With so many amazing vineyards in England, choosing which wines to stock is a tricky business. Since taking over a year ago, we’ve reintroduced some old favourites like Saffron Grange Classic Cuvée and Sparkling Rosé in addition to exciting new finds, such as Nutbourne and Burn Valley Vineyard.
We, the directors, want to share with you the important process of how we choose which wines make it into our portfolio.
Step 1 – Vineyards or suppliers send us a selection of samples to try. Our director and very own wine guru, Victoria, likes to make the first detailed assessment alone. She sniffs, swirls and swishes the wines making a detailed assessment of the style, flavours and quality. She notes her first impressions and writing descriptive tasting notes.
Step 2- Co-directors Paul and Clare then join the discussion. They sample the wines and add their opinions and observations to Victoria’s. We all have different palates and preferences, so this is often a time for great debate!
Step 3 – This is the really fun part, market research. The more taste testers we can find, the better. So, we do what any good neighbour would do - we gather our friends to try the wines and get their honest, enthusiastic feedback (be it good or bad). This is an enlightening part of the process, we may discover that something we enjoyed doesn’t appeal to all, or perhaps we dismissed a wine that is winning their favour!
Step 4 – Selection. We, the directors, review our portfolio, checking where any new wines might sit. We also consider the quality and price of the wine, ensuring we continue to offer you a varied selection that always provides value for money. For instance, while we may not stock every English Bacchus, each one we carry is chosen to reflect a unique style, region, or price point.
Our aim is to bring you a great selection of hand-picked English wines. Every product is tried, tested, and carefully selected by us. You can be assured that every bottle will spark a little joy. Happy sipping!
