroir, and the rest on sandy soil around Pignan in the Rayas area. Many of the vines are 100-year-old Grenache with plots of Mourvèdre, younger Syrah and also small amounts of white varieties. They concentrate very much on selecting parcel by parcel, using minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the winery, and are upgrading their cellar. The wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined. They are in conversion to organic viticulture. Three red wines are produced, the Tradition from a blend of the areas and grape varieties, the Gallimardes from that area and mostly Grenache, and the Grenache de Pierre from the sandy Crau and Pignan areas, all Grenache. These last two cuvées are not made every year. Marie and François are very serious and dedicated and making wonderful wines.

Domaine Jacqueson

Domaine Jacqueson is one of the very best domaines of the Côte Chalonnaise and is admired by peers throughout Burgundy. It is a shining example of why it is better to buy a top wine from a lesser village than an inferior wine from a top village. The domaine extends to 18 ha of well-sited, carefully tended vineyards: 11 ha in Rully; 6 ha in Mercurey and 1 ha in Bouzeron.

The percentage of low-yielding very old vines is high and they follow strictly sustainable lutte raisonnée methods with the minimal use of synthetic products. Pierre Jacqueson left teaching in 2015 to join his sister, Marie, who had been working alongside her father Paul for many years. Paul is still around and takes a particular interest in the barrels, visiting the oak forests each year to select their own oak staves which are then weathered at his favourite cooperage. When we used to visit, it was Paul’s father, Henri, in the background. He had founded the estate in 1946 and worked hard to re-establish the name of Rully which had been better known before many of its wine growers were lost in the trenches during the Great War. Henri was the first in Rully to concentrate on the quality of the fruit with the all-important reduction of yields, which remains very much a feature of Jacqueson wines today.

Domaine La Soumade - F Romero

Domaine Soumade was founded in 1979 by André Romero and by 1990 he had achieved his initial aim of selling everything he produced in bottle. His son Frédéric joined him in 1996 after finishing his oenology studies and 2002 saw two important developments, firstly with the completion of a new winery and secondly with Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt being engaged.

The Romeros credit him with achieving better finesse and purity in their wines together with a better expression of their terroir. Today the estate comprises 26 hectares in Rasteau with one in Gigondas with Grenache being the predominant grape variety and many of the vines between 50 and 100 years of age and consequently yields can be under 20hl/ha.. Soils are mainly clay and limestone with an outcrop of blue clay in Rasteau producing their top wine. Lutte raisonnée is practised so the vines are only treated when absolutely with harvesting by hand. Winemaking is traditional and the amount of oak ageing has been reduced in recent years with 40 hl foudres from Austrian barrel maker Stockinger preferred. André is now in semi retirement but he still takes time out to keep an eye on things!

Domaine Michel Gros

Twice red winemaker of the year at the International Wine Challenge, Michel Gros is well known for his soft, densely structured wines. It is now his son Pierre at the helm who is taking a similarly analytical approach to his winemaking, after all, his first career was as a software engineer in Paris.

Domaine Michel Gros is one part of a family estate that dates from 1830 in Vosne-Romanée. One of the first to sell Vosne-Romanée wines in bottle, the Gros family’s 1858 vintage went for five francs per bottle! Through various family splits, Pierre and Michel have ended up with some excellent holdings in the village, including their wholly owned monopole Clos des Réas, bought in 1860 by their forebear, Alfonse Gros. Another speciality is in the Hautes-Côtes where Pierre’s grandfather, Jean, assembled plots of vines in the village of Arcenant, also known for its blackcurrants. The estate covers 23 ha, 3.5 ha of which are on a long-term lease from a family that chose Michel to safeguard their vines. There are several ‘Gros’ family domaines – all related – and between the others they have half a hectare of Richebourg, but Pierre and Michel hope to have access to some soon. Michel has always favoured high-toast oak but this has always integrated very well to give wines with gorgeous fruit and purity.

Domaine Odoul Coquard

Domaine Trotereau

Domdechant Werner

Don Cristóbal 1492

Dopff & Irion

Dyfi Distillery

The Dyfi Distillery is the brainchild of brothers Pete and Danny Cameron. Pete has called the Dyfi Valley home for over 35 years where he has been hill-farmer, beekeeper, and forager over this time.

Danny’s background is in the wine trade latterly working for an excellent specialist Portuguese wine importer. The distillery opened in 2016 following a two-year development program and is situated in the heart of the important UNESCO World Biosphere of Dyfi. As a result sustainability has always been a driving force of the business. The biodiversity of the region’s flora, the clean, clear water have all contributed to the award-winning spirits produced here.

Dalmore Distillery

In 1839 Alexander Matheson purchased Ardross Farm and opened a distillery, overlooking the Cromarty firth.

Whisky production was subsequently taken over by the Mackenzie family, who were able to buy the distillery and surrounding land as a result of the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act of 1886. The whisky was mostly supplied to Whyte & Mackay with whom they merged in 1960 and today the distillery is owned by Dalmore/Whyte and Mackay.

Daniel-Etienne Defaix

The Defaix domaine is one of the oldest in Chablis and dates from the 13th century. Since the 18th century it has been solely concerned with producing Chablis from 25 hectares of prime vineyard sites. Daniel Defaix continues to produce excellent wines, released when mature after extended aging on lees.

Domain Road Vineyard

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot

Domaine Beauséjour

The fourth generation to run the family Domaine Beausejour, Philippe Trotignon sold the family domaine in June 2022 to brothers Arnaud and Albéric Lechat.

Arnaud's background in in retail and Albéric spent 10 years in the army both were looking for a new challenge and wished to get back closer to nature. Little has changed at this 20 ha estate, 12 of which are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. The rest, although mostly planted with Gamay, include a small but growing area of Malbec which they blend 70:30 with the local Cabernet Franc to make the red version of the new Touraine Chenonceaux cru.

Domaine Boyar

Domaine Boyar was the first winery to be established after the fall of communism in 1991. Today it boasts some of the most modern and up to date technology in Eastern Europe. Overseen by the groups head winemaker, Vladimir Vlachkov, the Blue Ridge Winery is ably run by Dimiter Panov and Doychin Anreev, both qualified oenologists in their own right.

Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils

Domaine de l'Amandine

This is a 50 ha family estate in the Southern Rhône with vineyards spread from Vaison-la-Romaine to Jonquières. The estate was begun in 1968 by Jean-Pierre Verdeau although both his father and grandfather had been involved in setting up local co-operatives.

In the early days he sold his wine to local merchants but gradually added more and more vineyards and eventually a bottling machine which enabled him to sell in bottle with immediate success. Today he has been joined by his daughter Sabine and son-in-law Alex Suter who grew up on the Rustenberg Estate in South Africa where his father was general manager. Their daughter Mathilde has relatively recently finished her studies and joined too. Traditional methods and a hands-on approach ensure that top quality grapes are produced expressing the complexity of the region’s terroir. Most of the vines are centred around the village of Séguret, some dating back to the 1950s and many grown on stone terraces – which they call ‘La Montagne’ – while the parcel near Jonquières produces IGP Vaucluse. The usual mix of Southern Rhône grape varieties is used, based on Grenache with Syrah taking an increasing role. The aim is to produce balanced wines with good fruit so the crop is totally de-stemmed and maceration lasts from six to 26 days depending on the wine being made. Pumping over and pigeage help extract colour and fruit. The annual production is now over 300,000 bottles of which 55% is exported.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon

This estate, complete with 19th century château, chai and old dog kennels, is amongst the top white wine producers of the world. That said, the red wines should never be overlooked. It was largely established by Jules Lafon who added significant holdings in Meursault to parcels which had been inherited from a Marie Boch. Jules also founded the Paulée de Meursault, a big knees-up each November which developed from 35 friends to over 600 guests.

His sons, Pierre and Henri, presided over an estate which was largely let out to sharecroppers and was saved from being sold by the return of René Lafon from Paris in 1956. He began the process of bringing the land back in hand, a process completed by his son Dominique from 1984. In turn Dominique has recently handed over the reins to his daughter Léa and nephew Pierre. The domaine stands at 16.3 ha spread across four villages and 15 appellations. In Meursault they have: Clos de la Barre, Désirée, Charmes, Goutte d'Or, Porusots, Bouchères, Genevrières, Perrières and village wine. In reds we follow the Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu and Monthelie Les Duresses. Then they have 0.32 ha of Le Montrachet. Across the holdings vines are densely planted and average 30+ years of age.

Dominique was an early adopter of sustainable viticulture. They abandoned weed killer in 1992 in favour of ploughing and became organically certified in 1998. The domaine is now fully biodynamic, using compost produced in co-operation with other growers. The whites are fermented in mostly old barrels with carefully controlled bâtonnage and aged for between 18 and 22 months. For the reds, there is a good proportion of whole berry fermentation then maturation in oak – one third new – for a similar period of time . The Meursaults have wonderful fruit, and each wine is distinctive and characterful, some being more spicy and some being almost Riesling-like for their aromatic quality. The reds are notable for deep black fruit and silky tannin structures. We are lucky to have a good allocation of wines directly from the domaine and can offer greater availability of the Héritiers du Comte Lafon whites from the Mâconnais.

Domaine des Marrans

Domaine du Cayron

Michel Faraud was at the helm of this traditional estate for over thirty years until his three daughters – Roseline, Cendrine and Delphine – took charge.

Roseline and Cendrine look after the vineyards and winemaking, whilst older sister Delphine takes charge of the business side of things, although Papa can still often be seen around the vines on his tractor. Their 16 hectares of vines (70% Grenache, remainder Syrah and Cinsault with 1% Mouvedre) are scattered over 20 parcels throughout the Gigondas appellation, with the finest at 500 metres on the Col de Cayron, where the yields are at their lowest and ripening is slow. The Faraud sisters’ tiny garage sized winery sits just below the Dentelles de Montmirail, a striking limestone landmark at the heart of Gigondas. They make just a single wine, with fermentation in concrete vats which are built into the floor and ageing in large old foudres. This is a wine of huge concentration that is a benchmark for the region.

Dupont Family

The elegant château is surrounded by orchards amounting to some 27 hectares most of which are typical cider apples. Etienne studied distillation in Cognac before taking over the domaine from his father and grand-father in 1980. His yields are low and he maintains a high quality level.

Domaine Guerrin et Fils

Domaine la Collière

Unlike many in the region, Georges Perrot was not born and bred into a wine family, but rather a passion for gardening came from his maternal grandmother. Upon meeting his now wife, Delphine, Georges began to work on her family vineyards and in 2002 the first vintage of Domaine La Collière was produced in André & Frédéric Romero’s (Domaine La Soumade) old cellars.

He now has 30 hectares of vines spread across many parcels of land throughout the village, mainly on blue and yellow clay soils which help retain the water in this often arid land. The philosophy is very much to respect the land and all grapes are hand-picked. A new winery was completed in 2018 and boasts bespoke Italian made concrete tanks along with the more traditional stainless steel and oak barrels. The latest addition is a couple of small egg-shaped concrete tanks. He makes pure, elegant wines with juicy red and black fruit, both Côtes du Rhône and village Rasteau, and a small quantity of a stand-out Côtes du Rhône Blanc. “Oak is not my style,” he says, and we love the vibrant fruit characters he gets in his wines, which are very elegant and almost Burgundian. Wine journalists from both sides of the Atlantic are beginning to sit up and take notice.

Domaine Le Soula

Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils

Domaine Mouton

Domaine Roger Perrin

Both exciting and forward-thinking, Domaine Roger Perrin consistently makes great value, top quality wines.

In the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Roger Perrin, was established in 1972. Taking over his father-in-law’s vineyard, Roger decided to make and bottle the wines himself, building a new cellar and selling the wines under his new domaine label. Since 2013 the estate has been run by Roger’s grandson, Xavier. They farm 42 ha, 15.5 of which are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 20.5 Côtes du Rhône and 6 IGP.

Having worked organically since 2010, they are now in conversion and are due to be certified from the 2024 vintage. The modern winery was built in 1998 and is surrounded by very old vines which were planted in 1906. All grapes are hand-harvested except for four of their hectares in IGP. Xavier uses natural yeasts in the winery and is experimenting with making compost to feed the vines and using cover crops in the vineyards. The Châteauneuf vineyards are in fragmented plots around the appellation, and are mainly blended into their grand cuvée, except La Berthaude, which is a single bottling designed for earlier drinking. They cultivate more than 15 different grape varieties, majoring on Grenache, with quantities varying depending on vintage. The different varietals for the red Châteauneufs are fully destemmed, pre-blended and vinified together. The main cuvée spends 12-15 months in oak whilst La Berthaude only spends time in concrete. The white Châteauneuf varieties are vinified separately. They are aged on their lees for roundness, but do not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to avoid losing freshness.

Domaine Saint Antonin

Domaines Schlumberger

Domaines Schlumberger has an enormous holding of 140 hectares in Guebwiller in southern Alsace. They are the largest Grands Crus producer in Alsace with half of their vineyards in four grand crus: Kessler, Kitterlé, Saering and Spiegel, while their classic range ‘Les Princes Abbés’ pays homage to the Princes Abbots who tended the vineyards for over 1000 years. Steeply terraced sites of up to 50 degrees benefit from triple expositions facing south-east, south and south-west increasing complexity as well as ripeness in the grapes. The sandy terraced soils are contained by 50km of dry sandstone walls which are maintained by a team of masons. Horse drawn ploughing improves the soil structure, minimises water run-off, builds up deeper water reserves and increases vine vigour. While on more gentle slopes the use of sheep has helped to decrease the use of herbicides and tractors in some vineyards. Forests overlook all hillsides, increasing the biodiversity in their vineyards, reducing pest pressures, regulating water and minimising hydric stress in the vines.

They’ve innovated with the use of felt ground cover membranes in their vineyards and have been campaigning hard to adopt new technology like drones for vine treatments (should permission finally be granted) to minimise soil compaction, fuel use and drift which further protects workers from exposure to products. Production methods combine traditional with modern, the new working alongside the best of the old. In a region where quality is utterly dependable, Schlumberger stands as a benchmark. No expense is spared in their pursuit of excellence and the resulting wines are very fine.

Dominio de Basconcillos

Dönnhoff

Doran Vineyards

Dr Loosen

Dubonnet

Edmond Briottet

Enrico Esu

Etienne Sauzet

Edradour Distillery

Founded on land rented from the Duke of Atholl. Scotland’s smallest distillery describes itself as a ‘farm’ distillery. It can be found in a pretty Glen in the hills above Pitlochry. Built in the early 19th century it is largely unchanged inside and out. It has the smallest copper stills in Scotland. The whisky is hand crafted by just 3 men: John Reid assisted by Davis Ramsbottom and James Kennedy.

English Drinks Company

Eryri Snowdonia Gin

Estate Argyros

Eugenio Bocchino

The English Distillery

At a time when world-class Whisky made in England was unthinkable, our father & son founders took a chance and kickstarted a category. From dream to dram, every aspect of The English is born of their vision. No investors, no interference. Just exceptional spirits, made for sharing, that keep getting better.

When our founders built the distillery, they chose a spot directly above a source of sweet, mineral-rich water, the same water that’s made our whisky every day since 2006. Without our corner of Norfolk, our whisky wouldn’t be the same. Our roots are as deeply embedded in the Norfolk soil (right below the bedrock, in fact) as they can be, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Winning ‘The World’s Best Single Malt Whisky’ in the World Whiskies Awards 2024 shows that doing things the right way makes a difference. The English Sherry Cask beat off stiff competition from some of the most renowned distilleries in the world, propelling our rural distillery into the limelight and proving that English whisky can hold its own on a global stage.

The distillery has a unique place in history. In 1901 the last recorded whisky distillery in England swapped from whisky to gin production before being destroyed by fire. This saw the end of whisky making in England until The English Distillery was granted a license to distil whisky by HMRC. In 2006 it became the first registered, operational whisky distillery in England for over 100 years.

Escarpment

Esterházy Winery

Fairmile Vineyard

Famille Hugel

Feiler-Artinger

Foncalieu

Four Roses

Built in 1910 the Four Roses distillery is in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky (not far from the Wild Turkey Distillery) and has been owned by the Japanese Kirin Brewery Company since 2002. Under Seagram distillers’ ownership (1943 – 2002) the Four Roses brand moved exclusively to expanding European and Asian markets where it became very successful, however was withdrawn from sale in its home US market in favour of their core blended whiskies, returning later as a name featured on cheap blended US whiskey. Kirin immediately moved focus from blended back solely to Four Roses, and rapidly reestablished Four Roses as a big quality player in the US market.

The distillery uses two mash bills (grain combinations) both with 5% barley, one using 75% corn and the other 60% corn with the balance being rye. Limestone-rich (hard) water for the mash comes from the local Salt River, and each fermentation uses one mash bill with one of five original yeasts. This gives options for ten unique and different distiller’s beers which ferment for at least three days and are kept separate until fully mature, so ten different bourbons. These then pass through their continuous distillation column to yield a distillate they call ‘White Dog’ which in turn goes into a pot shaped still for a second more gentle distillation in the ‘Doubler’. From here the spirit is sent by road tanker to warehousing in Cox’s Creek less than 1 hour away. Four Roses is one of only a few big distillers to use single storey warehouses as temperature fluctuations are significantly less than in traditional seven storey rickhouses. When deemed mature they are expertly blended for their signature range: Four Roses Bourbon, Small Batch and Small Batch Select, while special worthy barrels are aged further for special editions. The house style is mellow and balanced, fruity with sweet oak and gentle spices.

Franschhoek Cellar DGB

Freixenet

The Freixenet winery was first established in 1887 by Pedro Ferrer and his wife, Dolores Salsa. They set out to produce fine Cava and have succeeded in doing so since that time. The cellars are in the heart of the Penedès region at Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Consistently high in quality.

Familia Carvalho Martins

Family-owned estate in the Douro Superior, Carvalho Martins makes fresh, characterful wines close to the Spanish border. Quinta Vale do Olmo has been in the Carvalho Martins family for four generations, with vines originally planted in the early 20th century by the great grandfather of current owners (and brothers) Vasco and Rui Martins.

During the 1980s, their parents increased plantings of indigenous varieties, taking the estate up to its current standing of 25ha but it wasn’t until 2014, when the brothers returned from careers in Banking and Law, that they stopped selling their fruit in order to make their own wines. The vineyards are in the Douro Superior, close to the small city of Mêda, only about 25km from Spain. High diurnal temperature ranges and altitudes of 550-600m provide terrific natural acidity, while the schist/granite and quartz-rich soils give great mineral expression to the wines. Sustainable methods are used throughout the vineyard and winery. The wine is labelled as Golpe (‘coup’) which refers to the change from selling their fruit to producing their own wines. A new winery and cellar was built in the town around 2014 with plans to develop eno-tourism, and there is a marvellous large dovecote repurposed as a unique tasting room!

Fattorie Romeo del Castello

Felton Road

Fonseca Guimaraens

Foxdenton

The Foxdenton family estate can trace its history back to 1367 when the estate was aquired by marriage. Military men to the last they have served King, and Queen, and country ever since. Nick Radclyffe is currently at the helm producing a range of products including some fine fruit gins and an excellent export strength Gin unashamedly rich in Juniper.

Gonnet Père et Fils

Since 2007 Famille Gonnet and the family brand for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Font de Vent, has been run by cousins Guillaume and Bertrand Gonnet. Guillaume learnt his trade with vintages at Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet and Château Beau-Sejour Becot in St Emilion with a year in the Napa Valley.

They are the third generation of the family domaine, which was started in 1950 by their grandfather Etienne, although records show there has been Gonnets in Bédarrides since the 1600s. When Etienne was younger the family farmed produce such as rabbits, pigeons and eggs, however an outbreak of Myxomatosis destroyed the export market so they turned to planting vines. Etienne already had a small vineyard from his father and this was further added to by his new wife, Jeanne Brunier of the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe family, who had her own vines too. Fast forward over 70 years and the domaine is fully organic, with Guillaume noting “organics makes our vines stronger preventing disease, as the vines go deeper into the soils”. Their aim is to create wines that drink well early and have the ability to cellar, over the years, they insist, the style has not changed but rather has been refined and improved. Vines are around 50 to 110 years old and most wines are a field blend with around 75% Grenache as the base.

Faure

Fernanda Cappello

Firmin Dezat and Domaine Thibault

Firmin Dezat is in his early 30s and has taken on half of the André Dezat holdings: 23 ha across Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Pouilly-Fumé, as well as the existing chai.

 Firmin worked in California before returning in 2011, as the 18th generation amazingly, to the terroir of his ancestors in Verdigny. He is passionate about the benefits of sustainable agriculture, and the estate will be fully organic in 2024. The Sancerre whites are rich with a fine line of acidity, coming from both the chalk-based Terre Blanches, and the limestone Caillottes. His Pouilly-Fumé is pin-sharp and intense in flavour. All Fermin’s wines benefit from time in bottle.

François Lurton

François Lurton is from an old Bordeaux family and makes wines in many places in the world, especially in South America where he has vineyards and wineries in Argentina and Chile.

In France he owns vineyards and sources wines under long term contracts and often rents space in local co-operatives to make the wines which are then finished in a large bottling and storage facility at Vayres between Bordeaux and Libourne. In the south of France he owns vineyards in Fitou and Corbières together with a winery but also sources and makes a range of varietal wines which have excellent full flavours and concentration.

Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno

Gunderloch

Estate based at Nackenheim in the Rheinhessen which was bought to prominence by owners Fritz and Agnes Hasselbach with a series of superb wines, particularly late harvest although quality across the range is excellent. In 1996 they bought the Balbach estate at Nierstein and these vineyards give them an excellent holding along the Roter Hang, sloping down to the Rhine. The estate is now run by their son Johannes, the sixth generation of the family to run the estate, who has 24 hectares of vineyards, 12 on steep slopes, the best for quality here, including most of the famous Rothenberg vineyard at Nackenheim. The vineyards are certified organic and the wines ferment with natural yeasts in wood and stainless steel followed by a long maturation on the lees, giving, rich, full flavoured wines.

Greenhough Vineyards

Gouguenheim Winery

Gonzalez Byass

Glenfiddich Distillery

The world's best selling single malt which was quite extraordinarily not even exported to England until 1963! Built and founded in 1887 by William Grant it was a family affair with all the children lending a hand. Still owned and run by the Grant family its tradition is barley to bottle!

Ghislaine Barthod

G Miclo

Giffard

Emile Giffard was a dispensing chemist in Angers at the end of the 19th century. He distilled liqueurs creating a range of secret recipes many of which are still in use today. The flagship product is the Menthe-Pastille originally made using English peppermint leaves.

Glyndwr Vineyard

Gordon Castle

Owned by Angus and Zara Gordon-Lennox the Gordon Castle estate is at the heart of the Speyside region of north east Scotland. Some of the botanicals in their gin are sourced from their own eight acre, walled, Moray garden. Their gin won a gold medal at the highly respected San Francisco World Spirit competition in 2015.

Grey Goose

Grey Goose was the brainchild of American Billionaire Sidney Frank who, in 1997, set out to create a high quality brand of Vodka for the American market. He chose France to produce it from French wheat grown in and around Picardy to the north of Paris, which was then blended with spring water in the cognac region of France. In 2004 he sold the brand to Bacardi for a record sum, in excess of $2 billion.

Gruppo Campari

Campari was invented in 1860 by Gaspare Campari. Today Gruppo Campari is a major international player with over 45 premium brands distributed in over 190 countries.

Gin Mare

The Mediterranean gin, made in Spain but with ingredients from across the Med. The distillery is in a small, ancient fishing village situated between the Costa Brava and the Costa Dorada. The base spirit is distilled from barley, to this they add Arbequina olives, thyme from Greece; basil from Italy; rosemary from Turkey; citrus from Spain and other, more exotic, spices from around the world.

Glayva

Glenfarclas Distillery

Glengoyne Distillery

Glenmorangie Distillery

Glenmorangie, meaning 'Glen of Tranquillity', is the world's second-best-selling malt. The distilling of whisky goes back to 1730 but it was officially licensed in 1843. It has the tallest stills in Scotland which due to their shape yield a very fruity spirit. They use hard water that takes 100 years to filter through the rock to the distillery's springs.

Gordons

In 1769 Alexander Gordon set up his distillery in Southwater with the intention of producing a top quality gin, and the famous London Dry style was born. The distillery is now located out of London at Laindon in Essex.

Graham's

Groupe GCF

The Jean Balmont wines are soured from various areas of France to make wines which are excellent examples of their respective grape varieties. They have great fruit and are made to be enjoyed.

Hacienda Araucano

Tucked into the hillside of the Lolol Valley, a southern off-shoot of the broader Colchagua Valley, Hacienda Araucano is a delightful 'farm' property designed and rebuilt by François Lurton in the late 1990s.

The vineyards slope, some of them akin to the Northern Rhône in gradient, face due south. All are farmed biodynamically with the addition of strict water-conserving measures to cut down the amount used. François has planted Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir on the granite schist soils here, but is experimenting with Viognier and Syrah on the sheerest, hottest slopes behind the house, and Cabernet at higher elevations. It's a great location, benefitting from cool on-shore breezes from the ocean a mere 40km away, yet maintaining a hot, dry climate and cool night temperatures - ideal for growing perfect grapes.

Haven Distillery

Haven Distillery was started by Duncan Fox and his wife Alex in 2016, at Tump Ash Farm in Herefordshire, combining Alex’s passion for botanicals with Duncan’s engineering and chemistry skills, to produce true artisan small-batch gins in their tiny distillery. They grow their own herbs on site including apple mint, angelica, bay, lemon thyme, lemon verbena and rosemary which they use fresh or dried, alongside traditionally sourced lemons and Italian juniper. Using a combination of cold vacuum and traditional distillation techniques, they produce a range of superb ‘London Dry’ gins – gins that legally that must be made from a base spirit at a minimum of 96% ABV with natural botanicals added during the distillation process.

Hencote Estate

Henri Ehrhart

Henri Ehrhart is a top Alsatian producer based in the picturesque town of Ammerschwir that lies below the Vosgnes mountains, north-west of Colmar. Henri started the business in the 1970s, purchasing four vineyards in Ammerschwir including his Kaefferkopf vineyard, a grand cru site renowned for its elegant, mineral, powerful Rieslings.

The family firm is now in the hands of Henri’s children, his son Cyrille and daughter Sophie. Cyrille has managed the winery since 2009 and was joined by talented enologist Laurence Schatz in 2010, and his sister Sophie in 2012 as sales and marketing director. Their purpose-built winery and bottling plant is on the edge of town overlooking the vineyards. They are a sizeable producer of Alsatian wines, with a reputation founded on their Riesling from the famous Kaefferkopf vineyard. There is a unified passion for wine here - working closely with nature, understanding the terroir and each vintage - resulting in superb wines with an excellent price to quality ratio.

Hereford Gin

Pulling's set up in Hereford as wine merchants in 1813, but were originally cider makers in Ledbury from 1760. Their distillery was in Hereford's East Street, between the rear of the present day Pulling's/Tanners premises in St.Peter's Square and the cathedral. Today Hereford Gin is made for us to an exacting recipe.

Hidalgo-La Gitana

Bodegas Hidalgo - La Gitana was founded in 1792 by José Panaléon Hidalgo, who originally came from the north of Spain. He bought a small winery in Sanlúcar from Don Roque Vejarano, and today Bodegas Hidalgo - La Gitana is still owned by the Hidalgo family which makes it one of last few bodegas totally under family ownership.

It is currently owned and run by the eighth generation Luis, Antonio, Juan and Fermin Hidalgo, and is the ninth oldest company in Spain and the third oldest sherry bodega. For top quality Manzanilla sherries both terroir in the vineyard and ‘terroir’ in the winery are key. Bodegas Hidalgo is in Barrio Bajo, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, just a few hundred metres from the sea, the Guadalquiver River marshes and the Guadalquiver River. This perfect location enjoys higher humidity than in Jerez, giving the best conditions for flor growth and results in the finest dry sherries. Hidalgo is very unusual in owning all their own vineyards, and has large parcels in the top quality Miraflores and Balbaína pagos (a pago is a vineyard cluster or district defined by similar characteristics or ‘fingerprints’). Here the marine sedimentary Albariza soils are very chalky comprising 50-80% limestone. Hidalgo has made great successes of single vineyard releases although their best known wine is the top quality Manzanilla 'La Gitana' (The Gypsy) which comes from the Miraflores pago. In recent years they have released Manzanilla La Gitana ‘En Rama’ which has developed quite a following. It comes from the same vineyard as La Gitana, but is made exclusively from free-run juice. Hidalgo specially selects 35 casks of wine for their En Rama which spends two years longer in solera than La Gitana. It is bottled unfiltered, and ‘En Rama’ can be translated as ‘from the vine’ or ‘straight from the cask’. They also produce a number of other sherries including the raisiny sweet Triana Pedro Ximénez (PX) and very old Wellington Palo Cortado Sherry, 20 years VOS.

Hine

In 1791 Thomas Hine arrived in Jarnac and became embroiled in the French Revolution. Arrested as a spy he was released and secured his position locally by marrying the daughter of a local cognac producer. The company motto is 'Produce little but make it perfect.'

Hinton’s of Bewdley

Hendrick's

Produced by distillers William Grant & Sons at their grain distillery in Girvan. The family owned and run firm was established in the 19th century and became more overt with the building of the Glenfiddich distillery in 1886 and the Balvenie in 1892.

Henri Germain et Fils

Down a narrow backstreet of Meursault and through the tiniest of vineyards is one of Burgundy’s most unfindable cellars. They are amongst the coldest and dampest too, factors that play an important part in the making of some of Meursault’s most delicious wines.

We have bought them, cellared them, and drunk them over many years, starting in the early eighties with Henri Germain, father of Jean-François who is the present incumbent. He is a modest and affable character who is highly regarded by his winemaking peers and in 2018 was joined by his daughter Lucie. At only 8 ha it isn’t a large domaine, but they have well-placed plots in Meursault and in Beaune 1er cru Bressandes. Their vines in Chassagne-Montrachet came by way of Jean-François’ mother, one of the that village’s extended Pillot family. Jean-François is therefore a cousin of Paul and Thierry Pillot, furthermore his wife is a Jobard and his brother Eric is winemaker at Vincent Girardin. It is an interconnected world in Burgundy! Back to those cellars with their colourful, fungi-encrusted walls and flurries of penicillin. It is these conditions that lead to extremely long alcoholic fermentations and malolactics that last well into the wines’ second winter in barrel. The flavour profiles of the wines are therefore enormously full and complex, leading to bottles that develop remarkably well over time.

Henriques and Henriques

João Joaquim Henriques founded the firm in 1850. He was the head of a landed family who owned extensive vineyards. In 1925 they started exporting and continue to do so across world. They are classical, traditional Madeiras made using the most modern technology.

Héritiers du Comte Lafon

Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon is the baby brother of the exalted Domaine Comtes Lafon in Meursault, though with 26 ha of vines now, it is not quite so ‘baby’ anymore. Lower prices and greater availability give Burgundy lovers the chance to experience some of the magic of the Lafon Meursaults.

The wines are made from its own domaine-grown grapes at a winery in Milly-Lamartine, in the hills at the back of the Mâconnais. We visited it back in 1999 just after Dominique Lafon completed the purchase and were immediately struck by the bowl of vines behind the winery, grapes from these going into the Milly-Lamartine wine, with one mid-slope parcel bottled separately as Clos du Four. We have since travelled up-hill-and-down-dale with Dominique exploring the expanded estate from the cooler, more elevated Le Monsard vineyard in nearby Bussières to Uchizy, 18 miles away, where he bought 6 ha of vines in 2003. These include Les Maranches, on the scrubby hill visible from the autoroute, which has a proportion of the intriguing Chardonnay Musqué clone, and Clos de la Crochette in the neighbouring village of Chardonnay. There was further expansion in into Viré-Clessé, then Mâcon-Prissé, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé from the 2015 vintage.

Hennessy

This is the best selling cognac in the world. It has 27 distilleries producing spirit for Hennessy alone and its own forest in the Limousin to supply wood for its casks. The firm was established by Irishman Captain Richard Hennessy in 1765 and is credited with originating cognac's style codes.

Henri Prudhon et Fils

Hibernation Gin

Highland Park Distillery

The distillery is at Kirkwall and is the most northerly in Britain. It was built in 1798 on the site of a smuggler's still, a church official who hid full casks in false coffins and in the pulpit to avoid excise officers! It is highly traditional and one of the greatest 'all-round' whiskies.

Ian Macleod Distillers

Macleods produce Peaty Creag for us to a carefully specified blend including malts from several Islay and island distilleries with which they have good relationships. Based at Broxburn near Edinburgh, Macleods is family-owned and run by Leonard Russell. They also own Glengoyne distillery and are responsible for the brand Smokehead a vatted Islay malt with a huge character!

Il Colle

J Bally

Made on the island of Martinique at the Lajus plantation which has been growing sugar for the making of Rum for the last 70 years. The bottle shape and label were designed by Jacques Bally in 1924 and have remained unchanged.

Jean Durup Père et Fils

Jean-Paul Durup has assembled the largest domaine in Chablis, owning a staggering 170 hectares, largely by acquiring and re-planting land that was abandoned after WWII.

Of these myriad parcels, the Durup stronghold is probably the Fourchaume vineyard, but he makes good Montmains, Montée de Tonnerre and Vau de Vey 1er crus as well as 30 Ha of Petit Chablis. These are pure, classic 'terroir wines' showing steely minerality without any use of oak. All his wines undergo malolactic fermentations, and are impeccably made in modern cellars at Maligny. The Durups' renovation of Château de Maligny itself, the impressive if crumbling 12th Century castle on the opposite side of the village, is proving a longer term project.

Domaine des Fines Caillottes - J Pabiot

At the end of the 19th century Louis Pabiot was a winemaker in the area of Les Loges farming just over 1 ha of vines. Around 1910 his son Gaston began work here and slowly started to grow the area; by the 1950s the domaine had grown to 3 ha.

In 1944 Gaston's son, Jean (Pabiot) started to work in the vineyards at the tender age of 14 years, and by 1978 when his son Alain started work there were 7 ha which has grown, under Alain's tenure, to 29 ha. In 2004 Alain was joined by his son Jérôme. Domaine des Fines Caillottes, Jean Pabiot et Fils, is a small producer with scattered parcels of vineyards on the various soils typical of the region including the very pebbly clay limestone, the classic flint, some parcels of Kimmeridgian clay and a richer plot of clay and limestone. In 2012 they enrolled with Terra Vitis, a certified responsible vineyard and winery practice award, which they have taken to the next level being awarded the state run HVE High Environmental Value award in 2019 for biodiversity in the vineyards and reducing chemical interventions. Their 19th century underground cellars, located beneath their house, were originally eight small cellars but over the years they have been knocked together and extended under the street in order for the Pabiots to incorporate modern, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats.

Jean-Pierre Moueix

Jean-Pierre Moueix was founded in 1937 and is famed across the world for its expertise with the Merlot grape and the wines of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. Owning ten châteaux including La Fleur-Pétrus and Belair Monange, Moueix is dedicated to quality and manages and markets for numerous other properties.

Jim Barry Wines

John Crabbie & Company

Jose Cuervo

Jukes

Jean Loron

A sizeable négociant and vineyard owner, now under the direction of Xavier Barbet whose ancestor founded the company in 1821. Specialists in Beaujolais and Mâconnais wines, Loron own about 50 hectares in Beaujolais and Beaujolais crus. They have three bottling lines and a large air-conditioned winery with underground storage for two million bottles. A very reliable source.

Jean-Marc Brocard

Jo Hilditch - The Whittern Estate

Produced on the Whittern Estate at Lyonshall on the Herefordshire/Wales border. Jo Hilditch’s family have been growing blackcurrants here for over 3 generations. They now produce other products from a range of locally sourced soft fruit.

John Jameson & Son - Midleton Distillery

The first site of the distillery was in Bow Street, Dublin and was established by Scot John Jameson in 1780. He made a policy of using sherry casks to mature his whiskeys because he preferred the flavour and body they imparted. In style they are rounded, graceful and full-flavoured.

Joseph Perrier

Jules Larose

Jules Larose is made south of Bordeaux from various grape varieties grown on light, sandy soils. They make fresh, clean sparkling wines that are aged for six months to give depth and complexity.

Jack Daniel Distillery

Jack Daniel was quite a character buying his first still at the age of just 13! By the age of 20, in 1866, he had registered his distillery. The 'beer' stills are 100 feet high, from these the spirit goes into charcoal-mellowing vats before aging in barrels for 4-6 years.

Jean-Max Roger

Based in Bué in the south of the Sancerre appellation, this domaine nestles in a massive theatre of vines overlooking the Berry Plain, and has a fine reputation for Sancerre in all its forms - white, red and rosé.

The Roger family have been vignerons in the area since the seventeenth century, however, it was not until the early 1970s when Jean-Max Roger took over 4 ha from his parents that the estate really started to take off. In 2004 he was joined by two of his sons, Etienne and Thibault. Today they farm 34 hectares, 28 ha in Sancerre and 6 ha in Menetou Salon, across more than 40 different plots taking in all the significant soils types of the region, including the stony clay soils, the kimmeridgian clay, and the classic flint. They farm sustainably using cover crops to prevent soil erosion, as well as to improve soil structure and increase biodiversity. They use a combination of machine harvesting as well as manual which they reserve for the old vines. Parts of their winery date back to the 17th century including part of the village's former tithe barn, but it has been extended in all directions as the need for space in the winery has arisen. Fermentation takes place in a mix of stainless and enamelled steel tanks and at least a small proportion of each wine is fermented in 400L oak casks, as little as 5% for the normal cuvées and up to 33% for the top old vine wines.

Jesús Madrazo

João Portugal Ramos

Ramos started winemaking in Alentejo with Quinta do Carmo in 1985. Despite a successful consultancy career, Ramos was, though, always keen to make his own wines and in 1990 began acquiring vineyard land in the region.

An initial plot of just 6 hectares, with a further 45 hectares under contract, has grown considerably since then to 150 hectares of his own land and an additional 200 over which he has complete viticultural control. Winemaking in the area in general has expanded exponentially since the 1980s as others too have realised the potential of Alentejo. However, the upfront fruit and clear varietal labelling of Ramos’ wines have made them particularly popular on the export market. His property is Monte de Serrado Pinheiro at Estremoz.

Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker is the world's best-selling Scotch. John Walker was a grocer, but it was his son who spotted the potential of blends and bought the Cardhu distillery in 1893 to ensure continuity - and it is still at the heart of the Walker blends.

Journey's End

The Gabb family’s journey, from rural Shropshire to leading South African wine producers, began 25 years ago and is reaching new heights.

The stunning vineyards on the Journey's End estate were purchased and replanted by Shropshire resident Roger Gabb in 1996. With son Rollo now at the helm the consistently strong run of top wine awards is testament to its status as one of South Africa’s most premium wine estates. This beautiful location in the Helderberg Basin near Sir Lowry’s Pass benefits from south-facing slopes and cool coastal breezes. The Schaapenberg Terroir with its sea-facing slopes has drawn comparisons with some of Bordeaux’s best with some exceptional wines emerging from the area. The completion of a brand new, state-of-the-art boutique winery set in the heart of the vineyards means winemakers Leon Esterhuizen and Mike Dawson have all they need to produce their premium top quality wine. There is also a great belief in minimal intervention in the vineyards, allowing nature to do her best at expressing the unique terroir. The estate has impressive ethical and sustainability credentials. It is fully solar powered and Fairtrade certified, and recently received recognition for its commitment to this with an Ethical Company of the Year Award. In 2020 The Journey’s End Foundation was set up to provide meals to, and support, the local community and now provides over 13,000 meals per week.

Kaapzicht Wine Estate

Now in the hands of the fourth generation, under the stewardship of Danie Steytler Jr, winemaking is part of the Steytler family identity. They have farmed the land on their Kaapzicht (Cape View) estate, nestled in the idyllic Bottelary Hill, which form the backdrop to Stellenbosch, since 1946.

For Kaapzicht, the terroir is not just about the land, but the people who are custodians of it. The Steytler family extends to their supportive team, including generations of families who have helped produce their rich and opulent wines.

One of the premium producers of Pinotage in South Africa, Kaapzicht are in the process of moving to organic and regenerative agriculture.

King of Soho Gin

Kutjevo Winery

Kaesler

Khareba Winery

Kumeu River

The Brajkovich family have been involved in wine since 1944 when when Mick and Katé Brajkovich and their son Maté first came to the small country settlement of Kumeu, about 20 km north-west of Auckland City. Ever since then, the family have grown in-sync with the New Zealand wine industry and have established themselves as internationally recognised producers of world class Chardonnay.

Kerpen

Kilchoman

Kilchoman, Islay’s farm distillery, lies on the west coast of Islay, set in 2300 acres of which the most fertile 400 acres around the distillery is reserved for growing the barley for their malt. Established by Anthony and Kathy Wills in 2005, Kilchoman was the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years. A true family concern Anthony is master distiller and managing director, assisted by Islay Heads their general manager, while Kathy works in accounts and their sons James, George and Peter drive sales and marketing.

The smallest Islay distillery and one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, its whiskies are produced wholly on site, from the barley they exclusively grow, traditionally hand malting on their own malting floor and then peating, production, maturation and bottling – the entire process – a 100% Islay philosophy from start to finish using nothing but Islay ingredients. Unusually it is just one of a handful of distilleries in Scotland to have its own floor maltings providing a third of their needs, the balance comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the Island, though the two are kept quite separate at all stages of production. Long fermentations and distillations in some of the smallest stills in Scotland give a house style of citrus and peat with maturation mostly in bourbon barrels and sherry butts.

Klein Constantia

Formerly part of the estate that produced the legendary Constantia dessert wine, Klein Constantia now consists of 75 hectares on the Cape peninsula, just south of Cape Town. The Jooste family make excellent use of the various microclimates here to produce very true varietal wines.

Kraken

This brand is owned by Proximo Spirits an importer and distributor of spirits in the USA based in New Jersey. Established in 2010 Kraken is made from rum sourced from Trinidad and Tobago distilled from molasses. It is aged for between 12 and 24 months before it has a secret mix of 11 spices added, including cloves, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.

Kurt Hain

La Cave de l'Abbé Rous

La Guardiense

Lamb's

The company dates back to 1849 and its founder Alfred Lamb. He imported rum in cask and stored them in the cool cellars of London, rather than in the Caribbean. The style is fragrant and elegant.

Laphroaig Distillery

The Johnson brothers, who were local farmers, started the distillery in 1815 in a series of small cottages on the Kidalton shore in the south of Islay. The style is intensely peaty, almost medicinal with an oily body. Prince Charles has granted his Royal Warrant to the distillery.

Le Clos des Cazaux

Brothers, Jean-Michel and Frédéric Archimbaud Vache have run this domaine since taking over from their parents in 2010.

Based in Vacqueyras they have 46 ha of vines in total (26 in Vacqueyras, 16 in Gigondas and 4 of Côtes du Rhône), of which 20 surround the ancient Cazaux buildings, which now house the winery and cellars. It is these vines situated in a Clos around the winery from which the domaine takes its name. They were first planted in the 1950s, when the family planted vines on land that was too poor to sustain any other crop. The family were one of the first to bottle and market Vacqueyras wines. Jean-Michel takes control of the vineyard, whilst Frédéric is the winemaker, both are hugely passionate about making great wines in a sustainable and respectful way to the environment. Most of their work in the vineyards is by hand with the aim of keeping their old vines healthy, yields are low. The winemaking is careful and considered, with individual terroirs and grapes being vinified separately, ageing is usually in concrete or stainless steel meaning no filtration is necessary, just a few specific cuvées are aged in oak. Overall, the style is one where ripe, pure fruit shines through, they drink relatively young but have the structure to mature well.

Cortijo Los Aguilares

Luis Felipe Edwards

Viña Luis Felipe Edwards (LFE) was founded in 1976 when Luis Felipe Edwards Sr bought the Fundo San José de Puquillay estate, a sixty hectare estate in the Colchagua Valley, Chile, and decided to launch a wine under his own name.

It was here where he built and developed his winery, and today their modern production complex at Puquillay comprises four wineries, and a barrel cellar in addition to the original historic cellars of the old estate. Their original 60 hectares now extended into hillside sites and total 390 hectares, and at altitudes just shy of 3000 feet the LFE900 mountain vineyards are the highest vineyards in Chile, and they are in the vanguard of growing varieties on very sloping sites at altitude. LFE is the largest 100% family owned company in Chile, and vineyard holdings today include other sites throughout many of the premier growing regions of Chile and amount to a grand total of 1850 hectares. They export to over 70 countries. Their first release was Luis Felipe Edwards Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 and their attention to detail and commitment to quality is such that Luis Felipe Edwards wines win awards throughout the world. Many of the family are involved in the company including the founder, Luis Felipe Edwards Sr, and his son, Luis Felipe Edwards Jr.

LA Cetto

Estate founded in 1926 by Don Angelo Cetto, who was succeeded by his son Luis Augustus and then by Luis Alberto. The current winemaker is Camillo Magoni. At 1,000 feet above sea level the vines are protected by sea fogs which also bring much needed moisture to this arid part of Mexico.

La Massa

La Massa is at the bottom of a long, steep drive where a beautiful villa and farm buildings stand in a clump of pine and cypress trees. Here you are, right in the heart of Chianti Classico, in an area known as the Conca d’Or or Golden Basin where four south-facing spurs are occupied by four of Chianti’s top producers. Owner Giampaolo Motta took over the estate in 1992 planting Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on richly diverse soil types.

Here there are 22ha of vineyards and 30ha of forests at altitudes from 315m to 460m. Soils comprise clay schist unique to La Massa, and a white sandy schist, both marine in origin, overlaying deep sand and clay. Heterogeneous soil types mean site selection has been hugely important, and they carefully analysed all their soil compositions to select the perfect varietal clone to plant on each site. Driving up, down and across the property you pass plots of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet densely planted on a wide range of orientations and soil types. This is the crucial factor in lending great complexity to Giampaolo Motta’s wines while late harvesting gives them beautiful harmony and super-ripe tannins. Wireless weather stations all over the vineyards monitor rainfall, humidity and sunshine so they can respond rapidly to changing conditions. They use horse manure alongside cover crops to fix nitrogen as they are both sustainable. Pruning and green harvests are by hand to help fully express their terroir and minimise work in the cellar. All their vines face south and so all ripen early. They ferment and age separately, only blending at the end to create each masterpiece. In 2001 La Massa moved away from the Chianti Classico classification and have very successfully freestyled as Toscana IGT ever since. The winery blends seamlessly into the side of the hill but once inside, it is a homage to high-tech, ultra-modern wine making with gravity-fed vats and temperature-controlled barrel aging rooms all accentuated by a colour scheme which is a nod to Italian Formula 1 (black and white chequered flag floor tiles and Ferrari-red piping). Finished in 2012 it has resulted in even finer wines with increased definition and precision - these are Super Tuscans in every possible way."

Lagar de Cervera

Le Contesse

Lombardo

Louis Latour

Established in 1797 and now run by the 6th generation. They are the largest vineyard owner of grand cru sites in Burgundy. Perhaps the most respected grower/négociant in Beaune with a strong reputation for white wines.

La Chiara

This 6.5 hectare estate was established by Ferdinando Bergaglio in 1975. He felt that his previous experience with famous winemakers in Gavi gave him sufficient expertise to set up La Chiara. Currently run by Roberto and Silvana Bergaglio with uncompromising attention to detail.

La Petite Ferme

Lagavulin Distillery

Peter Mackie, the creator of White Horse Scotch used Lagavulin as the core of the brand when he bought the distillery in 1867. The foundations of the distillery go back to 1740 when there were a dozen small, illicit bothies on the shore. Salty, peaty and powerful in style.

Laurent-Perrier

Le Galantin

LGI Wines

Louis Roederer

M Chapoutier

Maker's Mark Distillery

A sixth generation Kentucky distiller Bill Samuels Sr decided the family’s whisky style wasn’t to his taste, so he set out to make his own mellow, soft and creamy yet full-bodied bourbon. In 1953 he purchased the old Burks Spring Distillery, which was shut down by Prohibition in 1919 and used for farming and livestock in the intervening years, and since early 1954 it has been the ‘Maker’s Mark Distillery’ at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky.

An engineer by trade, Bill Samuels Sr developed his mash bill recipe making loaves of bread for each test recipe as it vastly accelerated the process and did away with the lengthy distillation and maturation times. The winning loaf used a recipe with no rye, and today’s mash bill uses 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat (their star ingredient) and 14% malted barley which is mixed with the hard calcium and magnesium-rich water in which their heirloom yeast strain can flourish. Post distillation the filled barrels are rotated across multiple floors in the rackhouse exposing them to different temperatures, developing consistency and complexity, a practice now only used by a handful of distillers. Their bourbons are matured to taste, and not to set times. Interestingly they are one of a mere few distillers who omit the ‘e’ and use the Scottish version of Whisky on their label.

Manfredi

With several vineyard sites totalling around 30 hectares, the fourth generation of the Manfredi family run the estate with modern equipment keeping the family motto in mind - 'Experience and tradition teach us.'

Marqués de Murrieta

Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta is the oldest of the historic, top-class Riojan bodegas and was established in 1852 by Luciano Francisco Ramón de Murrieta who then tapped into the French experience displaced by the phylloxera crisis.

Very much at the forefront of quality in the region for the next hundred years, the winery’s fortunes dipped in the mid-eighties before Vincente Dalmau (owner since 1996) and recent winemaker Maria Vargas restored the class and finesse to the wines. The portfolio is mostly traditional, using Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo in predominantly old American oak, aged much longer than the minimum requirements of DOC Rioja. The Ygay estate is their heart and gives its name to the best, most traditional Gran Reservas. It is 300 ha in size, spread around the bodega in the south of Rioja Alta near Logroño, and is split into about 30 single vineyard plots of very high quality, with the best old vines being at 425m of altitude to bring extra intensity andconcentration to the game. Their ‘top’ modern-style wine is modestly named Dalmau.

Martin Pomfy

Massaya

This exciting collaboration between the Ghosn brothers and their French partners, the Brunier brothers of Château Vieux Télégraphe and Dominique Hébrard of Château Trianon. The vineyards are at an altitude of 1,000 metres and enjoy long, warm summers and wet winters. The wines are very stylish.

McHenry Hohnen Vintners

McHenry Hohnen Vintners is a family run wine producer sourcing grapes from four vineyards in Margaret River and is owned by Murray McHenry and David Hohnen. David Hohnen was responsible for establishing Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay before going into partnership with Murray.

Spread between four vineyards, eighteen grape varieties are cultivated reflecting the area’s heritage, with Bordeaux, Southern French and Spanish varieties thriving in the Mediterranean climate of the Margaret River. There are also plantings of Chardonnay, Viognier, Barbera, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. The aim is to produce varietally expressive wines which clearly reflect the region’s distinctive terroir.

Melis

Founded by Abele Melis (born 1963), a native Sardinian. This 30 hectare estate is to be found in the south west of Sardinia not far from the coast in a region called Terralba. Today the estate specialises in native grapes such as Bovale and Vermentino but also works with some of the more international varieties. The estate is currently run by Flavio Melis with the help of French winemaker Lucien Angei, together they look after the estates six vineyards.

Michel Arnould & Fils

A family-owned and run company comprising 12 hectares of hillside vineyards all in the Grand Cru of Verzenay. All the grapes come from their own vines and none are bought in from outside. The very oldest vines were planted in 1950; however, the overall average vine age is 35 years.

80% of plantings are Pinot Noir trained on the ‘Cordon de Royat’ system and 20% Chardonnay trained on the ‘Chablis’ system. The estate’s history dates back to the end of the nineteenth century under the stewardship of the Lefevre family when grapes were grown and sold on to the top Champagne houses in Verzenay.

In the early 1930s, Henri Lefevre took the next step and made his first champagne. His son André increased production after purchasing a tank and a ‘Coquard’ press and started selling all across France. The marriage of André’s granddaughter Françoise in 1960 to Michel Arnould marked the birth of Michel Arnould Champagne as we know it today.

Their first Champagne was produced in 1961, and in 1972, they started exporting to England. Their production now exceeds 70,000 bottles, of which 40% is exported. Today, Michel’s son Patrick Arnould and son-in-law Thierry are at the helm, and will in time hand over to their own children who are the sixth generation of the original Lefevre family.

Miguel Torres - Chile

Monkey 47

Mallory et Benjamin Talmard

Domaine Talmard is situated within Uchizy and has 31 hectares of vineyards in production. Paul Talmard is currently at the helm producing juicy wines as well as cereals from this mixed farm.

Margan

Massenez

McPherson Wines

McPherson Wines was established by Andrew and Nicki McPherson in 1968. The winery and ultra-modern bottling plant is at Nagambie, Central Victoria. Olivia Forbes makes elegant, balanced, modern Australian wines with care and attention that is second to none. McPherson owns 225 ha of vineyards across two major vineyard holdings: the 85 ha Croftwood Vineyard in the Murray Darling region and the140 ha Sinclair Vineyard in the Goulburn Valley. Other grapes are grown at higher altitude in the Strathbogie Ranges, and, as the company has expanded, they also source fruit from vineyards across Victoria by partnering in long-term relationships with like-minded vignerons across the state.

There are various ranges in the extensive portfolio: XV Pure features red wines from pristine Australian vineyards supplied with pure water from the nearby, free-flowing Murray River. Environmentally-sound vineyard practices and grapes grown in vibrant sandy loam soils combine to make these super premium wines. Rich, full bodied and vibrant, the XV range wines are classic Australian reds.

McPherson is now controlled by Alister Purbrick of nearby Château Tahbilk, famous for perhaps Australia’s best Marsanne.

Méo-Camuzet

Michel Prunier et Fille

Mitchell

Moselland

Müller-Grossmann

Macallan Distillery

Built in 1824 it was bought by Roderick Kemp who sold his share in his Skye distillery, Talisker, to buy Macallan. His descendant, Allan Shiach, is the present chairman. Many of their whiskies are aged in Sherry casks, which are leased to producers in Jerez for 4 years use prior to sending them to Scotland.

Marnier Lapostolle

Martell

Max-Ferd Richter

Meerlust

The estate has been in the Myburgh family since 1756 and is one of the oldest farms in the Cape. With 162 hectares under vine it produces wines in small quantities that have a Bordeaux style, thanks to the gravelly/loamy soil. Nico and Hannes Myburgh, father and son, are at the helm.

Meulenhof

Michel Tête - Domaine du Clos du Fief

Moët & Chandon

Moreau-Naudet et Fils

Mount Gay Rum

The oldest estate in Barbados, Mount Gay was established in 1660 by a Dr. William Gay. Double-distilled in continuous stills it is made from locally grown molasses fermented in oak. Smoky, elegant and mellow in style.

Nikka Whisky

Nicolas Potel

Niepoort

Nyetimber

The Nyetimber estate is mentioned in the Doomsday Book but it wasn’t until 1986 that vines were first planted there. The current owner, Eric Heerema, has a vision for Nyetimber not only to produce the best English sparkling wine but also to rival the best in Champagne.

They now have 170 hectares of vines on eight sites in West Sussex and neighbouring Hampshire, planted on the chalk soil that comprises the Downs and reappears in Champagne. These vineyards are planted with only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and grapes are only ever used from their own vineyards. Harvesting is by hand, followed by fermentation in stainless steel and traditional secondary fermentation. Winemaker Cherie Spriggs, originally from Canada and with extensive winemaking experience there, and in New Zealand and Australia, is in charge of all key decisions from harvesting time through to blending and release dates. If grapes are not up to quality, they are not used – there is no 2012 vintage for this reason and as a result of this dedication to quality, Nyetimber is very much one of the leading English estates.

Oban Distillery

Owned by United Distillers this is a small and originally isolated distillery that has been surrounded by the expansion of the town of Oban itself. A family of Oban merchants became distillers in 1794, although today's distillery probably date from circa 1880. Fresh in style, with touches of peat, fruity seaweed and sea salt.

Orchidées, Maisons du Vin

Orietto

We source the Orietto wine from an excellent winery in Moldova however this source of supply may change from time to time due to variations in the market for grapes between vintages. Our overriding ambition with this wine is to maintain the highest quality at competitive prices, with the wine being true to its grape variety whilst also guaranteeing a continuity of style between years.

Ornellaia

Founded by Lodovico Antinori, the estate broke away from Tuscany’s preference for Sangiovese, instead planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with the aim of producing "Super-Tuscan" Bordeaux-styled blends.

There are 30 ha of vineyards planted on sand and clay, with the average vine age of just over fifteen years. The first vintage of Ornellaia was 1985, and since then Ornellaia has established itself as one of the great Super-Tuscans. The estate has seen a number of shareholders come and go, and is now owned by Frescobaldi.

Paso-Primero

Paso Primero was founded by Tom and Emma Holt, ex-employees of Tanners. Tom left Tanners to study winemaking at Plumpton College in 2010, graduating with highest honours.

After spells working around the world, including New Zealand with Kate Radburnd at C J Pask, and Canada (near Niagara where Tom recalled the struggle with the sheer cold of winter killing too many vines), they settled on Somontano in northern Spain as the source for their first wine, Paso Primero Tinto with it's distinctive 'ladder label' and wren symbol. Somontano means 'under the mountain' and at 750 metres the region produces grapes of very high quality (due to the high altitude and cool climate found in Somontano) which are selected from mature, family-owned vineyards around Barbastro. The wines are made in an ultra modern winery at Sommos where Tom is helped by the DeBeroz family, the leading lights of the Somontano appellation. Quality of fruit is vital and the wine is designed to be fresh and fruity with about 30% barrel-aged for six months. Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon all perform well, while the Holts love working with Gewurztraminer and Riesling. They have also branched out into vermouths - their Paso Vermú proving a huge and immediate hit in Shropshire and Spain.

Penderyn - Gwalia Distillery

Pierre Gaillard

Pierre Gaillard makes fabulous wines. You trek up some of the steepest slopes in Saint-Joseph to find the village of Malleval. This is Pierre’s choice spot as it had largely been abandoned in the 70s/80s due to the difficulty cultivating the steep slopes meaning the land was affordable and available!

Born in Lyon, Pierre studied agriculture which is where he came across, and fell in love with, Oenology. Over many years he has perfected his knowledge and skills in both the vineyard and winery, he minimises his intervention, uses organic fertilisers, no insecticides but won’t be certified. We like this practical, individual approach. This is now a true family affair, all three children – Jeanne, Elize and Pierre-Anton – are now making their own wines, in Rhône and further afield and taking a greater role in the vineyard management. There is no particular ‘house style’ although some high-quality oak is apparent when you first taste, but Pierre makes all the wines to express the individual terroir – handpicking parcel by parcel, vinifying separately – the aim being to demonstrate precision and purity with clear fruity aromas and refined tannin. We are big fans, and the critics are too.

Plaimont

Plaimont is an exemplar of the wine co-operative movement in France. In fact, it is a ‘super-co-op’, an amalgamation of the caves of Plaisance, Aignan and Saint-Mont (spot the letters that make up the name PL-AI-MONT!). At least the later arrival of the Cave de Condom didn’t give them any naming conundrums. Plaimont was the brainchild of Andé Duboscq, a charismatic local wine grower who spotted that Armagnac alone was not going to sustain the fortunes of local viticulture in this part of Gascony. André once proudly showed us his ledgers with the details of the growers being paid according to quality indicators of the grapes as opposed to just weight, which was the norm at the time in France.

The present-day statistics are impressive with about 800 members covering 5,300 ha of vines (only 5 to 8 ha per member) and they control 98% of the Saint-Mont production, and roughly half of Madiran, Pacherenc de Vic Bilh and Côtes de Gascogne. A project over the years has been to catalogue and preserve as many of the old great varieties of the Pyrenean foothills as possible with their nursery being classified as a national monument. Examples are Manseng Noir, Tardif and Arrufiac. Plaimont has been a by-word for quality white wines over many years, but also makes excellent rosés and reds, the latter benefiting from greater know-how in ripening grapes and softening the tannins which, unchecked, can be a strong feature of the local red grapes.

Polmos Bialystok

There is a Polish alcohol monopoly which was formed in 1919 and subsequently named Polmos, which controlled all areas of production. Poland's twenty five distilleries are now independent again and are starting to produce their own individual brands. Polmos is still the largest vodka distiller in Poland, and has a "no fee" licence to produce the classic brands.

Pascal Jamet

Catherine & Pascal Jamet have established their successful winery in a very short space of time. After graduating from oenological studies in Beaune in 1990, Pascal then spent a couple of years as a wine technician in Lyon. In 1994 he started to plant his own vines on family land in Saint Joseph, starting with some Roussanne.

After restoring and renovating a run-down building in the centre of Arras, Pascal and Catherine continued to plant vines on unadulterated land. And a new purpose-built cellar was constructed across the road in 2008. Pascal’s passion is for cultivating lesser-known traditional varieties such as Bia (white) and Dureza (red), although they do not make enough to sell yet, these are for friends and family. As temperatures rise these could be two varieties to look out for in the future. They are now fully organic and have 8 ha in total, vineyard holdings have reduced a little recently as they weren’t conducive to organic methods. Pascal says he would rather have less vines of a higher quality. Their style is for wines that are soft with chunky fruit for early drinking.

Paul Cluver

Perfect Cut

We source the Perfect Cut wines from an excellent winery in New Zealand however these sources of supply may change from time to time due to variations in the market for grapes between vintages. Our overriding ambition with these wines is to maintain the highest quality at competitive prices, with the wines being true to their grape variety whilst also guaranteeing a continuity of style between years.

Peter Jakob Kühn

Pinkster Gin

Plymouth

Coates Company was founded in 1793 and is the only gin with a legally specific geographic location. The distillery itself formed part of the Black Friars Monastery in Plymouth and dates from 1425. From its location it has been the traditional gin of the Navy.

Principe de Viana

Paolo Conterno

Pask Winery

Paul Jaboulet Aîné

The old and venerable family firm of Jaboulet was founded by Antoine Jaboulet in 1834. For six generations it had passed down the male line until being sold in 2006 to Compagnie Financier Frey, who also own Château La Lagune in Bordeaux, Château de Corton-André in Burgundy and hold a large stake in Champagne Billecart-Salmon.

Since taking over Caroline Frey, who is an accomplished winemaker, has improved things greatly. Full organic accreditation was gained in 2016 and many of the vineyards are now worked biodynamically. All work is done by hand in the vineyards, with horses, winches and pickaxes being used even on the steepest of slopes. They make a range of red and white wines in the Northern Rhône from their 110 ha of vineyards, and have recently added 11 ha of Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards in the South. On the hill of Hermitage they have 21 ha, broken down into 10 small plots, making them the second largest vineyard holder on the prestigious hill. Jaboulet’s most celebrated wine, Hermitage La Chapelle, is a blend of some or all of these different plots. Up until the early 1990s it was lauded in the same terms as a Bordeaux first growth, since the new regime was installed dramatic improvements have been seen and the wines have seen a remarkable turnaround. Other notable vineyard holdings include Domaine de Thalabert in Crozes-Hermitage – the first vineyards bought by founding Jaboulet, Antoine; and Domaine de Saint-Pierre in Cornas.

Perrin Family

The Beaucastel estate has been in the safe and capable hands of the Perrin family since 1909. Over time the vineyards expanded with Jean-Pierre and François adding La Vieille Ferme in 1989.

Since 1964 the entire property has been run along strict organic lines, though this is not stated on the label. They produce the longest lived wines of the Rhône Valley and they use all 13 permitted grape varieties. Also under the Perrin umbrella come the Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Côtes du Rhône and Perrin Reserve range.

Piedra Negra

Quady Winery

Quinta Vale D Maria

Quinta do Francês

A small, family-run business based in the Odelouca River Valley of the Silves area and one of the first quality wine producers to set up in Algarve.

Husband and wife team, Patrick Agostini and Fátima Santos, bought the site in 2001, planted 9 Ha of vines in 2002, produced their first vintage in 2006 and started selling in 2010. The thriving business now rents an additional 2.5 Ha 10 kms away and they have plans to plant more. Quinta do Francês now boast a production of 55,000 bottles a year – approximately two thirds red and one third white, with 80% of their wine being sold in Algarve (45% of this is at the cellar door). Patrick (a practicing pathologist with a family of Italian descent) was born and lived in France for many years and has been winemaking since 2000; he is ably assisted by travelling winemaker, Pedro Mendes (who also has a career in medicine!). Fátima looks after the commercial side of the business, runs the tours, and also assists with vine management. Fiercely independent, they don’t outsource any of their processes and use all their own equipment to ensure they maintain the highest levels of care and attention.

Quinta do Vesuvio

Quinta do Noval

Radburnd Cellars

Rémy Martin

Founded in 1724 Rémy Martin has a post war reputation for specialness that came from the fact that its vineyards are in the two top-rated areas of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. With 50% of a blend from Grande Champagne all of Rémy's cognacs are therefore 'Fine Champagne'.

Ridge Vineyards

The Monte Bello site of Ridge Vineyards lies 2600 feet above sea level in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is a winding tortuous drive up a road more reminiscent of an alpine pass than of America.

The altitude here ensures a slow ripening process and the results are more European than most would expect. The vineyard was originally planted in 1885. Paul Draper has been the driving force here having joined in 1969 and is often described as a Professor or Philosopher as well as a wine-maker. In the re-enactment of the 1973 tasting in Paris that shook the Wine world it was Ridge’s 1971 Monte Bello that took the top honours both in the UK and in the USA. There are 3 sites: Monte Bello on the Santa Cruz Mountains predominantly Cabernet based wines. Geyserville (pronounced Guyzervil not Geezervil!) in the Alexander Valley North of the Napa in Sonoma County, where the wine is predominantly Zinfandel. Finally Lytton Springs south of Geyserville between Dry Creek and Alexander Valley again mostly Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.

Rioja Vega

The origins of Rioja Vega go back to 1882 when Don Felipe Ugalde established a bodega bearing his name in Haro. In 1948 the bodega joined with Bodegas Muerza through marriage and the name disappeared.

In 1983 it was acquired by the Group Principe de Viana and construction of a new winery and a new brand, Rioja Vega, started in January 2001. The winery is located in the town of Viana, 10 km south-east of Logroño, a beautiful walled town that reminds you of the more famous Laguardia. There are also 51 hectares of Tempranillo and 9 hectares of Graciano planted around the winery, and a total of 70 hectares of vineyards is planned spanning both the Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental regions. Each plot has its own weather station to monitorhumidity and temperature - vital to maintain health throughout the growing season. The goal is to produce high quality grapes from low yields in modern surroundings. Rioja Vega's style tends towards the traditional, with more American oak used than French, but the purity of fruit and the emphasis on quality has produced wines with an excellent reputation amongst their peers. Winemaker Esperanza Elias has been working her magic in a very modest way since taking over in 2007. Barrels are replaced much more frequently, she has brought in egg-shaped stainless steel fermenters to improve extraction and Vega now breeds its own strain of yeasts found in the vineyard. Great value from a bodega on the up.

Rodney Strong Vineyards

The winery was established in 1959 by American dancer Rod Strong. That year he retired as a dancer and married his dancing partner Charlotte Ann Winson and together they set about establishing a winery and purchasing vineyards in the, as then unrecognised, Sonoma County. In 1989 Tom Klein, the current owner, bought the winery and, together with winemaker Rick Sayre, established Rodney Strong as one of the finest and most sustainable wineries in the county, becoming the first Carbon Neutral winery in Sonoma.

Roxan

The Casa Vinicola Roxan occupies a commanding position in the Abruzzo region on a knoll between the villages of Rosciano and Taverna Nova. Standing guard over the Pescara River valley, the Gran Sasso and Majella massifs, at 2912 and 2795 metres respectively, form a majestic and often snowy backdrop. The Adriatic Sea, only 20 minutes or so away, has a natural cooling effect on their rolling vineyards.

Roxan, found in 1974, is an important producer having about 300 members with 700 ha of vines between them, though much if this doesn’t go directly into bottle, instead being sold to producers in other regions. This leaves Roxan to bottle the best themselves. 70% of the production is red Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 20% is white Trebbiano with balance being Pecorino, Chardonnay and Moscato. The winery is modern with gleaming tanks outside and cellars filled with wooden botti vats inside, where the Montepulciano gently ages.

Rémi & Jérôme

We source the Rémi & Jérôme wines from excellent wineries in the South of France however these sources of supply may change from time to time due to variations in the market for grapes between vintages. Our overriding ambition with these wines is to maintain the highest quality at competitive prices, with the wines being true to their grape variety whilst also guaranteeing a continuity of style between years.

Renato Fenocchio

Riecine

Located in the heart of Tuscany, in the small community of Gaiole in Chianti, Riecine takes its place among the finest vineyards in all of Italy and continues to progress as a classic winery.

Alessandro Campatelli, director and winemaker at Riecine since 2015, became owner and sole shareholder in July 2024 after buying out, Lana Frank who took over ownership of Riecine in December 2011 from New Yorker Gary Baumann, who in turn had acquired Riecine in 1996 from its founder, John Dunkley. Gary assisted by then wine-maker Sean O’Callaghan renovated and hugely developed Riecine until 2011. Under Lana’s stewardship, the cellar was fully renovated almost tripling its winemaking area, and 12 new non-vitrified Nomblot concrete vats were added, which is where most of Riecine’s wines now start. The change of ownership to Alessandro Campatelli, who continues as winemaker, will hopefully set a steady course for Riecine to grow and further blossom. Their style is for making 100% Sangiovese-based Chianti Classico (the core of Riecine's production) and in top vintages: Chianti Classico Riserva; their 'super-Tuscan' wine, La Gioia; and most recently, after purchasing the Gittori vineyard in 2019 having rented and managed it for 25 years, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Gittori. The estate has followed organic growing principles since 2006 and spraying is kept to an absolute minimum - no herbicides or insecticides are used, and vineyard practices aim to minimise the effects of climate change while promoting native microfauna.

Roagna

Roche & Domaine de Bellene

Rémi Benon

René Bouvier

Rings

Robertson Winery

Rowton

Royal Lochnagar Distillery

The new distillery was built by John Begg in 1845 in the tiny village of Crathie. Three years later Queen Victoria bought the Balmoral Estate and granted the distillery a Royal Warrant. The style is gently smoky with cake, fruit and malty notes.

Sailor Jerry

Sailor Jerry is named after Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins a 20th century American old school tattoo artist. Today the company is part of William Grant and Sons of Grant's Whisky and Glenfiddich fame. Their Master Blenders travel to the Caribbean to select the rums ready to receive the secret mix of natural spices.

Santa Ema

Seedlip

Shafer Vineyards

In 1972 Shafer purchased the winery which is located at the north end of the Stag’s Leap District of the Napa Valley, and their first vintage was in 1978. The ethos is small and family orientated, the approach to the wines quite European. They are one of the few wineries to have a proper barrel cellars cut into the hillside behind the winery. In the cellar the only wood is in the barrels, everywhere else stainless steel is used to reduce the incidence of TCA.

The vineyards are managed sustainably, without the need for chemical fertilisers or pesticides, and drip irrigation (common throughout California) is used. Birds of prey are encouraged to help with the gophers. Warm days and cool nights followed by morning fog adds elegance to the wines. 21 acres over 4 sites with a production of about 30,000 cases of wine per annum. They use drip irrigation (used throughout California).

Smith Woodhouse

Stellar Winery

Stobi Winery

Stonebird

Salwey

Santa Julia

Schloss Gobelsburg

Segura Viudas

Tanners Cava is made for us by Segura Viudas, a beautiful modern winery set against a back drop of the jagged outline of Montserrat. It is now a separately managed part of the Freixenet group.

Sharpham

Sharpham labelled wines are now produced by Sandridge Barton Wines at Stoke Gabriel, south-west of Totnes, still in the Dart Valley where the whole operation started in 1981. The Devon-based vineyards and winery were originally on the Sharpham Estate almost directly across the River Dart, planted by Maurice and Ruth Ash. The enterprise moved eastwards across the river in 2008 to Sandridge Barton Estate, owned by Andrew Moon, expanding production and planting more up-to-date varieties.

Long-time winemaker Duncan Schwab is currently handling over 80 tonnes of fruit per year from 32 acres of vineyards, with more single vineyard sites being identified and planted each year. Set in a south-facing bowl and overlooking the river, they champion ‘Mad Ange’ (Madeleine Angevine) and Bacchus as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

The new state-of-the-art winery and visitor centre at Sandridge Barton have been designed with sustainability in mind, using solar panels, rainwater harvesting, air-source heat pumps and spring water extraction to reduce their carbon footprint. The excellent restaurant continues to win high praise, and visitors are made very welcome.

Skouras

Sutil Family Wines

Sutil Family Wines (Viña Sutil) is a family-owned concern with vineyards in many of the best regions of Chile, although they are based halfway down the Colchagua Valley in Peralillo (where they also run an excellent, upmarket hotel Viña La Playa surrounded by their vineyards).

Good connections across Chile has ensured they have their own vineyards in Limari in the north and Maule Cauquenes further south. Investment in new winery equipment, specifically smaller stainless steel tanks and better barrels, has led to varieties like Petit Verdot being handled separately and then blended back as required. The story started with Juan Sutil founding the company in 1995. Originally well-known winemaker Alvaro Espinosa consulted on these wines producing fairly simple, fruity wines which he marketed under his own label. Learning from Alvaro's creativity and knowledge, Juan's nephew Diego Garcia pushed the winery forward, seeing the potential of high quality grapes and focusing on wines of Reserva status: more interesting and complex wines spending time in French oak. Tragically Diego was killed in 2010 when his light helicopter crashed in the Andes. Today winemaker Camilo Viani is making new-wave, very terroir focused wines, with an awareness of working with the environment - it's a nice touch that they maintain the wide strip of land between the vineyards and the Tinguiririca River as a wildlife corridor and take great care to protect the local flora and fauna.

Sassicaia - Tenuta San Guido

Sesti - Castello di Argiano

Elisa Sesti makes delicious Sangiovese, Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino at the stunning Sesti - Castello di Argiano estate, with its forests and micro-climate vineyards, located at the southern end of the Montalcino plateau right in the heart of Brunello country. Once a medieval hill-top fortress/village, the Castle tower was built later circa 1200AD as the last in a series of watch towers, communicating with the next in line by drum and fire.

Witness to the medieval warfare of feuding Italy through the ages, today both its striking views and architecture are UNESCO protected. The estate, reclaimed by nature, was uninhabited and seemingly impenetrably over-grown when the Sesti family discovered it in the mid-1970s. Lovingly rescued and restored by Elisa’s father (renowned astronomer Giugi; hence the stars on the labels) and English mother (Sarah) they planted Sangiovese on the best sites. There’s a lovely local connection here too as Elisa’s great, great grandmother was the mayor of Shrewsbury! While not being officially certified organic or bio-dynamic, the natural, time-honoured practices with minimal use of chemicals are important at Castello di Argiano, and of their 102 ha only nine are planted with vines, the remaining hectares being olive groves and woodland. The unique micro-climate sees gentle sea breezes funnel down through the woods and vineyards forming a natural air conditioning unit. It seems hard to imagine now, but back in the 70’s and 80’s Sangiovese was a little-known variety in the UK market and Brunello a mere footnote in wine guides. Long aging in traditional large botte barrels (rather than French barriques) along with the unique cooling climate at Sesti, produces utterly divine wines of breath-taking quality. We highly recommend them all, with the perfect introduction to these fabulous wines being Sesti’s delicious Grangiovese – a play on words, ‘the Great Sangiovese’."

Shropshire Gin Company

The Shropshire Gin Company is the brain-child of Jeff Lawrence. A Shropshire Lad born and bred, Jeff sourced his gin from one of the UK's best family run distilleries, in Birmingham. Following a lengthy and ultimately successful legal battle with one of the big brewers over the use of the name, Tiger Gin was born.

Sipsmith Independent Spirits

Smirnoff

Founded in 1815 after Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, Ivan Smirnoff leased a warehouse and set up his distillery. After the October revolution Vladimir Smirnoff fled to Paris and opened a new distillery. He sold his recipe to an old friend who produced the vodka in the United States. Owned by Heublein.

Stanton & Killeen Wines

Chris Killeen produces one of the Rutherglen's fresher and more elegant Liqueur Muscats alongside a range of table wines and 'Ports'. Established in 1875 and currently run by the sixth generation.

Stéphanie and Arnaud Dezat