Why more of Yorkshire's wine merchants are moving online

“Essentially, we are now just serving customers from the door,” said Chris Hill, of Latitude Wines in The Calls, Leeds. “There isn’t enough space in the shop to have staff and customers in at the same time, and when it gets to November we are planning to put up a shelter so that our customers stay dry.”

That is the option if you decide to buy your wine in person from this great little shop which not only has a vast range of wines, but spirits too, since it supplies many of the bars and clubs in Leeds and surrounding areas. But it isn’t actually necessary to stand in line. “So many people have moved to buying online that we have revamped the website (www.latitudewine.co.uk) and are updating all the information on it,” added Chris. “We do free delivery for orders over £50 to Leeds postcodes and orders over £150 get free delivery nationwide.”

The current restrictions have meant that Latitude has had to cancel its regular seasonal tastings, but some of these have moved online. “We have had Meet the Maker tastings with South African producer Waterkloof and with Australia’s Thistledown. We are working with Rolling Social Events to host these and plan to hold more,” said Chris.

One aspect that has changed in recent months is the number of customers asking for organic and biodynamic wines and there is a separate section on the new website that sorts sustainable from organic and vegetarian from vegan. “We decided some time ago that we wanted a long-term focus on the sustainability of what we sell, so if a bottle weighs a little less and the producer doesn’t use chemical sprays then we encourage them by stocking their wines.”

The best way to find out about Latitude’s new wines and new range of mixed cases is to sign up for its loyalty card online. This will give you a discount when you do manage to get to the shop, and you will also be sent newsletters highlighting online events.

Cellar Selected, based in Halifax has always done its website well (www.cellarselected.com). In its previous incarnation as the Halifax Wine Company, Andy and Karen Paterson set up one of the best wine websites in the UK, and were rewarded by getting orders from all corners of the country.

But having run a busy shop for many years they changed tack and now operate an online business called Cellar Selected. “The change in pace has let us focus on a smaller range of wines, but each one is personally selected and I write tasting notes for them all,” said Andy. “And unlike some businesses that perhaps list a thousand wines, we actually have the products in stock so we can turn round an order in a very short time.”

Browsing the Cellar Selected website is a sheer joy, mainly because it is packed with wines that don’t crop up on other lists. There’s a juicy Syrah Grenache blend called Marius from Chapoutier at just £9.15, a minerally-fresh Assyrtiko from Papagiannakos at £14 and an elegant Seriously Old Dirt from Vilafonté at £25.85. These wines are either exclusive in Yorkshire or they beat competitors on price. “I search for wines that excel at their price and then we focus on getting them to our customers quickly. We do free delivery for orders over £75 in almost all HX postcodes, and further afield for orders over £175,” added Andy.

Over in Skipton, at the Wright Wine Company (www.wineandwhisky.co.uk), it is the huge size of the wine list that is stopping them from moving completely online. “Creating a fully interactive website that customers can order from is such a big task that we haven’t got round to it,” said proprietor Julian Kaye. But this does work in favour of its customers. “The current wine list was done in April 2019, and we were going to update it in April 2020 which is when we were in lockdown. This means that prices have stayed the same, although vintages may have changed.”

The Tardis-like Wright Wine shop is still open to customers at present, mainly because it meanders through several rooms and so it is possible to keep customers apart. “But many people have returned to work so they phone their orders through and collect from the door,” added Julian.

“One thing I really enjoy is putting cases of wine together for customers who specify particular likes and dislikes. Many of them just let us choose wines for them, based on what they liked last time. The easiest requests are ‘take me on a journey with a specific grape variety’, but I also enjoy the ones that are full of everyday drinking, with a few special bottles for the weekend. Between us, the team has over 100 years of experience in the wine business so we have a massive resource to call on when it comes to helping people choose good wines. And then if someone doesn’t like a particular wine then we can select something else for the next case.”

A good place to start is the pre-mixed cases. The contents of these are flexible, so you can select reds, whites and rosés according to your likes. And they are not filled with leftover bottles either. “I like to find good wines to go in these boxes, sometimes they cost far more than the price of the case suggests, but it is good to hear the reaction of customers when they have tasted them,” said Julian.

Delivery of cases of wine is free within 20 miles of the shop, and you can add on beer from the Lamb brewery in Litton.

The sheer cost of setting up and maintaining a website is prohibitive for some small retailers, and David Lawson at Chez Vin in Otley has come up with one of the best solutions. If you sign up for his updates ([email protected]) you will be sent a weekly stock list and a delivery schedule so that if you need some wine, you can order and know when he will be driving by.

David stocks some cracking wines, such as Cabernet Franc from Lorgeril, near Carcassonne, and Purcari Pinot Noir from Moldova, and he does tea and coffee too.

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James Mitchinson