The alternative guide to buying wine this Christmas
It's the most 'wonderful' time of year… The shopping list is longer than your arm, the turkey is bigger than the oven and the wine is yet to be bought. We can't help with your cookery skills, but help is at hand in the form of our alternative guide to where to buy this year's vino…
NZ Cellar
Pop Brixton, SW9 8PQ
For those looking for something a little more region specific, the NZ Cellar will take over Pop Brixton’s events space for what they playfully refer to as a “garage sale”. In reality, this vibrant wine festival is an ode to one of the most fruitful New World wine producers, New Zealand. Showcasing some of the country’s rarest wines and craft beers, many of them difficult to get your hands on in the UK, this is an ample opportunity to discover the best that the Kiwis have to offer. There’ll be series of tasting tables where industry experts and producers will be opening extra-special bottles that are otherwise unseen in the UK. The kicker? Everything is at a specially discounted rate on the day. What more could you ask for with the festive season upon us? Tickets cost £10 and are available here: thenewzealandcellar.co.uk
New Street Wine Shop
New Street, EC2M 4TR
OK, admit it. You’ve got twelve guests coming round for Christmas and you’ve left it until the last minute to get the wine. Fortunately, New Street Wine Shop’s handy location next to Liverpool Street Station means it’s a hop, sip and a jump away from your office in the Square Mile. The best news is that you won’t have to compromise on quality for your tardiness: it can be on the expensive side, but its selective choice of producers is superb. Francophiles will be overjoyed to discover that Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are in abundance, but those who have a soft spot for something a little more niche will be equally satisfied. With a the industrial space that houses the shop also serving excellent nibbles to accompany any bottles you should wish to try before you take home, it’s a City secret waiting to get out – and you can claim all the plaudits without a second thought to having bought the bottles on the 23 December… For more info, see newstreetwine.com
Humble Grape
St Bride's Passage, EC4Y 8EJ
Two birds, one stone – or, er, grape for that matter. This wine bar is a fantastic spot for a Christmas get together with friends, but why not combine it with your Christmas wine haul as well. Here, you can work your way through an excellent food menu and sample one (or thee) of the 30 wines by the glass, before picking up a few bottles to pair with your turkey. Best of all, Humble Grape – as the name might suggest – takes away the needless pretension often associated with wine, and packages up the industry inside a dynamic, friendly, exciting package. It’s what wine was meant to be – and we’re all for it. You might even be able to impress any particularly snobbish in laws with your newfound knowledge all too happily doled out by the enthusiastic staff. This is a cracking venue for lovers of wine who might not necessarily know their Burgundy from their Bordeaux. For more info, see humblegrape.co.uk
