The Great Wine Company

 Unless you live in a particularly remote rural location chances are that your wine buying is largely part of your regular supermarket shop or, if you're lucky, comes from a browse around an independent wine shop on the high street.  I have written before about the benefits of a one-off £40 lifetime membership to The Wine Society and, although this is a remarkable, unique and inclusive 'club' putting members before profit, there are many wine retailers with an online presence tempting us to expand our horizons on the world of wine.  Yet how many times have you drunk a particularly attractive wine when you're out in a restaurant, Googled it and found it listed at small independent at the other end of the country, only to find there's a minimum order of £100 to get it delivered?  This might be fine if they stocked half a dozen other interesting bottles that attract your attention but, more often than not, you end up concluding your proposed transaction is unfeasible.  The answer of course is an online retailer with an extensive catalogue of wines, competitive prices, and more attractive delivery arrangements.  Step forward The Great Wine Company.

I first came across The Great Wine Company some years ago when searching for the UK Importer of Candido Wines in Puglia, Italy and looking for two of their red wines Cappello di Prete and La Carta that I had drunk in restaurants.  At the time it was known as Great Western Wines with a shop on Wells Road in Bath.  But for me the company really came into its own during Covid lockdown when they were doing a roaring trade supplying wine drinkers across the nation.  When a delivery arrived packaged from an Enotria&Coe warehouse I realised the two companies were linked.  In short, The Great Wine Company is now the business-to-consumer retail arm of the on-trade supplier Enotria&Coe.  This gives access to a large portfolio of wines from producers across the world with a range that is quite remarkable.  The website lists three bottles priced over £1million thereby making bottles of Bordeaux Premier crus Chateau Margaux or Chateau Haut Brion a mere snip at £630.  And at the other end of the price range there are still plenty of bottles to choose from under £10 (and with the 12+ bottles discount there will be even more). Discounts of 20% off your total order are available to NHS staff as well as to employees of some other preferred partners.  And as a final blandishment there is a blanket £10 off your first order (minimum £50) if you sign up for the Great Wine Co newsletter.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Les Mougeottes, Premium White 2021 (£11.10)

There are 5 wines (2 whites and 3 reds) under the Les Mougeottes banner on the website produced by LGI Wines in the heart of the Languedoc region. The Premium White in particular is a good buy if you want a fresh, clean alternative to a bland supermarket Sauvignon blanc.  As with most SB offerings from SW France Sauvignon Blanc is blended here with Colombard and Gros Manseng.  

Of course the other Les Mougeottes wines at the same price; a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Malbec, are worth considering too.

MAN Family Wines, Ou Kalant 2020 (£13.30)

A juicy Bordeaux blend from South Africa which the producer suggests is a mix of new world fruitiness and old world elegance. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc with some barrel ageing to give it a touch of oaky spice.

MAN Family Wines, Skaapveld 2020 (£13.30)

A well rounded wine with lingering flavours of blackcurrant and plum.  Made from 85% Syrah with the remainder Cinsault, at least according to the producer although the GW website suggests Viognier!  It is aged in old American oak barrels resulting in smooth medium bodied wine. 

Yealand's Estate PGR Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling 2021 (£15.50)

In contrast to the flood of Sauvignon Blanc that continues to come from New Zealand this is a single vineyard blend of grape varieties more typical of the Alsace region in France.  Unsurprisingly for this producer a really good fruity, aromatic and drinkable drop of wine.

Arnaldo Caprai, Montefalco Rosso 2019 (£19.95)

If you want a change from Chianti see what one of the best producers in the beautiful hilltop town of Montefalco in Umbria can do when they blend the local grape Sangrantino with Sangiovese.  This wine is 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sangrantino, and 15% Merlot bringing some real depth and character to a well-made wine.