Where to Buy the Best Wine

Here is Scala's list of the best places to buy wine in the UK. Please tell us your own recommendations - this list is by no means finished and we will add to it all the time. There is bound to be a London bias which we want to correct. Just click on the web links to go directly to the websites. Merchants belonging to The Bunch grouping tend to be extremely reliable. Some on this list come with our own evaluation as recommended or highly recommended. If you are a merchant and believe you should be here, please get in touch.

ADNAMS

http://adnams.co.uk

Sole Bay Brewery, Southwold, Suffolk, IP18 6JW

01502 727200

Strong national mail order / online operation and 10 shops in

SE England, mainly E Anglia. Recommended. Member of The Bunch

ARMIT

http://www.armit.co.uk/

5, Royalty Studios, 105, Lancaster Rd, London W11 1QF

020 7908 0600

Established outfit with good service, improved website.

Some plum producers. Pic is of Anne Claude-Leflaive,

Burgundy superstar. Recommended.

ASDA

http://www.asda.co.uk

204 Lavender Hill, Battersea, London SW11 1JG

020 7233 0101 (and national)

A rather uninspiring selection but reliable in extreme need.

BERRY BROS & RUDD

http://www.bbr.com

3 St James's Street, London SW1A 1EG 0800 280 2440

The daddy of all fine wine merchants; cutting edge website.

Top service. Member of The Bunch

BIBENDUM

http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/retail

113, Regents Park Road, London NW1 8UR 020 7722 5577

The HQ shown is NOT a retail shop - 'phone or go online. Cachet for

energy, teamwork and efficiency in selecting great wines.

Recommended.

CAVES DE PYRENE

http://www.lescaves.co.uk

Pew Corner, Old Portsmouth Road, Artington, GU3 1LP

01483 455068

Laudible aim to deal in 'real wines' - largely accomplished. List

is a very good read. Recommended.

CORKS...& FORKS

9-11 Swains Lane, Highgate N6 020 8340 4781

Small range with some good bottles, mainly French and Italian.

Deli-cafe next door. Parking not easy.

CORKS OUT

http://www.corksout.com

96 London Road, Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire

WA4 6LE 01925 267 700

Mini chain of five award-winning stores in Cheshire founded by

RuthYates.

CORNEY & BARROW

http://corneyandbarrow.com

No 1 Thomas More Street, London E1W 1YZ 020 7265 2400

Trad merchant with moderrn wines as well as classics;

Highly recommended. Member of The Bunch

COZZI & BOFFA

http://www.cozziandboffa.com

Burwash Fine Wines, Burwash Manor, New Rd, Barton, Cambridge

01223 265589

Carefully selected high quality and original list. Can buy online too from informative website.

DOMAINE DIRECT

http://www.domainedirect.co.uk

6-9 Cynthia St, London N1 9JF 7837 1142

Boutique Burgundy specialist with some great names.

ELLIS OF RICHMOND

http://www.ellisofrichmond.co.uk

Richmond House, 1, The Links, Popham Close, Hanworth, Middx

TW13 6JE 020 8744 5550

Established over 180 years with an interesting list but cannot

buy online.

FARR VINTNERS

http://www.farrvintners.com

220 Queenstown Rd, London SW8 4LP 7821 2000

Top for fine Bordeaux and a lot more. Highly recommended.

FINGAL ROCK

http://www.pinotnoir.co.uk/

64 Monnow Street, Monmouth NP25 3EN 01600 712 372

Great range; Burgundy the first love.

FORTNUM & MASON

http://www.fortnumandmason.com/Wine-and-Spirits

181 Picadilly, London W1A iER

Some top names on the shelves and we love their cooler bags

Check out the food hall too.

FROM VINEYARDS DIRECT

http://www.fromvineyardsdirect.com

Northburgh House, 10, Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AT

020 7490 9910 / 9904

Esme Johnstone, of Majestic Wines and Chateau de Sours fame has

launched this latest venture. Selections seem well chosen.

GAUNTLEYS OF NOTTINGHAM

http://www.gauntley-wine.co.uk/

4 High Street, Exchange Arcade, Nottingham NG1 2ET

01159 110 555

Long established; there is great wine here with particular

strength in France.

GREEN & BLUE

http://www.greenandbluewines.com

38 Lordship Lane, E Dulwich, London SE22 8HJ

020 8693 9250

Shop and wine bar with well-chosen wines from driving force

ex-sommelier Kate Thal.

HANDFORD WINES

http://www.handford.net

105 Old Brompton Road, S Kensington, London SW7 3LE

020 7589 6113

Top shop. Masters of Wine in charge. Highly recommended.

HARRODS

http://www.harrods.com

87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

020 7730 1234

Top bottles here; looking a little cramped for space these days.

We're told moving to better space in the shop. Very good staff.

HARVEY NICHOLS

http://www.harveynichols.com

109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RJ 020 7235 5000

Wine shops in all six leading city stores. Smart, thought about stock

and good advice.

HAYNES HANSON & CLARK

http://www.hhandc.co.uk

7 Elystan Street, London SW3 3NT 020 7584 7927

Based in London and Stow-on-the-Wold. Terrific list; can buy online.

Recommended.

HIGHBURY VINTNERS

http://www.highburyvintners.co.uk

71, Highbury Park, London N5 1UA 020 7226 1347

Reliable local with well-known names in fine wine and thereabouts

JEROBOAMS

http://www.jeroboams.co.uk

London's largest independent merchant; nine shops and a deli too.

Smart wine in smart places.

JUSTERINI & BROOKS

http://www.justerinis.com

61 St James's Street, London SW1A 1LZ 020 7484 6400

Address is the sales office, not a shop. Venerable merchant

with strength in French classics and Germany. High quality selections

elsewhere too.

LEA & SANDEMAN

http://www.londonfinewine.co.uk

170 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PR 020 7244 0522

Established outfit with good service and uprated website.

Branches in Kensington, Barnes & Chiswick.

Member of The Bunch. Highly recommended.

MAJESTIC

http://www.majestic.co.uk

Branches all over. Brilliant proof by-the-case (minimum 6 bottles)

can work, and great party service. The wines are quite good too.

MILL HILL WINES

http://www.millhillwines.com

The Broadway, Mill Hill, London NW7 3TG 020 8959 6754

Lawrence Hanison's very well-established outfit is a wine oasis

in a vinous desert. Careful parking the camel.

MORENO WINES

http://www.morenowinedirect.com/

11, Maryland Rd, London W9 2DU 020 7286 0678

Spanish specialist, but there's much more than that.

MORRISONS

http://www.morrisons.co.uk

Stores all over. Not a riveting wine range it must be said.

But convenient for the odd bottle when you do the

groceries. Cannot buy wine online.

NOEL YOUNG WINES

http://www.nywines.co.uk

56 High Street, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 9LS 01223 566744

Top names with a global reach and meticulous selections.

Good service. Highly recommended.

ODDBINS

http://www.oddbins.com

Head Office: 31-33 Weir Road, London SW19 8UG (In administration from 4th April 2011)

Insolvent formerly much-loved 100-branch chain. Will it be bought and continue trading?

ORGANICO

http://www.organi.co.uk/

Fisherbeck Mill, Old Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0DH

015394 31122 Two-shop, family business in the

Lake District, with online orders too. All 'organic' of course.

PHILGLAS & SWIGGOT

http://www.philglas-swiggot.com

21, Northcote Road, Battersea, London SW11 1NG 020 7924 4494

(and two other branches in Richmond and Marylebone)

Consistently high quality interesting range avoiding clichés.

RAEBURN FINE WINES

http://www.raeburnfinewines.com

21/23 Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh EH4 1DS 0131 343 1159

Fine merchant with strength in Burgundy.

ROBERSON

http://www.robersonwinemerchant.co.uk

348, Kensington High Street, London W14 8NS

020 7371 2121 Noted shop but can buy online too. Run well thought-out tastings too.

Recommended.

SAINSBURY'S

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk

Branches all over. Useful for the odd convenience bottle.

Someone seems to have switched off the lights and gone

home in the wine department recently. Can it be great again?

THE SAMPLER

http://www.thesampler.co.uk

266 Upper St, Islington, London N1 2UQ 020 7226 6555

We've recommended them from day 1. Innovative try before you buy machines. Great range of champagne and lots more. Now in

S Kensington too. Highly recommended.

SELFRIDGES

http://www.selfridges.com/

400, Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB 0800 123 400

Shops in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Many top wines

and the most exciting champagne selection of any UK wine

shop. Recommended.

STONE, VINE & SUN

http://www.stonevine.co.uk

No 13 Humphrey Farms, Hazely Road, Twyford, Winchester SO21 1QA

01962 712351

High quality here from good boutique producers. Recommended.

Specialise in France, S Africa and S America.

SWIG

http://www.swig.co.uk

188 Sutton Court Road, London W4 3HR 202 8995 7060

Mail order and online only. Frankly, one of the best sourcing, tasting and buying teams in the wine business. The tasting notes make you smile, but pay attention. They are not wrong. Highly recommended.