A specialist will likely stock a better, more interesting range of wines, with some quite spectacular choices that sneak under the radar of the supermarketsEven the most curmudgeonly and Scrooge-like among you has probably started to give some thought to the necessity of ordering food for Christmas, especially if it’s something in limited supply such as a rare-breed turkey or a goose. While you may normally shop in the supermarket, it may be a time of year when you feel you want to patronise your local butcher or buy direct from the producer. But do you feel the same about wine?If not, and if you care about the continuing presence of independent wine shops on the high street, you should. In fact, you should give them some of your custom year-round, not least because they have far more interesting wines than the supermarkets, as well as staff who can help match them to your personal taste. I’m not saying buy everything from an independent – well, not unless you’ve got deep enough pockets to – but rather to use them to source your most interesting bottles. I’ve yet to find a worthwhile supermarket barolo, for example, and top-end, own-label bordeaux is generally underwhelming, but supermarkets absolutely deliver on party wines such as cheap prosecco and cut-price sauvignon blanc. Continue reading…
Via: Not just for Christmas: support your local independent wine shop | Fiona Beckett on wine
Categories: English News