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France
Pinot Noir-based blendA fine celebration Champagne. Great fruit finesse, brioche notes and gentle bubbles£16.00 per bottleQty bottles:France
SyrahFrom one of the most exciting winemakers of the Rhône, superb Syrah more Côte-Rôtie than VdP!£22.50 per bottle when you mix 6+£25.00 per bottleQty bottles:OR£270.00 £300.001 case (12 bottles) - £22.50 per bottleSave £30.00Qty cases:France
Grenache-based blendRare chance to enjoy a southern French red with 7 years age. Mature cherry, with tobacco spice£17.99 per bottle when you mix 6+£19.99 per bottleQty bottles:ORSpain
TempranilloThree Golds and 95 Points for Altos Pigeage 2020 from Jean-Marc’s superb, high-altitude Rioja estate£23.00 per bottle when you mix 6+£26.00 per bottleQty bottles:ORSpain
GarnachaRich, darkly spiced Garnacha from ancient vines in remote Calatayud, made by Norrel Robertson MW£22.50 per bottle when you mix 6+£25.00 per bottleQty bottles:ORSpain
GarnachaRich, darkly spiced Garnacha from ancient vines in remote Calatayud, made by Norrel Robertson MW£22.50 per bottle when you mix 6+£25.00 per bottleQty bottles:ORFrance
White blendCreamy peach Pinot blend from an eminent Alsace estate, listed as one of France's Top 100 producers£17.99 per bottle when you mix 6+£19.99 per bottleQty bottles:ORFrance
Sauvignon-based blendLa Clarière's triple-Gold, oak-fermented, estate white – grassy citrusy freshness with gentle spice£19.80 per bottle when you mix 6+£22.00 per bottleQty bottles:OR- An eye-catching gift for gin fans everywhere£18.00 £25.001 case (1 bottle) - £18.00 per bottleSave £7.00Qty cases:
Australia
GrenacheRhône-inspired red from Australia's Barossa and a world-renowned winery. Dark, rich and fruity£21.00 per bottleQty bottles:France
MerlotRich, 94-point, pure-Merlot claret, full of dark berries and spice, from a top château of the region£18.99 per bottle when you mix 6+£21.00 per bottleQty bottles:OR£107.94 £126.001 case (6 bottles) - £17.99 per bottleSave £18.06Qty cases:- £21.00 per bottle when you mix 6+£24.00 per bottleQty bottles:OR£126.00 £144.001 case (6 bottles) - £21.00 per bottleSave £18.00Qty cases:
Spain
PalominoMagnificent Amontillado – a luscious, rich and complex sherry from the great Gonzalez Byass£16.99 per bottleQty bottles:Spain
PalominoA standout Fino – a crisp, complex sherry with yeasty, nutty notes, from the great Gonzalez Byass£16.99 per bottleQty bottles:- A bestselling Sauvignon complete with a stunning wine rack£18.00Qty cases:
Austria
Blauer Zweigelt£16.99 per bottle when you mix 6+£18.99 per bottleQty bottles:ORFrance
Chardonnay£23.00 per bottleQty bottles:£276.001 case (12 bottles) - £23.00 per bottleQty cases:France
Grenache-based blend£19.99 per bottleQty bottles:£239.881 case (12 bottles) - £19.99 per bottleQty cases:France
Merlot-based blendWith 23 Gold medals in six vintages (six for 2020), this is a fine Bordeaux in a lovely ripe vintage£15.99 per bottle when you mix 6+£17.99 per bottleQty bottles:OR£77.94 £107.941 case (6 bottles) - £12.99 per bottleSave £30.00Qty cases:- A neat and tasty trio from Cambridge Distillery, each inspired by the botanical gardens£15.00Qty cases:
Portugal
Malvasia£21.00 per bottleQty bottles:United Kingdom
Pinot BlancFrom the Oastbrook estate in Sussex, a smooth, creamy Pinot Blanc with delicious balance and length£23.00 per bottleQty bottles:
By definition, wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice – but in cultural terms, it is so much more than that.
Made and enjoyed by humankind for 1,000s of years, wine has been celebrated in art and literature, has formed a central part in religious rituals (from ancient times to the modern day) and has been a social catalyst at dinner parties and gathering of all kinds.
It’s hard to define, but there’s something special about wine that makes it stand apart from other drinks. A glass of wine adds a little magic to special meal, a romantic occasion, or a well-earned moment of relaxation at the end of the week.
And perhaps most importantly, wine is about people. The joy of discovering a new wine style, a new grape, or a must-taste bottle and sharing it with those that matter most.
We hope you’ll find something special on our website today.
The process of making wine from grapes can be broken down into five simple stages:
Harvesting – to make good wine it’s essential to harvest the grapes at the peak of ripeness. Quality producers then carefully sort the grapes, using only the healthiest fruit to make their wines.
Pressing – next the grapes are pressed to extract the juice. For white and rosé grapes, pressing is done very gently, to ensure only the purest juice is extracted.
Fermentation – the grape juice is then fermented to turn the sugars into alcohol. Red wines are fermented on the grape skins to extract colour and tannins (which give the wine structure). Rosé wines are fermented briefly on their skins, to extract just a little colour. Fermentation may take place in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels or even concrete ‘eggs’ – depending on the required style.
Maturation – once the wine has finished fermenting it will be left to clear, and then either bottled or put into barrel for maturation. Oak ageing allows wines to mature and take on secondary flavours such as cigar box notes or vanilla.
Bottling – the final stage is bottling. Once it has been bottled, the wine may be released almost immediately (if it’s a fresh Sauvignon Blanc for example) or cellared for years until it is perfectly matured (like a Reserva Rioja).
This is just a snapshot of how wine is made. Individual styles – such as white Burgundy, Champagne or Cru Classé Bordeaux – all have their own unique processes. And that, of course, is all part of what makes wine such a magical beverage to explore.
At first sight, it may seem that there is a dizzying array of wine styles to choose from. Even just looking at the world’s biggest wine producing countries (including France, Italy, Spain, Chile, and Australia) there are 100s of winemaking regions, each with their own unique winemaking traditions – and 1,000s of grape varieties.
Thankfully, wine types can be understood by looking at a small number of categories. The three main still wine styles are:
Red wines are made from red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Tempranillo. They get their colour from the grape skins, and as a result have more tannin than whites – giving them more structure and in some cases enabling them to age. Famous red wines include Chianti (Italy), Rioja (Spain) and Bordeaux (France).
White wines are made from white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. White wines tend to be fermented without skin contact and tend to be fresh, zippy and often aromatic. There are exceptions of course (see below). Famous white wines include Soave (Italy), Albariño (Spain) and Chablis (France).
Rosé or pink wines are usually made from red grapes such as Grenache, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Most rosés are fermented with minimal skin contact – just enough to give them that lovely pink hue. France’s Provence is one of the most famous regions for rosé but they are made in almost every wine producing region.
Other styles of wine include sweet wines (or dessert wines), fortified wines (such as Port and Sherry) and sparkling wines (such as Champagne, Cava and Prosecco).
Although there are 1,000s of white wine styles to choose from, a small number enjoy huge popularity among wine fans. The top white wines among our customers are:
Sauvignon Blanc – originally from France, this zippy aromatic white is now made in nearly every winegrowing country. Some of the most popular Sauvignons in our range come from New Zealand, France and South Africa ·
Pinot Grigio – with its easy-going pear and apple fruit, Pinot Grigio is a wonderfully social white wine. It’s originally from northern Italy, but it’s also grown in France and New Zealand, where it’s known as Pinot Gris. ·
Chardonnay – one of the world’s most versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay originates from Burgundy, home to highly sought-after fine whites. Delicious and well-priced examples can be found in Australia, Southern France and South Africa.
With so many red wines to choose from, it can be tricky knowing where to start. Here are the most popular red wines:
- Merlot – loved for its soft, juicy, easy-going fruit, Merlot is one of the world’s best loved red grapes. It’s originally from France, where it’s found in the fine reds of Bordeaux. But great value examples can be found in Chile, Australia, Southern France and beyond.
- Shiraz – also known as Syrah, this popular red grape makes juicy, spicy bramble fruit reds. It’s originally from the Rhône, but has been widely adopted by Australia as its flagship red. You’ll find it as part of the blend in our No.1 bestselling red of all time – The Black Stump.
- Malbec – this popular red grape was practically unheard of until the world woke up to the fantastic quality coming out of Argentina. It’s big, rich, smoky flavours make it the perfect barbecue red. Our biggest selling Malbec, Opi, has been a firm customer favourite for years..
If you’re planning a dinner party you’ll want to make sure you have enough wine for your guests. And for that you’ll need to know how many glasses you’ll get per bottle. Here’s the answer. A standard bottle of wine contains 750 ml of wine, so that makes:
- Six small glasses (125ml)
- Four medium glasses (175ml)
- Three large glasses (250ml)
For a magnum – simply double the number of glasses. We hope that helps!
We get it – it happens. You don’t always finish a bottle of wine the same day it’s opened. So how long will a bottle of wine last once you’ve removed the screwcap or uncorked it?
How long does red wine last once opened?
A red wine will keep well for about five days if properly stored. For best results replace the cork or screwcap as soon as possible and keep it in a cool place, away from light. You can also store red wine in the fridge. This way, it’ll keep for up to seven days. But remember – let it warm up a little before drinking.
How long does white wine last once opened?
As a general rule, white wine doesn’t keep quite as long as red – about three to four days. Replace the cork (or screwcap) and keep it the fridge for best results.