Alexander Hadleigh
19 Centre Way, Locks Heath, Southampton, Hampshire SO31 6DX, 01489 564563 ahadleigh-wine.com
This Hampshire shop offers a large stock of wines for immediate drinking, as well as plenty of bottles for laying down. It specialises in larger formats, from magnums upwards as well as stocking a selection of more modestly bottled rare wine. The Champagne range includes bottles from more than 15 vintages.
Arthur Rackham Emporia
216 London Road, Burpham, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7JS, 0870-870 1110 ar-emporia.com
Specialist shop selling a large range of fine and vintage reds, whites and rosés, as well as champagnes, ciders and a selection of organic wines. The list can be viewed and ordered online and mixed cases are available. All stocked wines are carefully chosen directly from the producers and the shop holds frequent wine tasting events.
Beaconsfield Wine Cellars
38 London End, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 2JH, 01494 675545 beaconsfieldwinecellars.com
This shop concentrates on French wines shipped directly from France. Wines from other parts of the world mainly come from small estate growers. Proprietor Neil Bingham spent some years working with winemakers in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain and Portugal and is happy to offer advice on preparation and serving.
Brighton Station Wine Cellars
Trafalgar Street, Brighton BN1 4FQ, 01273 777744
Handily located near the train station, this wine shop boasts a selection ranging from the usual - France, Spain, Australia - to less obvious areas such as Greece and Lebanon.
Brightwell Vineyard
Rush Court, Shillingford Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8LJ, 01491 832354
brightwellvineyard.co.uk
The Brightwell Vineyard store sells wines produced on-site by Carol and Bob Nielsen, including the Crispin 2005, a soft-dry blend of Reichensteiner and Bacchus grapes that has a lot of champions. A total of five English wines are produced here - three whites, two reds and a rosé. The shop is only open Friday to Sunday but mail order is available.
The Butlers Wine Cellar
247 Queen's Park Road, Brighton BN2 9XJ, 01273 698724
butlers-winecellar.co.uk
Mother and son Gillian and Henry Butler sell interesting and affordable wines sourced from small producers worldwide, and aim to make wine-buying fun and free of any snobbery. The store offers bin ends and older wines (dating back to the 20s) along with the regular list and holds regular wine tastings.
Caviste
9 Winchester Street, Overton, Hampshire RG25 3HR, 01256 770397
Jasmine House, High Street, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 6HB, 01264 811123
caviste.co.uk
In April The Cellar Door in Overton became Caviste, just as a new branch in Stockbridge opened, making this successful wine merchant into a very small re-branded chain. There is an impressive number of independent producers on the list as well as more recognisable names, and there are frequent tastings to help talented emerging winemakers become more famililar to buyers. Rising stars of Australia's Barossa Valley are a particular speciality.
Essentially Wine
12 Chipstead Station Parade, Chipstead, Surrey CR5 3TE, 01737 557737
essentiallywine.com
Essentially Wine stocks fine wines from around the world, including good ranges of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja and Chianti; it also lists several wines from smaller, more obscure vineyards. Wine accessories, including decanters, glasses, corkscrews and aerators, are also available.
Grapes of Worthing
10 Prospect Place, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 3BL, 01903 608563
grapesworthing.co.uk
This family-run deli and wine shop in a former fisherman's cottage prefers to sell wines from small producers, sourcing its wines from UK importers as well as directly from small French growers. The result is an interesting, highly personal list with the emphasis on France but various unusual offerings from further afield. The shop also holds tastings, either in-store or, on request, in customer's homes or local hotels.
Hanslope Wines
18 Gold Street, Hanslope, Near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK19 7LU, 01908 510262
hanslopewines.demon.co.uk
This small retailer based outside Milton Keynes has a particularly strong range of New World wines - especially Argentina, where proprietor Charles Bennett has built up good links with many producers. Bennett also sells his own label of French table wines, available in dry red or medium white.
The Haslemere Cellar
16 West Street, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 2AB, 01428 645081
haslemerecellar.co.uk
After building up a strong portfolio of Old and New World wines and spirits including Gosset Champagne, Baron de Sigognac armagnac and an impressive range of burgundies, owner Richard Royce and his wife Jennie have branched out into less familiar regions such as Sicily, Alentejo in Portugal and Priorat in Spain. They also sell hampers and hold regular tasting evenings in a nearby hotel.
Hennings Wine Merchants
Lower Street, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 2BW, 01798 872485
Golden Square, Petworth, West Sussex GU28 0AP
henningswine.co.uk
A huge range of French wines are on offer at these two stores, with particular emphasis on Bordeaux and Burgundy. The shop tries to import direct from growers, particularly those in Australia, Chile and France. It holds tutored tastings as well as one-off samplings.
Hercules Wine Warehouse
Moat Sole, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9AU, 01304 617100
herculeswines.co.uk
This retailer specialises in interesting French wines, as well as listing popular examples from Spain, Italy and New Zealand. The shop is the UK's only stockist for several brands, such as South Africa's Pillar Box Tree Merlot. A minimum of six bottles must be purchased.
Maison du Vin
Moor Hill, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4PF, 01580 753487
maison-du-vin.co.uk
This Kent merchant is very proud of its track record: in four years of trading it has introduced over 50 small French producers to the UK market. It stocks cigars, vintages dating back to 1944, and organises tastings, day courses and wine safari holidays.
The Oxford Wine Company
Standlake, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 7PR, 01865 301144
oxfordwine.co.uk
The original Oxford Wine Company closed in 1914 but the name was revived in the 90s by Ted Sandbach, with great success: his shop won Regional Wine Merchant of the Year this year in the International Wine Challenge. The warehouse stocks over 1,500 wines and spirits, including 150 malt whiskies; the shop also stocks lots of vintage Armagnac. There are frequent tastings, held in one of three underground caves.
Peter Osborne & Co
Watcombe Manor Farm, Ingham Lane, Watlington, Oxfordshire OX49 5EB, 01491 61231
peterosbornewine.co.uk
Proprietor Peter Osborne runs his business from a converted barn in Watlington, off the M40 between Oxford and Reading. French wines dominate the list here, with Georges Garde non-vintage Champagne the top choice for weddings. Wine producers often attend the Sunday tastings.
Quaff Fine Wine Merchant
139-141 Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex BN35 5QJ, 01273 820320
quaffit.com
This shop was opened in 2005 by Toby Pierce, who got into wine while touring the Stellenbosch region of South Africa in the 90s as a professional cricketer. Wines range from £4 to £325 and include organic, biodynamic and ethically traded brands; Pierce also offers a "bottle library" service, where the shop will keep a record of the wines a customer buys to save them the bother. The major producing countries are all represented, along with an impressively broad selection of English wines. "The range comes from small, family producers, making benchmark, handcrafted products, rather than branded wines. These wines show both the place they were made and the skill of their makers."
The Secret Cellar
43-45 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1JT, 01892 537981
thesecretcellar.co.uk
The Secret Cellar, which is located in a newly refurbished Grade II-listed building in the centre of Tunbridge Wells, was named Best Small Independent Merchant at this year's Decanter and World Wine Awards. Its proprietors aim to offer smaller producers' wines from all over the world, and there is no minimum order for deliveries, just a flat £8.50 charge however many bottles you buy.
S H Jones
27 High Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 5EW (wine bar & shop), 01295 251179
2 Riverside, Tramway Estate, Banbury, Oxfordshire (cellar shop), 01295 672296
9 Market Square, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 6AA, 01869 244588
121 Regent Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 4NU, 01926 315609
shjones.com
This small chain of wine merchants carries labels from the usual countries, plus a few from less obviously oenophile countries such as Thailand and Romania. The Banbury branch has its own wine bar serving light lunches, tapas and Italian coffee along with glasses of wine. The company holds an Autumn Festival of Wines and Spirits in September and October.
South Downs Cellars
100 High Street, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex BN6 9PX, 01273 833830
southdownscellars.co.uk
Over 500 wines from around the world are available from this retailer and supplier located outside of Brighton. France, Italy and Spain dominate the list, and wines from Domaine de Belle Mare are among new additions for 2007. The Cellars also runs its own wine club and regular tasting programmes.
The Sussex Wine Company
47 South Street, Little Chelsea, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4UT, 01323 431143
thesussexwinecompany.co.uk
France, Italy and Australia feature heavily on this Eastbourne-based merchant's list, although Spain and Argentina are edging up there. The shop has a fine wine and organic list as well as a range of English fruit wines. The company's holds frequent tastings and has bottles open in the shop on Friday afternoons.
Taurus Wines
The Old Cart House, Whipley Manor, Palmers Cross, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0LL, 01483 548484
tauruswines.co.uk
Based, Taurus Wines is based outside Guildford, in a 400-year-old former cowshed - hence the name, and the usefully thick walls which provide excellent cellaring conditions. The company stocks wines from all over, including organic ranges and various Champagnes, and has links with a South African conservation organisation, so that the company donates a percentage of every bottle of David Shepherd Red or Unoaked Chardonnay to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.
Le Vigneron
26 Lion Road, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8NR, 020-8303 3534
levigneron.co.uk
As the name suggests, France is the specialty of this wine merchant just outside London, although it does stock ranges from other Old and New World countries, including Chapel Down wines - the vineyard is nearby. Personalised bottle labels are also available.
The Vineking
4 West Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7JT, 01737 233553
thevineking.co.uk
Managing Director Erik Laan set up The Vineking in 2003 after a long career in the London fine wine trade. He admits to a preference for Pinot Noir and Riesling, both of which feature extensively on a list that favours Europe over the New World. Regular tasting evenings are held at Reigate's nearby Vintage Tea House.
Wine Etcetera
7 West Street, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9NQ, 01730 813300
wine-etcetera.co.uk
Wine Etcetera focuses on high-end European wines, with lots of big Bordeaux and Burgundy names and several of Italy's best-known super Tuscan drops. Areas of expertise include Bordeaux, Burgundy and Tuscany. It also stocks Chilean and Argentinian wines, including those of Bodega Noemia de Patagonia, of which only 2,000 bottles were produced. Tastings are held monthly.