There’s a lot of talk in the UK about a renaissance of independent wine merchants – innovative retailers capturing an eager audience of wine enthusiasts disaffected by the discount-driven tactics of the supermarkets and the demise of specialist chains such as First Quench and Oddbins (the latter since reborn in a smaller form).
According to UK Independent Wine Retail 2015, a report compiled by Wine Intelligence, the independent sector is now worth close to £500m ($761m) and covers a total of nearly 750 stores across the UK – up 50% since 2007.
The overall market is still dominated by the supermarkets, but the report found that 13% of regular wine drinkers sometimes buy from independents. The most commonly cited reasons include the range of wines on offer, recommendations from shop staff and good value for money. The report also charts the increasing diversification of indies: more than half of them either sell wine for consumption on the premises, or are thinking about it; increasing numbers also stock food such as cheeses, meats, specialty breads and high-end confectionery. Enomatic-style wine dispensers are also an increasingly common fixture, allowing consumers to try before they buy (cited by those surveyed as another major plus of independents).
“Independents arguably represent the most innovative and dynamic sector of the UK wine trade,” says Richard Halstead, Wine Intelligence COO. “There are challenges to overcome – attracting more female customers and changing perceptions that wines are expensive are two of the most urgent priorities.” He says, however, that the sector has proved remarkably resilient during turbulent economic times and “there is every reason to believe that more growth will occur as the economy strengthens, and imaginative independents continue to add new elements to their offer.”
Here, in no particular order, are 10 independent wine retailers who are particularly successful and innovative.
1: The Sampler
thesampler.co.uk
Famed as a pioneer of Enomatic systems in retail, The Sampler offers 160 different wines available to taste every day at its two shops in central London, alongside a growing restaurant wholesale business. Wines available to sample range, says co-founder and managing director Jamie Hutchinson, “from everyday quaffers through to some of the world’s finest and most expensive bottles”.
There are some 1,500 wines in stock, the majority imported directly, with particular strengths in grower Champagnes (the company claims to have the UK’s most extensive list) and “mature classics” dating back to the early 20th century.
“In our view, independents need to marry great service with fantastic wines,” says Hutchinson. “An indie doing its job properly shouldn’t be relying on purely buying agency wines, they need to go out and find new estates and new styles themselves.”
He is generally optimistic about the future of the sector. “The market outlook remains reasonably positive. The market is incredibly competitive, but there will always be an opportunity to do well with a differentiated offering.”
2: HarperWells
harperwells.com
Founded in 2006 by Dean Harper and Ed Wells, Norwich-based HarperWells is a regional wholesaler and retailer covering East Anglia, with a separate, national fine wine service for high-net-worth clients.
“The wines we offer are generally modern examples from established regions,” says Wells. “By and large, the producers are young, internationally experienced and forward-thinking. We also admit to something of an obsession with the look of a bottle, as well as the taste.”
The HarperWells checklist of what a good indie should offer is led by accessibility – including a modern and friendly shop – and wines that deliver on regional/varietal expectation and price, alongside good value at the entry level.
“Above all, your team need to be knowledgeable, friendly and gently enthusiastic,” says Wells. “The challenge for any independent is to win that first visit and sale. If you are up to scratch in the aforementioned, this will almost always result in repeat (and loyal) business.”
3: Cambridge Wine Merchants
cambridgewine.com
Established in 1993 by two university friends, Hal Wilson and Brett Turner, Cambridge Wine Merchants operates four shops in Cambridge, plus three on a franchise basis in Salisbury, Royston (Hertfordshire) and Ampthill (Bedfordshire).
Wilson and Turner remain sole shareholders, reinvesting fiercely and growing the business by 110% over the past five years without taking on any debt.
The company is becoming a byword for indie diversification: three of the four Cambridge shops also have wine bars, and the business is also involved in wine education (through a WSET wine school), wholesale, masterclasses, private hire and Enomatic sampling. Wilson and Turner are keen to roll this multi-use model out to more cities through a franchise model in 2015.
Specialities include fortifieds – numerous awards and a stock of about 170 wines at any time – and Languedoc-Roussillon (about 190 wines), although generic and press awards have also been won for Rioja, Spain, France and Sud de France. Wilson is also keen to work with other independents “to clearly define what we offer and drive up standards,” as well as putting pressure on importers and agents to add value to their business. “As the UK market continues to divide between discounters and high-end retailers, independent wine retail is well-placed to capture aspirational consumers, as they offer a full and speciality service,” he adds.
4: Loki Wines
lokiwine.co.uk
Located in Birmingham’s historic Great Western Arcade, Loki takes its name from a mischief-making Norse god and has a suitably anti-establishment ethos, winning a raft of awards since opening in 2012.
As elsewhere, sampling is a major attraction here, with up to 40 wines available to try by the glass at any time. No particular specialities, although founder and director Phil Innes highlights a focus on new areas, such as English sparkling, natural wines and Croatia – all big focuses in 2014. “Having learned my trade at Wine Rack, and seeing the demise of the large multiples, I think times are great for the independent sector,” Innes says. “There are lots of people doing interesting, modern things and innovating in the sector. I think this will continue through 2015 as the upturn in the economy continues.” He says the biggest threat the sector has is saturation, but “I think there are plenty of new wine customers getting enthused by the sector to sustain a few years of good growth.”
5: Bottle Apostle
bottleapostle.com
The starting-point for Bottle Apostle when the company was established in 2009 was to open a shop that was just as appealing to the wine novice as to the seasoned connoisseur. Since that first opening in Victoria Park, East London, two more shops have been added in Crouch End and Clapham. Working a familiar theme among modern indies, tasting machines offering a broad selection of wines to sample are a major attraction, alongside a specialism in Portugal and Northern Italy, as well as craft beers, craft spirits and sakes.
“Independents really thrive when they place a focus on having a distinct range of wines, coupled with exceptional customer service,” says company marketing manager Miranda Fong. “It’s this combination that results in unquestionable customer loyalty and change in behaviour in buying wines through other channels such as large multiple retailers.”
6: Stone, Vine & Sun
stonevine.co.uk
Simon Taylor gave up a 23-year career with auction house Sotheby’s to establish Stone, Vine & Sun in a former chicken shed near Winchester in 2002. All stock is held locally and duty-paid – capital-intensive, concedes Taylor, but also low-cost in terms of storage and logistics (he found it was cheaper to ship wine direct from Chile than to get it sent down from London City Bond). Initially focused on the Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Burgundy and the Loire, the company quickly recognised the need for diversification, moving into South Africa, Chile and Italy.
The key to success as an indie, says Taylor, lies in flexibility. “I think you need to be able to sell down multiple channels,” he argues. “We manage old-fashioned mail order, online, retail (we have a shop on the front of our warehouse), on-trade (from local Indian restaurants to the Chiltern Firehouse) and even the occasional sale to other independents.”
Taylor’s optimism, generated by record sales in December, is tempered by a less buoyant impression of the indie sector outside London: “I see a natural churn – as many businesses quietly closing as opening,” he says, adding that he is unconvinced that the market is expanding as fast as the number of operators in it. “It also distresses me sometimes that customers can’t tell the difference between an independent who offers a wide range of unusual wines and ships over 90% of their wine direct from the producer (as we do) and one who just trots out the same over-priced schmutter from three or four big UK wholesalers (so not really independent at all).”
7: Vagabond
vagabondwines.co.uk
Established in 2010, London-based Vagabond has evolved into a model of retailer-meets-wine bar, where customers can sample up to 100 wines via pre-paid cards and tasting machines, drink on the premises (with a selection of cheeses and charcuterie), or buy wine to take away.
There are two branches in Fulham and Charlotte Street (with plans for a third), corporate and wholesale strands to the business and, for the wines, the focus is squarely on smaller producers, with a strong organic presence.
8: Corks Out
corksout.com
Since Ruth Yates founded Corks Out in 2003, the business has grown to include five shops across the north-west of England, taking in locations in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The emphasis is on demystifying wine, offering a wide selection to sample via tasting machines, advice on food matching and a growing wine bar business, including the “Secret Wine Garden” at Stockton Heath.
9: Direct Wine Shipments
directwineshipments.com
Located in Belfast’s docklands quarter, this family-owned merchant was founded in 1954 and is the epitome of the modern, multi-tasking indie. Alongside its retail wine warehouse, it offers wine courses, tasting events and a wine club, alongside corporate services and events. There’s a wholesale arm called McAlindon Wines (named after the business’ owning family) and the company even has its own vineyard in Priorat, producing wines under the Creu Celta label.
10: Tanners
tanners-wines.co.uk
While many of the indies featured here didn’t exist at the turn of the millennium, Tanners is run by the fourth generation of its eponymous founding family, and the distinctive black-and-white timbered frontage of its Shrewsbury headquarters is an historic local landmark.
Now the company has six branches in Shropshire, Herefordshire and North Wales, including a wine warehouse in Welshpool and a new “Taste of Tanners” shop in Shrewsbury, complete with sampling machines.
