Celebrating independents

WINE MERCHANTS: Christine Austin considers the benefits of taking a diversion from the supermarkets’ wine aisles

Just a few years ago there were lots of places you could pop into to buy a bottle of wine. There was usually a branch of Thresher within easy reach and if you were lucky its upmarket off-shoot, Wine Rack, might be nearby offering good-quality individual wines.

Those who lived near a branch of Oddbins had a wide, quirky choice of goodies, especially during its heyday when buyers trawled the world for new wines from Australia, New Zealand and Greece. But all that has changed. Thresher folded first, its empire of over 1000 stores crumpling in just a few months. Oddbins staggered under French ownership for a while then was re-born in a flurry of excitement, but eventually sank, leaving massive debts in its wake.

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So now the choice for buying wine on the High Street has narrowed. Supermarket “locals” have sprung up like a rash in recent years, providing a limited range of mainly big brands on special offer and there is always the Co-op, which has a surprisingly good range of wines. City- centre Marks and Spencer stores also offer a reasonable selection, but if you are looking for something special, perhaps to take to a dinner party and you don’t want to buy half a dozen bottles which Majestic insist you do, then you will have to hunt for an independent.

Here in Yorkshire we are fortunate to have some of the best independent wine shops in the country, and we are especially lucky that a great many of them trade online as well as dealing with people who walk through the door. That’s because many independents are scarily quiet during the working day. Without their internet business and trade with local restaurants we might lose these emporiums which offer some of the best, individually chosen wines in the region.

Maybe it is because these shops are quiet that it is difficult for wine drinkers to step over the threshold. If you are used to wandering down the aisle of a supermarket, reading a few back labels and looking for names you recognise, then a quiet shop with a man (or woman) behind the counter might be seen as intimidating. But think of it as an opportunity. He has probably got the best choice of wines in town, tasted, selected, bought and put on display and he can probably tell you ten times more about each wine than any back label ever could.

Because he has tasted every wine in the shop he will know which is the best choice to go with steak, chicken or whatever you are planning to eat next Saturday, and I don’t know any independent who will look down their nose if you need to stick to a budget. In short, the man behind the counter would be delighted if you just put your head round the door to ask if he has a good bottle to go with tonight’s dinner.

Here are just some of our great independents.

Harrogate Fine Wine Company (01423 522270)

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Tucked down in The Ginnel in Harrogate, you have to make an effort to climb or walk down the hill to get to this shop but it is well worth the detour. Run by Andy Langshaw who stocks wines from around the world, but has a particular skill in obtaining some of South Africa’s most sought-after wines. He organises regular tastings – the next one is on Friday September 23 when a range of wines from Ch Musar in Lebanon will be on show. At just £5 a ticket, these informal gatherings in the shop are a terrific way of expanding your tasting horizons.

Top buys: The Foundry Grenache Blanc 2010, South Africa, £12.99; Sherwood Pinot Noir 2009, New Zealand £11.99.

Field and Fawcett, York (01904 489073)

You have to head a little way out of town on the Hull road to find this shop, but with parking right outside this is another gem that is worth the journey. There is a delicatessen selling terrific cheese, hams and bread so you can call in without feeling that you have to buy wine, then just browse the fantastic selection. Italy is a real strength here but frankly, there isn’t a weak spot in the range.

Top buys: A Mano Primitivo 2008, Puglia, £8.25; Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2008, Clare Valley, Australia, £22.60

The Halifax Wine Company (01422 256333)

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With one of the best wine shop websites (www.halifaxwinecompany.com) it is easy to browse through the whole range on-line but visiting the shop gives proprietor Andy Paterson the chance to tell you more about his wines. This company has won the accolade for having the best Portuguese wine range in the country so often that they have stopped entering the competition, just to give others a chance. Spain, Italy and Australia are also well represented on the shelves as well as a terrific range of fortified wines such as Port and Madeira.

Top buys: Alabastro 2009, Quinta da Terrugem, Portugal, £6.99; Barbeito 5 year old Boal Reserva Madeira £11.95

Nidderdale Fine Wine (01423 711703).

Australian wine is the main focus at this little shop in Pateley Bridge but don’t expect to find the heavily discounted big brands here. Mike and Chrissie Perry have hand selected their range from small family growers to bring the real taste of Australia to Yorkshire. They organise regular tastings and dinners where you can meet visiting winemakers and taste their wines.

Top buys: GB 51 Cabernet Sauvignon – Shiraz 2009, Barossa Valley, Australia £7.49; Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2009, Australia £12.41

Latitude (0113 245 3393).

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Tucked away just off The Calls in Leeds this is one of the best places to go if you are looking for weird and wonderful spirits such as Japanese whisky, rum and tequila, but it is also a great place for wine with a particularly good South American selection. Free tastings every Friday night throw the spotlight on different regions around the world.

Top buys: Viña Chocolan Carmenère 2009, Chile £8.99; Tapiz Torrontés 2010, Argentina, £10.50

Other terrific independents include...

Cairns and Hickey in Leeds (0113 2673746); Flourish and Prosper in Howden (01430 430006); Mitchells in Sheffield (0114 274 5587); Hoults in Huddersfield (01484 510700); Martinez in Ilkley (01943 600000); The Wright Wine Company in Skipton (01756 700886) and Great Northern Wines in Ripon (01765 606767).