UK Merchants

[Gavin Convery]

Anyone have any preferences for particular UK Merchants mail order and shop based?

I love Howard Ripley's selection especially the German selection which I can afford. His Burgundy list is legendary too. Generally his prices (at least for the Germans) are excellent.

I also used Grand Cru Wines who are half based in France for a case of Kreydenweiss - their prices are more French than English too.

[Gus]

Always been pleased with the Wine Society. Excellent delivery service, and confident that I'm never being ripped off. And they also have some interesing wines that I don't see many other places.

Also, if I want, say, an Alsace medium white, I feel happy to turn to the relevant bit in the catalogue and pick one knowing it won't be bad, which is a good think. Actually, getting the catalogue every three months alone is worth the membership.

The only bad point is that many of the wines they offer don't get reviewed by the reviewers in the press. Not sure why. Although I guess, for example, the Sunday Times Wine Club would not benefit much if the Sunday Times started recommending Wine Society wines.

Also, I guess you don't get the special offers you see in some supermarkets (Morriosons are obviously clearly out some Safeway stock; I got Penfolds Bin 389 for under a tenner, and the stupidly named but very nice for the price Fat Bastard chardonnay there for under £5 a bottle).

[nimzo]

Howard Ripley certainly deserves more recognition for his list but if you are an Australia lover then Vin du Van offer a brilliant mail order service and the best catalogue anywhere but then it depends on your sense of humour. i would go with Yapp for Rhones and always stick with Farr for Bordeaux. Straker Chadwick in Abergavenny are the bestauctioneers for me with everything from Latour 61 to VDP in their catalogues and again their live sale is interesting enough and funny enough to make the trip to Wales.