In the UK, we’re fortunate to have an extensive range of available wines. However, there’s a shortage of resources dedicated to people purchasing from UK supermarkets, specialist wine shops, clubs/societies, UK vineyards, wine bars and going to UK wine events.
Whilst Decanter is a prominent resource, it mainly focuses on high end wines, many of which aren’t readily available. There’s also Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast but they are USA-centric and also mainly cover high end wines. The majority of personal wine blogs have become neglected and abandoned by their authors and those that have survived are USA-centric and/or behind paywalls.
I concentrate on wines that are financially and physically accessible and drinkable now. Financial accessibility is obviously a personal thing but for me this means wines below about £15 a bottle for everyday wines and £50 for a special occasion premium wine, Champagne or English Sparkling. In terms of physical accessibility, the wines I mention are available in either supermarkets, wine shops online, specialist stores or on-trade (hospitality venues).
I initially created this website as a hobby project and continue to maintain it for ongoing learning, enjoyment and the thrill of discovery, not for income. I am deeply interested in the world of wine. Over decades, I’ve enrolled in many wine courses, attended numerous tastings and visited a variety of vineyards in the UK and overseas.
The reviews and past tastings describe wines I have tried and most worth mentioning, while the picks list the ‘affordable’ ones I like the most, in a searchable and sortable database. The what to buy section provides further sources of 3rd party recommendations. It’s worth reading Understanding and Using Wine Ratings to better understand my and others’ perspectives.
There are no affiliate links nor Google AdSense advertising on this site or social. I don’t get paid for anything you end up buying. I don’t get paid to post or review. I occasionally receive samples from companies and get invited to tastings, but I try to not let this bias my reviews.
Simon Judge, Woking, Surrey, UK.
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