James Bridle has been exploring off-licences and making puddings with alcohol
I worked for Oddbins for five years, on and off, as a regular student job. Good times. Last week, in common with many Oddbins stores, my old branch was shut down, which was sad, but provided an excuse for a pretty great reunion. We got stuck in to some of the wines that made Oddbins' reputation: great new-world wines like Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, Aussie whites from the Clare Valley and reds from the Barossa, Pinots from Chile and South Africa, and Malbecs from Argentina. All fine wines, and they reminded me of what I'd been missing for a while. So I set out to find some new off-licences which could reinvigorate my love of wine.
The Sampler on Upper Street in Islington is a unique shop: they're the only place I know that's installed Enomatic tasting machines, which allow customers to purchase tasting credits and try samples of 80 wines in store. When I visited the wines ranged from the very affordable - a glass of La Prendina Pinot Grigio 2006 for 28p (£6.49 a bottle) - all the way up to Penfold's legendary Grange. The latter comes in at a very serious £389.99 a bottle for the 1975 vintage - but you can get a taste for just £16.90. That alone is worth a visit.
Six Wines Eight in Bermondsey is another innovator. Their approach is to radically simplify the wine-buying process for the novice by stocking just 48 wines, grouped by colour and style, and getting rid of the intimidating wall of inscrutable wine that so often deters the curious. It's not an approach which will suit every customer, but it's a great way to explore some new tastes, like Jaquesson Cuvee No. 730, a little known but ancient and tasty house, or Bonny Doon's Big House Red, a bargain at £10. They do a great job of matching wine and food for you too.
.jpg)
Find a wine to match your favourite dish.
Your Comments
Post your comment
Please note: In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in to Channel 4:
Sign In Here or Register Here
Comments closed
Comments are closed at the present time
Comments
Thank you for your comment!
Your message will be reviewed and the best ones will be published below.
If you intended to make an official comment to Channel 4 please contact us.